Dr. Oscar Riddle, in The Unleashing of Evolutionary Thought, gives an outspoken, uninhibited, and unabashed declaration of the basic atheistic nature and aims of the evolutionary scheme. This coming from so eminent a man, with the support of the highest men in this field, is reason enough to consider the import and implications it has on our Christian heritage. As far as these men are concerned, there is a war to the finish between real-unmitigated-evolution and Christianity, with the fore-announced plan of frontal attack that will allow of no compromise. How sad it is when Christians, or persons professing to be Christians, propose a compromise between the true God of the Bible and His revelation, and an uncompromising enemy! Note the following excerpts from Dr. Riddle's book:
"The informed atheist of our day gladly looks at the passing of God as part of the dawn of the day of Man. Otherwise he views it as dispassionately as others view the passing of the fairies and the devil. And no void is left by the relinquished God.... Only an infantile emotionalism pillows the worthiness of human existence upon the supernatural. It is failure to grapple firmly with the natural that prevents one's finding a saner satisfaction in naturalism." p. 340.
How can the daring of man go much further? He wants to get rid of God, and longs for that time. He speaks of the dawning of the "day of Man"; but God has already spoken of that day, and it is present. God has told us that this day of man will culminate in the presumption of "the man of sin." Man is fast going forward to the time when he will attempt to fight against God and His Christ. When God's King comes forth out of heaven, the sin of man will reach its great climax. Man cast God's Son out of the world when He came into it in grace; but when He comes again with the armies of heaven following Him, He will make war in righteousness, and dash man, together with his atheism and defiance, "in pieces like a potter's vessel." Let us note what God• has to say about His day:
"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Pet. 3:10-1310But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (2 Peter 3:10‑13). Man's day is going to end in the judgment of God, to be superseded first by the day of the Lord (1 Thess. 5:2), and then by the final day of God. But "the informed atheist" and all who reject the Lord Jesus will find their part in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels. (Rev. 20:10-15; 21:810And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:10‑15)
8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8).)
On page 42, Dr. Riddle also states:
"It seems certain, however, that in greater proportion than in any previous generation the living members of this learned group now reject ideas both of Blesser and Creator. Also, within this learned group, a greater proportion of leading biologists and psychologists than of lawyers and writers now accept a Godless universe."
The learning of "this learned group" will avail them nothing when they stand before Him with whom we have to do, with Him whose eyes are "as a flame of fire," and whose sword will proceed "out of His mouth." He will have but to speak to break them in pieces or to consign them to the lake of fire.
One might well wonder why Dr. Riddle does not go to Russia where a godless society has largely been established, and where it is the avowed purpose of the ruling clique to annihilate God. Let us have a look at his remarks about Russia:
"An early acceptance of the implications of Darwinism in most public education would then have taken from many Western nations-long before the Russian (Bolshevik) revolution of 1917 -all traces of their trust in God to correct the ills of man. With that accomplished, the Communist ax would have been dulled before it was fashioned-for a different outlook upon religion was one additional way in which the ideals of that Socialist state must depart from those of other nations. And on this central point of intellectual outlook, the leaders of the Russian revolution could rightly feel that they were on firm ground, and far in advance of other nations. To what extent this solid and man freeing conclusion-though drawn by many on undigested evidence- further influenced the power and fervor of Bolshevik sentiment for radical social transformation, for unrelenting opposition to the non-Soviet world, and for a contempt of ethics by Soviet leadership, no one can ever know. But to this writer it seems entirely probable that past and present attitudes of Soviet Russia toward Western nations are far more antagonistic and dangerous than would have been the case if other nations had dethroned the personal God before Russia did." pp. 309, 310.
