'Cosmos' vs. 'Master Designer'

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"The cosmos is all that is, all there ever was, and all there ever will be." Those opening words from Carl Sagan's 1980s TV series, "The Cosmos" are a succinct statement of what's become the driving philosophy behind much of modern science and science education: materialism.

The debate over Darwinian evolution, as heated as that gets, is only one part of a larger worldview conflict-one fought between those who look at the natural world and say, "This is designed," and those who look at it and conclude, "This happened by itself."

The Bible makes it clear which side we Christians are on. The psalmist tells us "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims his handiwork" (Ps 19). The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 1 that the creation reveals even the power and moral nature of God, leaving everyone who's ever looked up at the sky on a starry night "without excuse."

The cosmos, Scripture tells us, isn't all that is. In fact, it shouts to everyone who has ears to listen that Someone greater and eternal exists. But the question is, Do we have ears to hear it?

There's a scene in C. S. Lewis' "The Magician's Nephew," from "The Chronicles of Narnia" series, when after singing the world into existence, the Lion Aslan tries to speak with Uncle Andrew, the magician who first brings those from our world into Narnia.

"He has made himself unable to hear my voice," says Aslan. "If I spoke to him, he would hear only growlings and roarings. Oh Adam's sons, how cleverly you defend yourself against all that may do you good!"

Well, our Creator still speaks through the cosmos, and the sons of Adam keep defending themselves against His voice.

A new remake of Sagan's series debuted on Fox earlier this month, and its host, Neil deGrasse Tyson, is making no bones where his allegiance lies in this battle of worldviews.

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The first episode features the story of Giordano Bruno, a 16th century Dominican friar who was burned at the stake, according to Tyson for speculating the earth revolved around the sun. Now, I'm not for burning heretics at the stake, but the fact is that he was executed for preaching anti-trinitarian universalism and other heresies.

In the latest episode, Tyson goes further, leveling direct shots at Intelligent Design and praising the power of "mindless evolution." The eye-which Darwin himself called one of the greatest problems for his theory-is no problem at all, according to Tyson. He claims natural selection could build it, step-by-step, despite staggering evidence to the contrary.

But here's what really strikes me about the new "Cosmos" series: It's beautiful. And despite the show's trying to explain that beauty away as a product of "mindless evolution," the Creator's voice still breaks through. That's why DNA co-discoverer Francis Crick felt compelled to write, "Biologists must constantly keep in mind that what they see was not designed, but rather evolved."

I don't envy Tyson and other materialists that task, especially after my interview with Steve Greisen. He's the producer of a new beautifully made documentary that will help you hear not only God's voice in nature, but the entire symphony.

The film is called "The Master Designer: The Song," and it explores the biology and lives of six animals-and how they uniquely reveal foresight and intelligent design.

The two insects alone will blow you away. For example, did you know that bees communicate through smells and give each other GPS coordinates by dancing?-or that crickets told the ancient Chinese when to plant, when to harvest and when cold weather was coming? And wait until you hear the cricket's song slowed down. Wow!

This entire film reminded me not just how overwhelming the evidence for design is, but that the only right response to it is worship. Uncle Andrew can keep "Cosmos."