Do we really need another book on science and the Bible? Older brethren and sisters, who have already examined the subject of evolution in terms of the scriptures, can be bored by the whole topic. They have already settled the matter in their own minds and tend to dismiss discussions on this issue as a waste of time.
A continuing need
Yet the need to keep reinforcing our opposition to evolution will continue to exist so long as the educational systems teach our children Darwinism (or neo-Darwinism) as if it were an established fact instead of a speculative theory.
There are many books available contesting the theory of evolution written by brethren and by other authors. None, however, have achieved wide acceptance within the brotherhood as the definitive answer to Darwinism. We should probably expect this as attacking a subject this big, in a rigorous fashion, would involve a broad knowledge of a number of advanced disciplines such as biology, geology, physics, statistics and so on. On the other hand, a rigorous text presents the difficulty that it would be so complex it would be over the heads of most of us.
Book has good balance
Finding the right balance and presenting the material in a clear, interesting style is not an easy task. This little book comes closest to achieving the right balance between rigor and ease of reading of any of the recent offerings that I have read.
The book has very interesting chapters on design vs. chance where the author draws colorful examples from cosmology, physics, biology and even engineering (i.e. thermodynamics) to show how deliberate planning is by far the only logical explanation capable of explaining the nature of the universe, our planet and ourselves. The approach is similar to that used by Paley1, namely, that where there is design there must be a designer. The chapters on biology and the fossil record are particularly useful.
Book takes young earth approach
I have only one quibble with this book and that is in chapter 5 of part 2 where the author opts for the so-called “young earth” and its corollary a “young universe” approach. This is the current vogue among fundamentalist Christians and unfortunately has been embraced by many in our own community contrary to the teachings of our pioneer brethren (see especially Elpis Israel, chapter 2).
The physical evidence for the age of the universe is actually much more extensive than Bro. Collyer presents in the chapter titled: Time Factor. Conversely, it is important to note that a very old earth doesn’t help the evolutionist one bit. There is not one shred of evidence in the fossil record that shows the origin of any species from any other species!
Evolutionists showing desperation
Leading evolutionists realize that Darwinism doesn’t work. What then is their answer? In the recent
publication, The Book of Life2, edited by Dr. Stephen Jay Gould the question is raised: “Mow] can we account for the sudden appearance of so many fundamentally different kinds of animals — the basic phyla?” The answer is given on the next page of this book: “As Geerat Vermeij [a leading evolutionist] puts it, new species are basically accidents.”
An old earth is not enough to explain life on this planet. In addition, the evolutionist also must invoke the concept of an accident [whatever that means?]. The best way to demolish evolution is to read evolutionists!
Book given high marks
With this one caveat in mind, the rest of Creation, Evolution & Science is marvelous and done so concisely that every brother and sister interested in the subject of the Bible and Science ought to put a weekend aside and read this book. Further, it is a book that every young person in our ecclesias should know about. The material should be easy to read for those 12 years or older and could well serve as a special reading assignment in our Sunday School classes for teenagers.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One