Customer Reviews

Science and Creationism

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This volume edited by the late Ashley Montagu is a superbly well-rounded collection of essays that expose modern creationism as pure pseudoscience with one foot stuck in religious dogma. The essays range from well written and straightforward refutations of the common creationist arguments to what are perhaps the most interesting contents-- serious examination of what the creationists actually say about themselves. The essay by Robert Root-Bernstein contains extensive citations of creationist literature that demonstrate that creationism has nothing to do with science. For example, despite the creationist claim that what they do is science, Root-Bernstein found this statement by Henry Morris which shows that creationists have have no interest in experimentation or the scientific method, but rather insist that the Bible be used as a science textbook:

"The main trouble with catastrophist theories is there is no way to subject them to empirical test...There seems to be no restraint on imagination or speculation when catastrophism is espoused, and this is one reason why it has been in such poor repute for over 100 years. And yet catastrophism, as we have seen, is necessary. It is NOT necessary to speculate, however, since the Biblical record has provided a clear description of the causes, nature, and results of true catastrophism: The Noahic Flood.... We cannot verify it experimentally, of course, any more than any of the various other theories of catastrophism {eg. Velikovsky}, but we need no experimental verification; God has recorded it in His Word, and that should be sufficient." -- Henry Morris, Biblical Cosmology and Modern Science, Craig Press, 1970, p. 30

Other essays discuss the poor theology of creationism, its social context in America and there is even a sadly funny essay by Michael Ruse about his experience in the courtroom in Arkansas in the early 1980's where the creationists had attempted yet another "balanced treatment" law. Ruse shows that the law was scuttled as much by the enormous blunders of the creationists themselves as anything else. Science and Creationism is a wonderfully rich exploration of the issue that covers such a diverse array of topics that both scientist and theologian will find something enlightening.

By the way, you might note that one of the Amazon reviewers above confused the book "Science and Creationism" with the book "Scientific Creationism" by creationist Henry Morris (the man who claimed science does not require experiment in the quote above). The clear fact that the reviewer reviewed the wrong book is more ironic in regards to the intellectual bankruptcy of creationism than volumes of text could possibly demonstrate.

As someone with a fascination for natural history, evolution and cosmology, I often find myself at a loss when I hear clearly illogical arguments from creationists. I don't want to step on their religious toes but I also can't stand the misinformation that they propagate.

The essays in this volume (several of which are excellent) help the reader to understand the history of the "creation scientists" and the basis for their fallacious arguments.

Our children need to learn the fascinating true story of "creation" including the intracies of biological and cosmological evolution. You can use the information in this volume to help counter those who would take science out of our schools and also to respond to letters to the editor in your local paper.

"Science deals with the world of nature, the discovery and ordering of the world of facts and their relations, with concepts that have been tested by the facts. What the creationists attempt to do is to measure the facts by their conformity to Genesis, and this is absurd." --Ashley Montagu, Introduction, Science and Creationism

The late Ashley Montagu (1905-99) was a British-American anthropologist who earned his Ph.D. in 1937 from Columbia University. He was also a prolific and popular science writer of over 60 books. He is well known for discrditing the notion of race in the editions of his book, Man's Most Dangerous Myth: The Fallacy of Race (1942, 6th ed. 1998). His selections of essays for Science and Creationism range from the philosophical to the legal, historical and scientifically technical. The essayists in this collection include such academic luminaries as Isaac Asimov, Stephen Jay Gould, and others. The essays highlight the opposite methodology of scientists and creationists.

Scientists collect and investigate data and then attempt to formulate explanatory theories. Those theories are always subject to revision or even replacement in the face of new data. They often publish their research in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and their data, hypotheses, and theories are subject to independent verification and replication. Crationists, on the other hand, have an entirely different methodology.

They start first from their desired dogma that the Bible must be inerrant, infallible, and then work backwards to the data. They engage in campaigns of propaganda and political lobbying to pass legislation that either censors objectionable scientific theories or mandates "equal time" for "scientific" creationsim whenever objectionable theories are taught in the science curricula of public schools. Their dogma that the Bible is inerrant and infallible is not subject to revision or replacement in the face of disconfirming data, and they neither do any real science nor publish in peer-reviewed science journals. Thus, contrary to their claims, their dogma and their agenda are religious rather than scientific.

The essays also refute many creationists' errors. For example, creationists claim that the second law of thermodynamics, the law that says systems run "downhill," proves that biological evolution is impossible. However, as explained in Asimov's essay, "The 'Threat' of Creationism," the second law applies to "closed systems." The earth, however, is an open system inundated by energy from the sun. As the sun runs "downhill," it provides the energy necessary to allow the relatively small subsystem of earth to evolve life in the "uphill" direction. Thus, evolution does not defy the second law because it is not a process running "uphill" in a closed system. Moreover, as far as we know, the only closed system is the universe as a whole.

