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Starlight and Time

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My review here is based primarily on the book form of Dr. Humphries work, and is intended as a clarifying rebuttal of the previous reviewers' assessment of Dr. Humphries theories (present on Amazon.com at the time of this review posting), and, to a lesser extent, Young Earth Creationism (YEC) itself.

It is obvious to any discerning observer that the previous reviewer is an ardent defender of the theory of evolution. Yet, besides the fact that Darwinian macroevolution is in direct violation of many known scientific laws (such as entropy, biogenesis, mass action, and energy conservation--just to name a few), it is also quite at odds with the fossil record. Even Charles Darwin conceded that geological evidence (including the fossil record) of his day (the late 1800's) contradicted his theory. How much more do the discoveries of the last hundred years or so expose his error? Considering that every supposed time epoch of the earth now has authenticated human artifacts in those strata (proven to not have been introduced at a later time), Darwin's theory is way beyond capability for resuscitation.

What most Evolutionists fail to admit is the fact that much of their "science" has been built upon completely unverifiable assumptions (like the "complete suspension of physical laws" during some distant past epoch in order for the universe to form in accordance to their theory). Moreover, their results are often "bent" to fit their core belief systems (i.e. there "is no God," or rather, their actual deifying of the material universe itself) while some often hypocritically accuse Creationists of doing the same. Even their dating systems are circular with regard to the fossil record (i.e. they date the rock by the fossil and the fossil by the same rock). All of this, while still claiming that their "science" is true, and often that the Creationists are a bunch of pseudo-intellectuals with both bad theology and implausible postulates. The reality is: both evolutionary and creationism theories are dependent in-part on assumptions. The only difference is that Creationists derive theirs from Scripture and find true science often confirms their assumptions, while the Evolutionist essentially invent their assumptions in an attempt to support an already disproven theory.

Moreover, Darwin himself also conceded that if ever man could delve into microbiological structures and discover that irreducible complexity existed (i.e. that the whole could not survive without all of its parts), then his theory would be "absolutely broken down." In modern science, "Darwin's Black Box" (a phrase used also as a book title regarding this issue) has done exactly what the troubled theorist feared--confirmed the absolute absurdity of his theory...and then some. The irreducible complexity of an individual cell has been absolutely proven. Moreover, the marvelous complexity of microbiological structures (such as flagellum) has turned many now-former evolutionists away from the fatally flawed theory--even when some of those same scientists have yet to concede to a Creationist model (although many have). Still more, continued study of DNA has so obliterated evolutionary precepts with their discoveries that it has become increasingly obvious to many that Darwinian Evolution is, in fact, a religion in and of itself, for its defenders show a "religious fervor" in their continuous adherence to an easily debunked theory. Even Humanism (recognized in a 1961 US Supreme Court decision to be a religion) requires its adherents to "believe" in Darwinian evolution.

I would suggest several things to all who might read this review/commentary: One, obtain the book form of Starlight & Time (also available on Amazon). Whereas I cannot say whether the previous reviewers' questions posed within his review are answered on the DVD (for I have not yet obtained the DVD myself), I HAVE read the book. Therein, every point the reviewer accused the author, Dr. Russell Humphries, of failing to address is actually covered in remarkable detail. (And quite frankly, I would be surprised if the DVD, which is much later that the book, actually does not answer those questions...since its description purports that it answers MORE than the original book.)

Therein, Dr. Humphries does a fine job in detailing his logic and review of relevant facts regarding a young earth creation model, while faithfully utilizing Einstein's General Relativity (GR) theory to support his postulate. He points out (very respectfully, I might add) that Big Bang theorists derive their data from the same sources and process it via the same GR theory he does, but simply add the variable of their preferred Darwinian worldview instead of a biblical paradigm. The GR theory equally processes what is put into it as a "food processor" might, and the only difference that produces varying conclusions in his theory apart from Big Bang theorists is the worldview assumptions that are also fed into the "hopper." His book also contains his actual position papers as appendixes with full data and mathematical calculations in one, and his theology basis in the other.

Second, obtain a copy of "Why Do Men Believe Evolution Against All Odds" by Dr. Carl E. Baugh, and consider the facts. Pay special attention to the final chapter entitled, "Why Good Men Believe Bad Science." Therein, the author (a former Evolutionist himself) describes not only their failed "science" and its impossibility, but also the mental processes and states that allow seemingly educated people to adhere to such a ludicrous belief system (which, even some Evolutionists concede, has hindered true science more than helped it).

