The Baby Lab

It's good to see that Yale researchers are finally learning what my confirmation students already know and what God's Word makes clear; Babies are born with a conscience, but they are also born sinful.

Now I know that the researchers wouldn't put it that way, but if you read the transcript or watch the story that aired on 60 Minutes on Sunday you'll see that they discovered that babies pretty much come wired with knowing the basics of what is right and what is wrong.  They also discovered that the conscience (my word not theirs) of the baby is flawed.

But like I said, my confirmation students (as well as anyone who has received even a half way decent instruction in the Christian faith) already know that we're born with a conscience because that fact has been made clear by God's Word.

For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law unto themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them. -Romans 2:14-15

My students also know the Biblical teaching (confirmed in the Yale study) that we are born sinful.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.        -Psalm 51:5

 Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. -Romans 5:12

 So, needless to say, the results of the study weren't surprising to me, but it was interesting to hear the researchers try to explain it all from an evolutionary starting point.

In my opinion, the real take away from the story should be the reality that we are all born sinful, in need of a savior, and that our the savior from sin had indeed come and His name is Jesus.