Here in unmistakable language is Dr. Riddle's personal opinion, an opinion based on unmitigated evolutionary thought, that the present struggle between East and West is due to the West's retaining some belief in God, which should have been discarded long before Russia cast God out. It seems evident that he longs for the day when God will be cast out everywhere. This man little knows that he is only helping to prepare the way for the awful carnage that will take place when the "beast" of the revived Roman Empire and his confederated kingdoms will do just that-cast off God and all restraint. After the true believers (a relatively small minority) are taken out of this world, and the remainder of Christendom will be united under the banner of Rome-Babylon the Great-man will then overthrow the whole structure of Christian profession. It will be destroyed root and branch. Read Rev. 17 and 18. But will the world be any better by having the real Christians taken out of it to heaven, and the lifeless profession that is left utterly destroyed? No; rather, it will be the consummation of wickedness, and the deification of man. Dr. Riddle's book, and the whole evolutionary scheme, is furthering the awful doom of this Christ-rejecting world. After all religion is destroyed or effectively suppressed, the "day of Man" will rise to its zenith, only to have the judgments of the "day of the Lord" dash all to pieces.
Another remark or two regarding Russia and Communism in relation to the Western nations should be noted:
"Thus, except for this vast injury from Christianity, the Western world-like the Russians-could have offered its brand of secular naturalism along with its secular technology to the Asians. Indeed, this could have been offered them long before the Russians had either communism or technology to offer anyone. Western failure does not lie in failure to export its Christianity to the East, but... in its prolonged failure to accept a truer and worthier world view in the presence of that faith." p. 355. "Most cruelly and quite unconsciously, the religions persisting since the Darwin of 1859 have contributed to the spread and virulence of communism." p. 413.
No nation and no people will become so benighted as the ones who once had light from God and His revealed Word, and who in arrogance cast it away. We all know that the Christianity that Russia once knew was not the Christianity of the Bible (but in a very small part), but what shall we say of their present atheistic dogma? Has it not produced the most cruel and heartless oppression the world has ever seen? Has it not enslaved hundreds of millions? Have not millions of lives been sacrificed to state aggrandizement? But Russia is only a little ahead of the highly privileged Western nations who are preparing to cast off God. Then darkness and savagery will have their way, and the devil (at whom Dr. Riddle scoffs) will have the upper hand as he pushes men over the precipice into a whirlpool of excesses and madness. Then Dr. Riddle's remark will show its meaning:
"For marching men, worry and humility [emphasis ours] are excess baggage." p. 413.
There is certainly no humility seen in the Russian pattern today, but the One who was "meek and lowly in heart" shall one day rule with a rod of iron. The present condition in the world, and the characters marked out for the days ahead by the noted biologist, are all unmistakable evidence of the last days, as so carefully depicted for us by God in His Word.
To Dr. Riddle everything good for man can only come by bold naturalism that rejects God. But what does it promise the individual? Let us see:
"These [a few species] descended from the trees, mastered a new and greatly varied food supply, and later became subject to social heredity, through which they lost nature's means of ridding their species of the unfit. Sooner or later, man must find a substitute means for that discarded one of nature. And he must do this while he is still in possession of a better conscience than exists in any other species.... His species is the only one that can deliberately promote its own deterioration.... The informed person facing natural death at the end of a normal span of life can know that even timely decease serves a social end. If the biologically unfit of any social age-the present included-could live forever, there would be no hope for man. He who declares a 'love' for all men has either slight contact with the species or great power of self-delusion." pp. 84, 85.
"Let it be granted that there are various arguments against euthanasia, and some of them are not of religious origin. But ultimately it is Bible-born arguments... that... continue to deny this well-guarded form of merciful release to some persons who need and want it." pp. 341, 342.
Here is what evolution promises a man-the great liberating "knowledge" that he just evolved through millions of years by fortuitous circumstances; that he was not created by God; that there is no God to love him, or to punish him either; that when he has served his day he should welcome death for the benefit of society, and that the unfit should be eliminated by some method yet to be developed (or at least not stated by Dr. Riddle); and that should he tarry in suffering he should be able to be put out of his misery. This, reader, is evolution; and it is cruel. Thank God, He is, and "He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Heb. 11:66But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6). The God of the Bible is a God of love, but He is also a God who is LIGHT; and He must and will punish the wicked. Dr. Riddle professes to believe that it is harder to believe in a Creator than in an evolutionary process that required no Creator. But he is not credulous enough to believe that about any work of man.