I'm amazed at how simple he makes his case for a young earth and the creation of the universe. He's basically saying that because of the earth's position at an event horizon of a black hole on the 4th day of creation, time would have been developing for billions of years light years away while just 4 days passes on the earth. Very compelling work yet easy to understand by a lay person like me. He also has some interesting thoughts on the waters at creation and how they were separated. He made me think. I've always wondered where all the ice in space came from and I think this could be a good explanation, as good as any I've heard.

If you're interested in creation, space, time and light then buy this dvd. Some unusual special effects attempt to keep your attention but they end up being kind of amusing in a lame sort of way.

The absurdities necessary to sustain a Young Earth Creationist (YEC) worldview are literally cosmological in scope as the DVD version of "Starlight and Time" (derived from the book of the same title) painfully attests. Forcibly mating biblically induced fundamentalist dogma and magical thinking with General Relativity and Cosmology is an act of intellectual and scientific rape - but contemporary YECs never have let their sense of morals prevent them from doing what is 'right.'

"Starlight and Time" purports to show how light could travel billions of light years from distant astronomical objects during the passage of only a few thousand years of Earth time. Even YECs admit that the universe is vast - beyond any biblical cosmology however burlesque their exegetical exertions - but dogmatically refuse to cede that the earth is old - a paradox of their own making, a single snowflake in the blizzard of ignorance that typifies so-called 'creation science.'

Humphreys and Baumgardner posit an alternative cosmology to solve the light travel time problem and assuage febrile creationist sensibilities. Humphreys' white hole cosmology has been reviewed and found universally wanting by the reality-based scientific community and old earth creationists! Even YEC stalwarts, who routinely swallow shallow sacro-scientific swill, entertain substantial doubts, although leading purveyors of misinformation such as Answers in Genesis (AiG, employer of Baumgardner) and the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) continue to disingenuously pimp "Starlight and Time" - even while they subtly admit that it is ultimately flawed.

Humphreys jettisons the cosmological principle in favor of a non-uniform universe that takes the shape of a sphere with a finite radius. In this metaphysical morass only charitably described as a model 'god' stretches a primordial black hole, located at the center of the sphere, and by so doing magically converts it into a white hole with bizarre time dilation consequences. Essentially Humphrey's model enshrines numerous misconceptions about what the Big Bang actually says about the origin of the universe.

He then attempts to determine the physical consequences by applying General Relativity to the resulting matter distribution, and claims that gravitational time dilation causes time to pass more quickly the further you are from the center of the universe. By placing the earth close to the center of the cosmos, Humphreys claims to solve a fundamental problem for Young Earth Creationists - reconciling the numerous lines of evidence for a 13.7 billion year old (+/- 200 million years) universe with their biblical claim that the earth was only created some 6,000 to 12,000 years ago.

The gospel-motivated gerrymandering of General Relativity hawked in "Starlight and Time" places the earth and a white hole, the inverse of a black hole (white holes emit matter and energy, black holes voraciously ingest matter) at the center of the universe. Humphreys traipses over the inconvenient fact that X-ray and energetic particle emissions from a nearby white hole would incinerate the earth, but happily for the planet no observational evidence of a nearby white hole has been discovered - another laughable lacuna. Other problems stem from a bizarre misapplication of time dilation; for time to pass more quickly in the distant reaches of space earth would need to be close to a black hole, not a white hole. Humphreys later tried to revive his moribund model by positing a time dilation effect inside the white hole, but this approach was equally unphysical. His faith-based fantasies also fail to explain astronomical observations ranging from the cosmic microwave background radiation and its anisotropy to light element abundance. Amateur-hour apologetic astrophysics ala Humphreys fails to correlate with reality and can be safely discarded.

Humphreys' findings are, to borrow a phrase from the Nobel Prize winning physicist Wolfgang Pauli, "not even wrong." Humphreys later publication "New Vistas of Spacetime Rebut the Critics" orphans his original arguments by inventing fresh fallacies to replace his former fantasies - an unfortunate pattern that permeates all of his work.

Ultimately Humphreys is wrestling with a preposterous hypothesis. His failure is spectacular and totally expected. Any YEC universe consistent with General Relativity must display extraordinarily rapid decreases in the observed redshifts of distant galaxies and cannot contain visible objects which are more than a few thousand light years away!

