Customer Reviews

The Evolution of a Creationist: A Layman's Guide to the Conflict Between the Bible and Evolutionary Theory

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Herman Rutner, retired industrial R&D scientist
If you want the facts about the folly of Darwin's evolution of species, you need to read this book by former evolutionist, Dr Jobe Martin. It cites numerous examples of species with complex body organs that could not possibly have "evolved" instantly or even gradually over billions of years. This is known as "irreducible complexity" that would require a superintelligent designer, planner or programmer, not any proposed random statistical process with extremely low odds or compound probability of producing anything useful (computer geeks call this GIGO = garbage in = garbage out).
Evolutionists have no idea of how interspecies evolution could have logically occurred and hide behind statements like: we are still learning, it occurred "by nature" (Mother Nature?), interspecies evolution is obvious due to similarities and appearances of species even if not NOW logically explainable, evolution must have occurred by the same process as Darwin's proven scientific theory of intraspecies evolution by environmental adaptation (however that is a slow process occurring over many generations and would not apply to complex organs that need all parts to evolve simultaneously to be functional), and separate species could not have been created by an omniscient God "in the beginning" or after the "Big Bang", since many as atheists deny He exists. And many evolutionists, even brilliant scientists, often lump and thus confuse both of Darwin's theories, one based on scientific experimental evidence and the other on philosophical speculations about the descent of man and species, hence truly "junk science". So evolutionists have no choice but to cling to their illogical "blind faith" arguments that are equally, indeed less "rational", than belief in Creation that is the only viable and logical alternative.

This was a fantastic read. As a christian I felt I could not easily defend my creation beliefs and would shy away from the evolution vs. ceationism debates. After reading this wonderful, point by point, in simple terms book I look forward to my next discussion on the topic.

The author put things in a orderly and easy to understand fashion. The little stories after each chapter "Evolution cannot do this" are very informative and amazing. Parents who are concern about their kids learning evolution in school should read this with them and this book give a good counter point. And it also mentioned a bit about the change in the term "science" that started all theory of evolution.

Jobe Martin is a professor and a Christian who believed in evolution until he was challenged by his students to look at the assumptions. So he did, and after five years of scientific investigation decided that evolution was not science but faith, and he thus `evolved' into a creationist. The book is packed with reasons, but I was especially impressed by the very basic evolutionary assumptions regarding the beginnings of the universe and life.

The primary evolutionary assumption is the Big Bang. He describes it in a simple, concise equation: Nothing + No One = Everything. The Big Bang exploded, according to the theory, perhaps 15 or 20 billion years ago, from a mass smaller than a dot, and eventually coalesced into you and me and everything alive around us. Martin questions the evolutionary source of the original matter for the universe (Nothing), and who or what caused the explosion (No One)? Since there are no witnesses, he argues whatever happened, no matter how extraordinary, has to be faith instead of science. If somehow the Big Bang could be duplicated on a small scale in a lab it might lend some credence to the theory, but that is not likely to happen.

Another evolutionary assumption is how life occurred. A few million or billion years after the Big Bang, something called spontaneous generation occurred; that is, life arose from non-life. And, surprisingly, according to the theory, this only happened once in the entire history of our earth. Eventually, the first cell was formed as the origin and basis for all life on earth, and mutated into every reptile, bird, animal, and plant, and eventually us. How can anybody know these things and what possibly could be the processes or generators to make them happen? Along the way he mentions that the odds of an E-Coli single-cell bacteria developing by chance are 1 over 10 to the 100-billionth power. These are odds so great that they cannot even be described. Trillions of interactions for every particle in the universe for 20-billion years would not be nearly enough time. Dr. Martin sees these things as pure faith.

Of course, creationism is also, without question, faith: God spoke the universe into being over a period of seven days. There is no way of proving that. BUT, as Dr. Martin points out, those that refuse to believe that God created everything are `without excuse' - according to Romans 1:18-20. Those verses say that the evidence is so plain for creation that people who deny it are `suppressing the truth in unrighteousness', purposely deluding themselves and others. Pretty scary!

This is not mentioned in the book, only by me at this point. Consider Pasqual's Wager which says that God either exists or He doesn't. The eternal risk of not believing in Him far outweighs the possible extra measures of freedom and pleasure you might have to forego in this life as a believer. Your best bet, so says Pasqual, is to believe in God!

Since both evolutionism and creationism are faiths, which one makes the most sense? That's what this book is really about.

This book was very well written and up-to-date. I've studied particle physics, math, the Bible & the Tanakh (along with Biblical Hebrew & Greek) and geology. The author is very well educated in all of the background that I have, but most of his examples are written for a layman and can be understood. I was born in the late thirty's and all of my education was evolutionary. WOW...what an eye-opener!! I would recommend this to all ages. About the same time that I read this book, I was also into heavy study in the O.T. (Hebrew Scriptures) and some of his examples revolutionized my thinking. I got a couple more copies from the author (on tour) for my sons.

This book is so good that it should be a must read for every school biology class. There is stuff in there that even the best scientist would not be able to disprove.

