They informed me that, for much of Scripture, it was not what was said that was important, but the theological picture that was implied. I asked them how they determined what that theological picture was, on what basis did they decide what was the true theological picture, and how could they be sure that their approach to Scripture was the right one? From where did they obtain their authority to approach the Scripture this way? They said it was their study of history and theology over the years that enabled them to decide what was the correct way to approach Scripture and to determine what these symbolic pictures were. I then told them it sounded as though they simply held an opinion as to how to approach Scripture. How did they know it was the right opinion? This is where the conversation abruptly ended. These men want to tell God what He is saying rather than letting God tell them what the truth is. This is the position of many theological leaders.

After speaking at a church in Victoria, Australia, one of the local ministers (who was obviously upset) told me in front of a large number of people that I had no right to force my interpretation of the Bible on others. He was extremely vocal and emotional about this issue. The thing I found amazing was that he was trying to enforce his interpretation of the Bible on me and the others that were present. He could not comprehend that aspect.

There are many passages throughout the Bible in which God rebukes religious leaders for leading people astray. Jeremiah, for instance, was called by the Lord to warn the Israelites about teachers and priests who were not proclaiming the truth. Jesus openly rebuked many religious leaders, calling them such names as "vipers" (Matt. 12:34).

These same warnings apply to many today who claim to be teachers of the Word of God, but who, in reality, are causing many people to fall by the wayside. Many of you will no doubt be aware that much of the opposition to the work of the creation organizations worldwide comes from theologians and other religious leaders. Many of the humanist groups often enlist people who claim to be Christians but believe in evolution to support them (on television, radio, and in publications) in their effort to combat the creation ministries. I have seen TV reporters and radio announcers reveling in the fact that they can have someone on their program who claims to be a Christian but opposes the Bible and creation.