The Missouri Association for Creation (M.A.C.) was founded in 1972 by two graduate students at the University of Missouri in Columbia.
These students felt a need to establish a forum from which they could critically examine the scientific evidence as it pertains to the origin of the Cosmos in general and living organisms in particular.
As the name chosen for the organization suggests, they were convinced on the basis of their own study that a careful consideration of the scientific evidence would overwhelmingly favor a creation model over against an evolutionary model of origins.
They found that a critical evaluation of the scientific evidence for both models of origins, creation and evolution, was rarely attempted in the science classroom or in any instructional materials then in use.
To satisfy their own curiosity and enthusiasm they met monthly with other interested students, faculty, and members of the local community to hear invited speakers and hold discussions and debates.
Today M.A.C. is headquartered in St Louis, Missouri and has members throughout the state as well as in other parts of North America.
Though the vast majority of our members would consider themselves Christians, we are not a church and engage in no prayer or worship activity as an organization.
Our primary function is to serve as an educational resource on the topic of origins.
Our membership includes many scientists, parents, educators, students, clergy, and lay people. We are convinced that truth must find its own way in a free market of ideas.
M.A.C. is registered in the state of Missouri as a not-for-profit scientific and educational organization. M.A.C. was granted tax exempt status by the I.R.S. as a section 501 (C) (3) organization in 1976. M.A.C. is not a subsidiary or sponsor of any other creationist group nor do we engage in political or legal efforts to force our views on others, including the public schools.
Our starting premise is that there are really only two fundamentally different explanations for the origin of the Cosmos (order) and its living inhabitants: 1) it is the result of purposeful design imposed on matter, or 2) it is the result of chance and the intrinsic properties of matter, i.e. spontaneous self assembly.
There are perhaps combinations of these two views, but is difficult to imagine a third distinctly different view. We are concerned that most people are exposed to only one view of origins and thus we seek to give them an opportunity to critically examine the evidence and alternatives.
We believe that a resolution to the question of which of these views (models) is most plausible must depend on a careful reexamination of the fossil record, contemporary cell biology, genetics, mathematical probability and the most fundamental laws of nature such as the Second Law of Thermodynamics.