The author writes from the perspective of someone who became a Christian, was satisfied believing in evolution, and then began to question evolution in light of the Bible. So, the bottom line is that this book presents the arguments for young-earth creation directed to Christians who are undecided on this issue or believe that evolution can be worked into scripture. The author presents good arguments why the Bible and evolution are not compatible. This is written with the average person in mind and not at a scientific level. It is definitely worth reading as a good intro to the topic. (on a side note: the author briefly references a creationist named Carl Baugh who has been discredited)

Just because one man (or any man) can't yet conceive how certain creatures evolved doesn't mean they didn't. 1,000 years ago Christians (and everyone else) thought the earth was flat, not just the sun but the whole universe revolved around it, and demons caused illness. Thankfully we've come a long way since then, and will go further still; science doesn't claim to have all the answers, but more are constantly being found.

Martin is a dentist (though he did get his bachelor's in biology), not an paleontologist, geologist, or evolutionary biologist - and it shows. Buy this book if you want a young earth creationist worldview, but don't expect anything that will debunk the FACT of evolution.

Remember the law of gravity? In scientific terms (the way the term is used to refer to evolution) it, too, is "only a theory".

This silly screed includes (among many other howlers) the firmament and vapor canopy conjured into existence to support fundamentalist babble on topics ranging from patriarchal longevity to global cataclysm (the Noachian deluge). Purported flood allegedly covered Earth's highest mountains to a depth of 15 cubits (about 8 meters). Covering Mt. Everest would require a water depth about 9km above sea level. If the flood only covered Ararat, where Noah supposedly berthed, about 5km of water would be necessary. Jobe, insatiably credulous, simply asserts that before the flood this water existed in the atmosphere as water vapor. The flood commenced when this vapor condensed and fell as rain. Unfortunately the vapor canopy fancied by creationists is fatally flawed.

For the vapor canopy to explain a global flood covering the highest mountains (per Genesis), the atmosphere would have consisted of about 900 parts water vapor to one part of what we call air today. To prevent this from condensing, the temperature would have to be raised until the partial pressure of water equals 900 atmospheres. This results in a planetary environment with a crushing sea level pressure of 90,805 kilopascals (13,000 psi) and a surface temperature high enough to melt solid rock - a hellish pressure cooker and incinerator utterly inhospitable to any form of terrestrial life.

To avoid a seared planet other creationists posit a spherical vapor canopy composed of orbiting ice crystals. In addition to intractable stability problems, any orbiting canopy would cook the Earth when the gravitational potential energy of the orbiting ice was converted to heat, through friction, as it entered the atmosphere and streaked to earth. The consequence would be a worldwide superheated steam sauna, not a global flood. Monsieur Martin, how would you like your order of Noachian animals d'ark - broiled or poached?

Here is an abbreviated version of a plausible evolutionary pathway that accounts for the bombardier beetle - so much for Jobe's pathetic argument from personal incredulity:

1. Insects produce quinones for tanning their cuticle. Quinones make them distasteful, so the insects evolve to produce more of them and to produce other defensive chemicals, including hydroquinones.

2. The insects evolve depressions for storing quinones and muscles for ejecting them onto their surface when threatened with being eaten. The depression becomes a reservoir with secretory glands supplying hydroquinones into it. This configuration exists in many beetles, including close relatives of bombardier beetles.

3. Hydrogen peroxide becomes mixed with the hydroquinones. Catalases and peroxidases appear along the output passage of the reservoir, ensuring that more quinones appear in the exuded product.

4. More catalases and peroxidases are produced, generating oxygen and producing a foamy discharge, as in the bombardier beetle Metrius contractus.

5. As the output passage becomes a hardened reaction chamber, still more catalases and peroxidases are produced, gradually becoming today's bombardier beetles.

6. All of the steps are small or can be easily broken down into smaller ones, and all are probably selectively advantageous. Several of the intermediate stages are known to be viable by the fact that they exist in other living species.

Bombardier beetles illustrate other aspects that look undesigned. With design, we expect similar forms to be created for similar functions and different forms for different functions. However, what we see are different forms for similar functions. Many ground beetles have very similar habits and habitats as centipedes, but their forms differ greatly. Different groups of bombardier beetles use very different mechanisms for the same function of aiming their spray. Some bombardier beetles have vestigial flight wings.

If bombardier beetles have a purpose, then death is an integral part of it, since the beetles are predators (some, as larvae, are parasitoids, gradually eating pupae of other beetles, and their spray is a defense against other predators. Many creationists claim that death was not part of God's design.

Even by the reality-challenged slapstick standards of Young Earth Creationism the fallacies presented as facts in this book are inexcusably shallow and inane. Jobe Martin (a dentist) needs to turn down the nitrous oxide, breathe pure oxygen for a month, and avoid excessive mercury exposure.

Hundreds of equally childish, lazy, and deliberately deceptive examples could be cited but amazon sensibly limits review length. Jobe didn't invent the "goofy gospel apologetics" genre but his breathtaking inanity, boundless credulity, and blatant sophistry make it his own. This book pushes the envelope of sophistry and magical thinking with disastrous results.

This book provides more cannon fodder for those who have all the answers - and their answer is that it could have happened like this and so it's a fact. Mighta, coulda, woulda, shoulda are not terms encompassed by the scientific method. Martin does a good job of explaining how he progressed through the stages of doubting evolution to becoming a full blown creationist. He made me take a good look at my neutral stance on the age of the earth and universe.
Donald James Parker
Author of All the Voices of the Wind