Book Description
Clear, concise, and persuasive, Atheist Universe details exactly why God is unnecessary to explain the universe and life's diversity, organization, and beauty. The author thoroughly rebuts every argument that claims to "prove" God's existence — arguments based on logic, common sense, philosophy, ethics, history and science.
Atheist Universe avoids the esoteric language and logic used by philosophers and presents its scientific evidence in simple lay terms, making it a richly entertaining and easy-to-read introduction to atheism. A comprehensive primer, it addresses all the historical and scientific questions, including: Is there proof that God does not exist? What evidence is there of Jesus's resurrection? Can creation science reconcile scripture with the latest scientific discoveries?
Atheist Universe also answers ethical issues such as: What is the meaning of life without God? It's a spellbinding inquiry that ultimately arrives at a controversial and well-documented conclusion.
Customer Reviews:
Don't Waste Time, Read Dawkins.......2007-10-04
Don't waste your time reading this drivel. This book is so centered on the "dramatic" life of the author. None of his arguments are new or that well presented. Dawkins is more comprehensive, Dennett has more interesting insights and compelling arguments (belief in belief), and Hitchens will make you laugh and remind you that being an atheist doesn't mean you hitch your wagon to the crazy nuts on the left!
Very informational.......2007-10-03
I thought the information was so important I ordered a second copy for a friend who lives in the bible belt. Just the reference to the Treaty of Tripoli makes the purchase well worth the money.
Great overview.......2007-09-26
Mills has written a terrific and nearly comprehensive overview of why atheism makes more sense than religiosity. He builds his case -- argument by argument, point by point -- in a casual, conversant style of writing that anyone should be able to follow and appreciate. Highly recommended.
Buy IT Now! .......2007-09-18
Mills has done an exceptional job of comprising a multitude of philosophical and scientific perspectives as to why a god does not exist. While some would retort that I am biased, for being atheist myself, I would rebut that it does not affect it either way. If I were a Fundamentalist it would be very hard to deny the truth of what he has gathered.
He uses perfect analogies to explain what he is trying to get across to you right when you feel lost and confused.
I would recommend this book to anyone, especially Fundamentalists.
He has sparked an interest in me to research further astrology, the impeding of technology by Christians, the inquisitions, evolution, religion and its evolution and philosophy.
BUY IT NOW!
Bigot.......2007-09-18
big·ot (bg't)
n.
One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.
Book Description
Have you ever wondered about life and Creation? Is there life after death? Why do we have to go through these trials and tribulations? Why do we have thoughts and dreams that run from the sublime to those that are nightmarish and bizarre? Why do goodness and evil go hand in hand in life … or do they?
The answers to these questions and more are brought to light by author and spiritual teacher
Sylvia Browne. She once again shares her psychic gifts and years of research in order to enlighten us and give us more insights into God and the realities of life.
This time she tackles the structure of Creation by showing us that there is purpose and order in our sometimes seemingly chaotic world and existence. She outlines the structural levels of Creation of not only life as we know it; but the reality of the afterlife and the heretofore-unexplored structure of the Lower Levels of Creation. From the beautiful and perfect life of the Other Side to the wondrous, weird, and strange Lower Levels, to the everyday intricacies of life on this planet, Sylvia takes us on another journey of exploration and truth.
Customer Reviews:
She's Seen Mermaids and Fairies & Lillith!!.......2007-05-08
In this book but only briefly, Sylvia writes that she has seen Mermaids and Fairies, and how they are entirely BEAUTIFUL creatures.
I just wanted to share this, even though it is just a few lines in the entire book. The rest is very interesting of course. I'm just completely happy Sylvia wrote about how she has seen these Heavnly beings.
Exploring the Levels of Creation.......2007-03-28
One of Sylvias best!!!
I cant even begin to tell you what it did for me.
Thank You Sylvia!
Sylvia ...i love her.......2007-03-09
What can i say that everyone already knows...She lifts your spirit. Even if some of you don't want to believe...it's ok...i do and that is all that counts. She is a wonderful writer and i love her.
perfect as always.......2007-03-09
I have never read a Sylvia Browne book that I have not loved and felt great truth within the pages, and this book is just the same. It is a bit like her creation trio of books but this one has ALOT of new information in it. Really you cannot compare the two, (this book and her 3 book creation series) because they each have their own wisdom and truths in them. I loved this book and as Sylvia says, if what some of what she says does not feel right to you, then leave it. She is not attempting to make us all believe that everything she says and believes is the only way. I, however, usually agree with her truths. WONDERFUL BOOK BY A WONDERFUL BLESSING OF A WOMAN.!
