One question we often hear from parents contacting Alpha Omega Academy® for the first time is, "Does the Academy teach evolution?" What the parent probably means is, "What position does the Alpha Omega Academy science curriculum take in the debate over origins of life?"

The quick answer is that Alpha Omega Academy science courses teach that the world and everything in it was created by God in six 24-hour days, just as the Bible plainly says (Genesis 1:31; Exodus 20:11). Academy science teachers also like to point out that scientific facts from paleontology, zoology, botany, molecular biology, geology, etc., can be interpreted from a creationist (Young Earth) viewpoint more readily than from an evolutionary viewpoint.

While the academy has little desire to get involved in controversies between groups of genuine Christians, I believe we must show young people positive evidence that the Bible presents a literal, historical account, given by a trustworthy Creator, of how and why we are here. To do otherwise is to cast doubt on the rest of Scripture and to cause youth to discount the authority of Scripture in any other teaching that runs counter to popular opinion. For instance, if it's true that humans originated through millions of years of Darwinian struggle and survival of the fittest, then we cannot trust Paul who tells us that death entered the world through Adam's sin (Romans 5:12, I Corinthians 15:21-22), and that faith in Jesus' atonement is the only way to God. If Noah's flood is just a story, can we believe Jesus when He refers to that flood as proof that God will judge the world once more (Luke 17:26)?

You may be aware that many evangelical teens quit attending church as soon as they achieve independence. America's Research Group recently surveyed 1,000 young adults who no longer attend church to find explanations for this disturbing phenomenon (Already Gone, Ham and Beemer, 2009). One of the most shocking findings was that those who normally attended Sunday School as children were more likely to abandon Christian beliefs upon reaching adulthood than those whose church experience did not include Sunday School. This may not mean that Sunday School is inherently harmful, according to the authors, but may reflect a general tendency for the Bible to be taught as a collection of moral stories, rather than as coherent and vital history.

This was my personal experience growing up. I was raised as a believer in a godly Christian home and church. However, because I was intellectually unprepared, the argument for evolution presented in my high school biology class was completely convincing, and in a short time, I rejected the creator God. To make a long story short, God was merciful to me, but I didn't regain the faith of my childhood until several years later, when I was given the evidence of creation science.

Teachers in Alpha Omega Academy understand the importance of this issue. They remain passionately committed to building the faith of students entrusted to them. You may count on the academy to continue teaching that the absolute authority of Scripture is totally compatible with full and rational inquiry into the marvelous natural world in which God has placed us.

Is your student equipped for adult life with a strong foundation in his Christian beliefs?