When Dr. Riddle quotes Scripture, he displays how little he knows about it. When he says,
"To learn early that one will never become an angel is swiftly to find reason for becoming a worthy person" (p. 341),
he is not quoting from the Bible; for nowhere in it is it ever said that any human being will ever become an angel. This is myth and not truth. That anyone might have said so, does not alter the fact that Scripture never said so. When he quotes a statement that the Lord Jesus and Paul did not know of the Trinity, or at least do not speak of it, this is gross error. Did not the Lord speak of the Father and also of sending the Spirit after He Himself returned to the Father? Many scriptures could be adduced to correct this! He quotes the unbelief of Bishop Colenso, that it was discovered that Moses did not write the Pentateuch, but these timeworn and discredited objections have no basis in fact. They only betray an attitude of opposition to God.
We are ready to admit that Dr. Riddle's contention is true; namely, that evolution is basically atheistic and cannot be made to fit in with Christianity. They are diametrically opposed, and never can meet. Those who seek to do obeisance to evolution to be accredited by the world, dishonor the truth and do not please a real evolutionist.
Dr. Riddle quotes from an approving letter which complemented him thus:
"I was particularly glad to note that you called attention to the essential dishonesty of the argument that a belief in evolution is quite compatible with 'a' religious faith." p. 383.
The battle is joined and the fight will be waged, for Dr. Riddle himself said,
"Society and evolutionary thought must now specifically wage a fight against the supernatural element (salvation included) of all religions." p. 336.
Then why should any Christian aid, abet, or give comfort to a system that is set to destroy the very foundations of our faith?
In one place he said that
"A completed 'blueprint' for the Fundamentalism and supernaturalism of our times would indicate that these have remained more formidable and more durable enemies of science and society than Nazism and communism." p. 396.
This challenge calls for some words of explanation. It is apparent from Dr. Riddle's book that Fundamentalism is charged with ignorance, intolerance, and many other unsavory things. It is even suggested that the Ku Klux Klan had its roots in it, and that bigotry abounds within its scope. Now no one doubts that fringe elements attach themselves to any movement, but that part of Fundamentalism which stood squarely for the Bible as the revealed mind of God, and rejected any philosophy and every suggestion that would nullify it, is another matter. Not that it is a foe of true science, or of society (although we hold no brief for the name "Fundamentalism"); but wherein any have stood firmly and squarely against the inroads of the deceptive and destructive reasonings of the evolutionary theory, they are to be commended. It is only sad to note that in the few intervening years since Dr. Riddle's book was published, and today, many once stalwart defenders of the faith have fallen victims to evolution's seductive influence. But Dr. Riddle's statement shows how he views unflinching faith in God's Word; he deprecates it as worse than Nazism and Communism. Never mind, those of his persuasion will not have long to wait until all the faithful Christians (indeed all real Christians) will be taken out of this world; and then the unmitigated evolutionists can have the world with its anarchy and chaos as they like it, but not for long; for sudden destruction will come upon them, "and they shall not escape" (1 Thess. 5:33For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:3)).
When Jude wrote to the saints, he was minded to write of their common salvation; but then it was needful to exhort them to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." v. 3. If this was true in his day, it is decidedly more needed today. On every hand there are those who would by stealth or open assault wrest from us the precious truth which we have received. May God grant us grace to stand firm and unyielding in this day of battle. Many have already capitulated to the enemy. Young Christian, and all Christians, let us heed that word, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness." Eph. 6:13, 1413Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; (Ephesians 6:13‑14). Not one foot of ground should be surrendered-not one atom of truth lost.