Overview: This six part series was done on September 13, 1995 at the Dayton Answers In Genesis Seminar with Dr. Gary Parker and his wife Mary. These interviews will maintain the verbal format with only changes to simplify repeats done in informal conversation. This interview will cover Gary's feelings about speaking, debates and the effect of these on his listeners.

Ron: Gary, you have been coming with your wife to many events and I know you have been able to see her work. What are the things that excite you about the Creation Adventure Workshops?

Gary: To start with, it's fabulous just to see the extent of expectancy on the kids faces as they are waiting eagerly outside to go into the workshop. And as soon as the doors are opened, they just fan out in all directions to look at the display specimens and begin to wonder. You can see the questions forming in their minds. What does this mean? What is this? Where does this fit into things? How can I hunt fossils? And all of these kinds of questions which they listen to so intently. Mary gives them a chance to think. This is really a training session on how to think about things: Mary holds up different objects for them to see, brings young people up to look at them, and asks them to make observations. They are really being trained in the proper methodology of science, to draw conclusions. The kids respond to that. Their opinion counts, but it is not an opinion based on nothing. It is an opinion based on logic and observation. And they get to do some thinking on their own. They respond to that. And afterwards when the meetings breakup, they don't rush out like they do at the end of the school day. A lot of times at the end of the school day as soon as the final bell rings, they are out and gone. But as soon as the bell rings for the end of the Creation Adventure Workshop, they come up and gather around Mrs. Parker, "What about this and what about that?" and some bring fossils they want her to identify and they keep asking questions. Usually we have to chase them out of the room. Sometimes they draw pictures and write cards to express how much the Workshop meant to them. It's a real thrill and you know it's going to have an impact on their lives later on. Part of it is the enthusiasm for learning, but even more, it is an enthusiasm for learning guided by God's word. And I can't help but think that the evolutionists ain't seen nothing yet. Wait until this new generation, trained from the ground up, has their opportunity.

Ron: Gary, as a speaker you do something people would die not to do. Speak in front of a crowd. What kind of excitement or fears do you have each time you get up to speak to crowds like this at the Answers in Genesis Seminar? I'm sure you don't worry about it a whole lot, but through the years you probably have had some experiences that made your knees shake occasionally. Would you enlighten us a little bit?

Gary: Well, I have to admit, I am really excited about these kinds of things myself, the study of science. Looking at science was really what brought me to the Lord, so the long process of unlearning evolution and relearning creation and not leaving God out of my thought and having God present in all of my thought was very important for me. So, in one sense that is a big help that these things mean a lot to me and it's fun to share them. It is interesting that I actually sort of prefer and am more at home in the small group situation and I have to watch it. I often wind up talking to a few people on the front rows whose eyes I can see and sometimes forget about the crowd that goes way back into the distance. So that part of speaking, the presentation of information, really means a lot to me. It points to the truth of God's word and is something I can share enthusiastically. I guess I can say I do this kind of "one on one," even if there is a big crowd. So I am not aware of the crowd so much. But a different situation entirely is the debate format. I am willing to do debates if it serves the purposes, defends the truth of God and brings people to the meeting that wouldn't come otherwise. I am willing to do it and I know that I can trust God to work His will in those situations, but I have had a case of nerves at debates. Literally in fact, the first debate I was ever in, I could hear my perspiration splashing on the floor, so it seemed to me, and my knees were shaking so badly I thought everybody would notice! But apparently I was standing by a lectern, my knees were bobbing up and down inside my pants legs and nobody particularly noticed that. And then during the time when I was sitting down and the other person was speaking I drank an entire pitcher of water. It is very nerve wracking, and even ahead of time, I try not to think too much or anticipate what the person might say or how I will respond. In the early days there were evolutionists who attempted to win the debate on science. They didn't realize how much science was in support of creation and, of course, in those days the creationists won hands down. The evolutionists really didn't have a chance on the evidence. In later years, realizing that, they have shifted tactics to personal attacks on the speaker, and all kinds of red herring arguments. In Australia, they use deliberate lying as a tactic. It is considered good form by some of the attacks on creation science over there. So it is a much more difficult thing and, of course, the debates are open to question. One of my prayers is always that God will be honored in the questions. That instead of being distracting, they will give further opportunity to support the case for creation and further opportunity to glorify God. And God has been a very generous in answering those prayers, but I keep trying to remind myself as I did before the debate in Dayton this time, how many things, how many times God has delivered me from a tough situation. But I have to admit, I still can't get rid of the butterflies, the nervousness, the tension and things like that in front of the debate crowds. Plain speaking is just a matter of sharing, but I can only do it on science. Sometimes people think speaking in front of a crowd is sort of a gift, but not at all. When I am sharing the things of God's world and God's Word I have no problem. But, if I had to get up in front of a crowd and give some kind of a political address, I would be a nervous wreck, inept and tongue tied and everything else, so for me it's more one-on-one enthusiasm shared in front of a lot of people.

Ron: On Monday we had a creation/evolution debate that was anticipated by a lot of us to have a potential impact in this neighborhood. About 540 people actually came to the debate, but a lot more would have liked it in the evening. Of course, that was a conflict with the main program. Dr. Parker, was Dr. Tim Wood (debater from Wright State University) a good spokesman for evolution? Although I am biased in favor of the creationists message, I thought Dr. Wood did an excellent job presenting his case for evolution and going through the relevant information that he had at his disposal. Although I think both of us would agree, the evidence was a little weak or not good from a debating standpoint; and Dr. Wood told me afterwards that he thinks the strongest evidence for evolution is more technical and not suitable for debate formats. Would you like to respond to my comments or Dr. Wood's?

Gary: Actually I was expecting much more in the way of technical material in the debate and would welcome technical debating. My personal belief is that the deeper you dig, the more closely you look at all of the areas, whether it's biochemistry, ecology, physiology, or paleontology; that the deeper you look, the more technical the argument gets, the better the case for creation. Dr. Wood was a very cordial gentlemen, very easy to talk to. We visited quite a lot afterwards; and I actually mentioned to him and some students from the University that should I be back in this area again, I would welcome the opportunity to speak in a classroom to students who are well prepared and have the background that would be required to understand some of the technical details. He seemed to be interested in that, so that may happen. I have done that before at other universities. In another debate, the issues have gotten fairly technical. I would think though that had I known that, I could have encouraged Dr. Wood to be just as technical as he wanted; because many scientists underestimate, greatly underestimate, the intelligence of the average audience; and I have found that people, when they see two persons talking about the same kind of things, they have an ability to understand even if the vocabulary may be unfamiliar. They can tell. They can see which man is really arguing most consistently with the kind of evidence that is being presented, which seems to have the easy familiarity with the topic and has to make the least "on the other hand" kind of statements. So I regret that he didn't bring those up. In fact, we tried to have those brought up in the question time and people did bring up different points in questions; such as, the second law [of thermodynamics]. Actually one of the questioners tripped up Dr. Wood [on that] and he did make a mistake in that particular regard. So I think the debates can go on at a more technical level and I am certainly willing to address more technical questions. Sometimes I have even talked with Ken about having a special question time, and at some of our seminars we do. We might break it up and have Ken take some general interest questions and have me take some of the more technical questions. That's one of the great things about creation science, the closer you look, the clearer you see God's hand.

[UPDATE: AIG has announced that the Parkers will be full time with them starting in September 1996.] Dr. Parker's interview continued in May.