Although this book contains an excellent collection of essays, it lacks a description of the credentials of its contributors and an index. Obviously, an index would augment the utility of this otherwise superb volume.

If you're looking for a book boasting big names and eqally big answers to the never-ending debate between rationality and dogma (namely evolution vs creationism), then you have found it. The late Ashley Montagu has assembled a force to be reckoned with in this volume containing 20 essays by some of the biggest names in Science to date. Just to name a few we have: Ken Miller (of _Finding Darwin's God_ fame), Stephen Jay Gould, Isaac Asimov, Laurie Godfrey and the list goes on. The purpose of such an assembly of genius? To refute the largest hoax in history: the movement of the "Scientific" Creationsts. At the time that this volume went to press there was a lot of controversy and heated debate surrounding creationism. Many creationists wanted to get their theory taught alongside evolution in public science classrooms. It is no surprise that this decision was overturned in a district court in 1982. This volume contains the landmark decision by Judge William Overton as well as numerous essays defining science, comparing it to creationism as well as debunking common myths perpetuated by the creationist movement. There are many books available that similarly debunk creationism _The Blind Watchmaker_, _Abusing Science_, _Sciene on Trial_ etc., however this book is a necessary volume in anyone's library as it contains insights from many brilliant minds on all aspects of the debate. It is therefore an excellent starting point for anyone who wants to get an introduction to this topic. For those who are still seeking more, each essay contains an extensive list of references to articles and books that will quench the curiosity of the most academically inclined reader.

This is a collection of 21 essays by various scientists, philosophers, historians, theologians, etc., about the relationships between science and creationism. A few of the essays are bad: Sidney W. Fox's essay, on research into the beginnings of life from inanimate material, is far too technical for this volume, and badly written--a fatal combination. And I have no idea what the point of Kenneth E. Boulding's "Toward an Evolutionary Theology" is supposed to be. There are other minor annoyances (mislabeled diagrams, etc.), attributable to the editing, or lack of it. But most of the essays are very fine, and thought-provoking. It is often pointed out, for example, that by any modern definition of Science, "Creation Science" isn't Science. But George M. Marsden, in "Understanding Fundamentalist Views of Science", argues that creationist thinking is similar to--and has its roots in--Baconian science of the 17th and 18th centuries. (Personally, I think that Francis Bacon would be horrified by the bungling of "Creation Scientists".) Included in the book is the "Decision of the Court", by Judge William R. Overton, who ruled in 1982 that Arkansas' "Balanced Treatment for Creation-Science and Evolution-Science Act" was unconstitutional. This is simply a spectacular piece of writing, which should be required reading for anyone on either side of the Creationism/Science debate. Creationist writers all promote some variation of the statement, "no transitional forms are found in the fossil record". False. In "Paleontologic Evidence and Organic Evolution", Roger J. Cuffey lists *hundreds* of examples of continuous sequences of transitional fossil forms, across species, genera, families, etc., referenced to over a hundred scientific papers. No one who has even glanced at paleontologic literature could make the "no transitional forms" mistake. (Similarly, no one who has read Brent Dalrymple's book, _The Age of the Earth_, could make the "10,000-year-old Earth" mistake.) This is a great book for anyone interested in the facts, but Creationists will not be interested. As Isaac Asimov writes in "The Threat of Creationism", his contribution to the book, "However much the creationist leaders might hammer away at their 'scientific' and 'philosophical' points, they would be helpless and a laughing stock if that were all they had. It is religion that recruits their squadrons. Tens of millions of Americans, who neither know nor understand the actual arguments for--or even against--evolution, march in the army of the night with their Bibles held high. And they are a strong and frightening force, impervious to, and immunized against, the feeble lance of mere reason." Amen.

Essays by multiple authors against creation as a science. Whether it should be taught along with evolution. Many thought provoking ideas, but I think lacking in their own science.

Not one of us can admit to knowing all there is to know, so that leaves us with agnostics and believers. I find the individual who mocks a creator, after observing the enormous complexities that make up life is a fool. Open your eyes and use your God given brain. Are you willing to take the risk? The only risk on earth will be believing there is something outside of the material world. It is really the only explanation. God created science didn't he? Do the evolutionists teach "hard science" or do they let there dogmas get in the way of the truth? Is not evolution a faith also? Let's stop teaching a theory in our schools as gospel. Evolution and Creationism are both faiths, only one makes sense.