Excellent Book /Great Insight.......2007-03-09
I was particularly fascinated by the information regarding the "Lower Levels" of creation. Actually, it made me want to go there. Not for a long time or anything, just long enough to look around and get the hell out. The 7 stages of human life along with the 7 levels of life on the other side was really informative as well. I (for the first time in 37 years) realized what I was doing here on earth and what my purpose was from this one book. I guess that is really important huh? It is also a great inspirational book and reminded me of what it means to live here on the earth and that all is well and that I'll be returning home one day so not to worry. That's pretty good to get all that from the pages of a book. I love Sylvia Browne. :o)
Book Description
You think you know about Darwinism and intelligent design, but did you know: *There is no overwhelming evidence for Darwinism; *Intelligent design is based on scientific evidence, not religious belief; *What many public schools teach about Darwinism is based on known falsehoods; *Scientists at major universities believe in intelligent design; *Scientists who question Darwinism are punished --by public institutions using your tax dollars. Battle-hardened veteran with doctorates in biology and theology sets the record straight in The Politically Incorrect Guide to Darwin and Intelligent Design.
Customer Reviews:
The index tells it all.......2007-09-20
If you simply look at the index for Intelligent Design, evidence for, you will see listed 1, 4, 8, 198-199. Turn to those pages and you will see the "evidence" is merely the use of the word evidence in a statement like "since intelligent design is based on evidence..."
I've read this cover to cover, and I did find the arguments ID makes against Darwinism's evidence (which have been answered in other books -- flagellum, blood cascade, the eye) but there is no evidence presented for ID beyond that. Wells just says it's based on evidence, that there are experiments and field work being carried out (in secret), but he never gives us more.
It is interesting that Wells states that the evidence for Darwinism --common descent, natural selection, random mutation--is underwhelming. Interesting because his friends and ID colleague Michael Behe writes:
"As I wrote inThe Edge of Evolution: The Search for the Limits of Darwinism, Darwinism is a multifaceted theory, and to properly evaluate the theory one has to be very careful not to confuse its different aspects. Common descent, natural selection, and random mutation are separate concepts; the first two are well supported, but the power of random mutation is not. " The first two are well-supported. By evidence, one assumes.
This was a truly frustrating book.
Same old rehashed "arguments"..........2007-09-02
Oh, I'm sorry, I thought "politically incorrect" meant "having a charming and irreverent disregard for the political norms of the day when discussing topics that are usually stifled by convention". Apparently it just means "rabid, frothing, conservative pap".
Skeptisim not allowed.......2007-08-30
It is doubtful that there is a more divisive issue in our public schools than the mere thought of explaining our existence in terms other than Darwinism. Regardless of the innumerable holes in the theory any suggestion of other possibilities is anathema.
Intelligent Design the Darwinists say is nothing more than code for God based creation. And of course anything smacking of something greater than us leads secularists to fits of explosive anger.
Evolution means change over time and I don't know many people that have a problem with that. However Mr. Darwin's theory is entirely different. The "theory" holds that... Natural Selection plus Random Mutation equals an ENTIRE NEW SPECIES. And look as they may, over 150-years now, no one has come close to proving that.
My personal problem with Darwin, a problem that is explored deeply in this terrific book, is how those that accept it do so to the exclusion of any other possible explanation. Science has a twin, a virtually conjoined twin, "Skepticism." But Darwinists have rejected sciences twin with the utmost vehemence.
We are not allowed to be skeptics in discussing the origin of life. We must, herd like; accept Darwinism and all its myriad problems. We must have faith that an amateur naturalist that lived 200-years ago, was and continues to be right in all respects regarding the greatest scientific and philosophical question since the beginning of time.
Skepticism is not allowed.
Many of the reviews of this book are being written by people.......2007-08-28
who have not read it.
It is a well written, easy to understand book on an Theory of Darwinism and Intelligent Design.
This book is easy read and will get your brain in gear as you analyize both sides of the story. When, as suggested by the author I took a look at my son's biology book and saw Haeckel's sketches I was convinced.
"To support his case he [Haeckel] began to fake evidence. Charged with fraud by five professors and convicted by a university court at Jena, he agreed that a small percentage of his embryonic drawings were forgeries; he was merely filling in and reconstructing the missing links when the evidence was thin, and he claimed unblushingly that hundreds of the best observers and biologists lie under the same charge."--*Michael Pitman, Adam and Evolution (1984), p. 120.
For that alone it is worth your time.
The Unfittest Sometimes Survive Anyway.......2007-08-27
Jonathan Wells understands current evolutionary theory about as well as George W Bush understands the Constitution... that is, not at all. I'm sorry I was suckered into buying this foolishness by the passion of these reviews; I won't be fooled again. For a solid and lucid statement of how evolutionary development is understood today, please do yourself the favor of reading Sean Carroll's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" or any of his other recent explanations.
Average customer rating:
- very interesting account
- WHAT CONTROVERSY?
- A Riveting Account Well Worth the Read
- Get the monkey off Darwin's back
- Riveting
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Monkey Girl: Evolution, Education, Religion, and the Battle for America's Soul
Edward Humes
Manufacturer: Ecco
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40 Days and 40 Nights: Darwin, Intelligent Design, God, OxyContin®, and Other Oddities on Trial in Pennsylvania
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ASIN: 0060885483
Release Date: 2007-01-30 |
Book Description
What should we teach our children about where we come from?
Is evolution good science? Is it a lie? Is it incompatible with faith?
Did Charles Darwin really say man came from monkeys? Have scientists really detected "intelligent design"—evidence of a creator—in nature?