The redshift anomalies predicted are not observed and objects billions and billions of light years away are routinely surveyed and cataloged. General Relativity and the Big Bang as utilized by reality-based mainstream science trumps the hermit hermeneutics endemic to the 'genesis is an incontrovertible history of the universe' claque of credulous YECs.

If you enjoy convoluted and elastic reasoning as an art form, or wish to build a video library of classic YEC calumnies and conceits by all means purchase "Starlight and Time" - it is a tendentious treasure. By any other metrics the demon-haunted universe is brain dead and so is this DVD. If you prefer reality-based science purchase NOVA - Origins by Neil Degrasse Tyson or the genre defining Cosmos by Carl Sagan.

I had previously read and purchased the book "Starlight and Time" which was excellent. When I saw the DVD for sale I couldn't wait to get IT thinking a visual might even bring the subject matter even closer to the understanding. Alas, it is mostly two very smart, but also very UN-charismatic personalities droning on and on about the topic that had been so utterly clear and facinating in print! BUY the book, but don't even bother with this DVD rendition.

Carl, in his review against this video, wants what all self-focused no-supernatural-God evolutionists want. Pick out a couple of unproven facets of Humphey's ideas and ram those through as if Humphey truly states them as fact (which he does not) while at the same time not even suggesting that no one has ever even seen a black hole (which they have not). You have got to observe to prove a falsifiable scientific theory. Until it is proven by observation, you are exerting a certain degree of faith, which Humphreys in certain words admits he is doing and is open to other future possibilities. But Carl? He snarls. Another point: Carl will scoff at the light/time problem creationists have, but he won't even hint at the one cosmological evolutionists (ok, ok, naturalistics; so what's the difference) have. If the universe is 13.7 billion years old, then how can he date those distant galaxies, especially as he points in opposite directions from earth, as being tens of billions of light "years" more distant? Oh yah. Inflation. Inflation speeding up and maybe even sort of stopping, then speeding up again. But again, absolutely no scientific proof. So, Carl scoffs at a reasonable physicist like Humphrey's who will be humble enough to say his idea on white holes is not fact (just one example), but Carl sure wants you to be brain-washed by Carla Sagan (who has gone to his own place now) with his around just 30 years past the mid twentieth century, decades old (and poorly produced) Cosmos fantasy as in myth, or stating unproven ideas as facts when they are not which is called lying). So, I would say don't let anyone like Carl or Carl brain-wash you. Get this DVD (and book) by Humphreys. Stay open to the Truth, then you can be free. BTW, PBS? Were they to be challenged to present an origins debate with a creationist of OUR choosing and an evolutionist of their choosing, it would never come off. Fear. Threat. Enslaved. Lies. Hate. It doesn't take rocket science to know why.

As this material is quite deep, it is recommended that you view these discussions often in order to learn something new with every viewing. The postulations are quite reasonable and the dialogue makes one thirst for more knowledge and teaching about God's creation miracles.

Featuring Dr. Russell Humphreys, a brilliant physicist, who presents his ideas on how light from deep space could arrive at the earth during creation week. This 140 minute video presents some complex material, but uses sporadic humor to do so. It also features Dr. John Baumgardner in a coffee table discussion (bonus feature) in an attempt to simplify the elaborate explanation that Dr. Humphrey's lays out. This video is for those that need/want to see very technical solutions that may have been used by God in creation.

This DVD is not an updated version of the older one...as I have the older DVD I passed this new one on to a relative who teaches science from the Biblical perspective. I was disappointed there was no new information on this DVD...this is a difficult subject and theory to understand but Dr. Humphreys does an excellent job.

If you are the brainy type of Christian, you will thoroughly enjoy the Starlight and Time DVD. I have been an armchair follower of astronomy and theoretical physics for years, and it is refreshing to hear a professional like Humphreys relate these ideas to creation and the Bible. He does an excellent job bringing you in slowly from a lay position to understanding the meatier aspects of his theory. I also like his soft approach, where he says that his theories might be proved wrong in the future, but are at least mathematically sound for the present. His videos are entertaining and thoroughly stimulating, and include numerous helpful graphics to make them worth watching over and over.

A good video with info on the whole starlight issue. A bit over the head for most on the science end but still very helpfull.