Customer Reviews

The Beginning of the World: A Scientific Study of Genesis 1-11

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you want the highlights of Creation in one book, this is a good one. There are many references to tie the actual scientific evidence to the Scripture. For those Christians who have bought the science fairy tale of evolution, this will help you get back on firm footing with the truth. There are those in the end times who will "choose to be ignorant". Don't be one of those.

Dr. Henry Morris, who was a fervent champion of creationism and revered author, outdid himself with his book "The Beginning of the World: A Scientific Study of Genesis 1-11." The book challenges modern science and those who seek to change scripture to fit theory.

In 13 chapters, Dr. Morris examined Genesis 1-11 to showcase the truths of biblical creationism while simultaneously exposing the hypocrisy of highly regarded scientific theories--specifically the Theory of Evolution. At the end of each chapter, appropriate study questions are posed to the reader which help to solidify the truths of that particular chapter.

Written in an easy-to-understand way, I would suggest "The Beginning of the World" to any young adult or older adult who wishes to learn more about those vital first chapters of Genesis as a way to counter the theories society so readily accepts as truths.

Henry M. Morris (1918-2006) was one of the foremost biblical creationists of the late 20th century; he was also the author/coauthor of books such as The Genesis Flood the Biblical Record and Its Scientific Implications, The Scientific Case for Creation, Scientific Creationism, What Is Creation Science?, etc.

This book is a revision and updating of Morris's 1965 book, Science Scripture and Salvation...The Genesis Record.

He wrote in the Introduction to this 1977 book, "In this book, both the scientific and historical aspects of these chapters (Genesis 1-11), as well as their evangelistic testimonies and practical spiritual applications, will be discussed at some length."

Here are some additional quotations from the book:

"The whole world thus had an 'appearance of age,' even though newly created. Creation of apparent age is inherent in the very concept of creation. No deception is involved, since God has plainly told us these events of creation." (Pg. 25)
"There is nothing unreasonable at all about the Biblical perspective, which views the earth as the center of interest in the physical universe. The stars in the heavens... were prepared by God with a view to the great history of life and redemption that would soon begin on the earth." (Pg. 26)
"The quotation in Jude (14-15) seems to have been taken from one of three apocryphal books... At least Jude, by divine inspiration, incorporated this particular fragment as of true Enochian authorship." (Pg. 87)
"All human languages are separated by an essentially infinite barrier from the sounds made by animals, although the vocal organs as such may not be greatly different. The origins of language in general and of language in particular, are thus inexplicable in terms of evolution, and yet it is impossible to overestimate the importance of articulate, propositional ... speech in the life of mankind." (Pg. 136)

Dr. Morris was one of the founders of the modern creationism movement. This book gives a brief commentary on the first 11 chapters of Genesis from a creation science perspective. It is an easy read and will likely bring up numerous topics that most Christians haven't thought about since Sunday school. This book is a great alternative to the evolutionary philosophy being pushed by our culture today. Every Christian should read this book to help you better understand the foundations of the faith.

Another book by Dr. Morris that helps clear away the fog of old-earth and evolution teaching.

This book is a weird attempt to reconcile the literal Fundamentalists' view of Genesis with the fossil records and other clear evidences for the theory of evolution. Instead of buying this brainwashing book, the following notes are recommended to be read.

Did a Global Flood Form the Fossil Record?

The first hypothesis considered by scientists was that the global flood described in Genesis accounted for the geological column and fossil record. Indeed, this explained the presence of fossil sea shells high in the Alps. However, as early as 1757, James Parsons and others attempted to deduce the season of the Flood from fossils. If spring, flowers and young fruit should predominate, mature fruit and nuts if fall. Alas, both were found. It was suggested that mature fruit had been mixed in from the tropics, but if so, then land and ocean animals should be mixed together as well. In fact, they are found in separate deposits, except for some land organisms that floated out to sea. These and other difficulties led scientists to accept the uniformitarian geology proposed by James Hutton (Theory of the Earth) and Charles Lyell (Principles of Geology).

The ICR model (presented in this book) is simply the same old flood theory, and it, too, fails to explain basic facts. For example, if all species were created at one time before the flood, fossils deep in the geological record (early in the flood) should be identical to later forms. Extinctions might be allowed, but no new productions. Of course, the fossil record shows both extinctions and creations, with increasingly unfamiliar animals the deeper you go. The 19th century creationist geologist Georges Cuvier proposed a number of successive creation events to account for this. The present author Henry Morris, director of the ICR, proposed in the book that the appearance of progressive change was explained by (1) elevation of habitat, (2) resistance to gravitational settling in the flood waters, and (3) ability to flee the floodwaters. However, this predicts that porpoises and ichthyosaurs, both fully-aquatic air-breathing animals of the same size, shape, and density, living in the same habitat, should be found as fossils in the same strata. In fact, there is a series of transitional forms through Mesozoic deposits leading to ichthyosaurs, overlaid by Cenozoic deposits containing a series of forms leading to porpoises. Countless other specific tests are failed by the flood hypothesis, but passed by uniformitarian geology.

(Comment by George S.Bakken, Indiana State University.)