What happens when a town school board decides to confront such questions head-on, thrusting its students, then an entire community, onto the front lines of America's culture wars?
From bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize- winning journalist Edward Humes comes a dramatic story of faith, science, and courage unlike any since the famous Scopes Monkey Trial. Monkey Girl takes you behind the scenes of the recent war on evolution in Dover, Pennsylvania, the epic court case on teaching "intelligent design" it spawned, and the national struggle over what Americans believe about human origins.
Told from the perspectives of all sides of the battle, Monkey Girl is about what happens when science and religion collide.
Customer Reviews:
very interesting account.......2007-09-27
This is a well-written account of the evolution-ID battle in Dover, Pennsylvania. It is more even-handed than many accounts, and attempts to describe the personalities involved. More of a sociological and journalistic treatment than a biological or education one, but the story is well-told, gripping, and complicated nuances are explained clearly.
WHAT CONTROVERSY?.......2007-09-12
Our president was recently quoted as saying the "jury is still out" on evolution. (To which Lewis Black replied: "WHAT jury, where?")
Where, indeed?
There's no need to mince words here: evolutionary theory - Darwin's defined mechanism of change through random mutation and natural selection - has been widely confirmed by modern genetics, to say nothing of "hard" evidence in the form of transitional species in the fossil record.
Specifically, the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA as the molecular building block and instructional "codebook" of life, and human genome coding - which were unknown in Darwin's day - all tend to validate evolution.
"As the science of biochemistry has developed, as the science of cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, and other elements of science have developed, all of these have fit beautifully into the general framework described by Darwin almost 150 years ago!" says biology professor and textbook author Kenneth Miller.
Yet there are still those in our society who would have us believe that - to paraphrase Tina Fey - Adam and Eve rode dinosaurs to church! It seems that these misguided and misinformed souls, (who apparently regard The FLINTSTONES as if it were a documentary,) would presume to indoctrinate our children rather than teach them.
We can thank the Founding Fathers for their wisdom and foresight in giving us the Establishment Clause - thereby fashioning a nation in which religion and government were never to interfere with each other. Without its protection, we'd all be fighting the same Dark Age, regressive, anti-intellectual forces that the parents of Dover, Pennsylvania suddenly found themselves confronted with in 2004. (Yes, you read right - 2004. Not 1304 - or even 1804, mind you - but 2004!!)
I read Edward Humes' excellent MONKEY GIRL from cover to cover in two sittings, and I can recommend it, without reservation, to thinking adults of all walks of life. That is, people who are interested in science, reason, education, law and logic; people who care about who we really are, and how we actually came to be.
"Intelligent Design" proponents - and other children - are encouraged to wait for the comic book version.
[P.S: One amusing postscript - which isn't in the book - concerns the cretinous evangelist "Dr" Kent Hovind, a smug creationist huckster who's been spreading pseudo-scientific babble for decades, both in and out of Dover. He was sentenced in January 2007 to 10 years in Federal prison for income tax evasion. Tsk, tsk! It seems that Mr Hovind's math is just as suspect as his "science"!]
A Riveting Account Well Worth the Read.......2007-09-07
As someone who's never had issues with religion and science, including evolution, I wanted to know what all the Intelligent Design fuss was about. So I started reading books. First I read Michael Shermer's Why Darwin Matters. This peaked my interest to know more. Then I found Monkey Girl. I almost didn't buy the book, thinking that reading about a court case would be too boring. Boy was I ever wrong!
I couldn't put this book down. The author does a masterful job of painting a vivid picture of everyone involved in the case and providing helpful background information, including history sometimes going back centuries, to show how the U.S. divide between evolution and Intelligent Design came together in one school board in one high school in one small town in Pennsylvania.
Now I understand much better.
The last chapter of the book begins:
"It is humanity's unique blessing and peculiar curse to be the only species on Earth, as far as we know, that worries so obsessively and at such great expense about where we came from and why we're here."
My journey to know these things has taken me through Protestantism, Judaism, and now Buddhism. I've felt fortunate to live in a country that protects my right and everyone else's to be able to learn about and practice my chosen spiritual path. Or to choose to follow no particular path if I want.
But some Christians in this country want to do away with this right. To them, their approach to religion is the only approach. They even say it's what this country was founded on. I've read that's not the case. So now I'm reading about the faith of our founding fathers.
What bothers me the most, if the recounting of the Dover case is true, which I think it is, is that people who call themselves religious believers will lie to try to impose their beliefs on others. This seems very unChristian to me, and unJewish, unMuslim, and unBuddhist for that matter.
Given the judge's ruling in the Dover case that Intelligent Design is religion, not science, I'm hopeful that my Constitutional rights will continue to be upheld by people who understand their vital importance to our country. I have no problem with any religion, as long as I or my children or grandchildren are not required to learn about it in school or any other public or governmental place.
Get the monkey off Darwin's back.......2007-08-11
Monkey Girl, by Edward Humes, is the story about the ongoing conflict between the theory of evolution and Intelligent Design (ID). While Humes holds no official training in biology or theology, in this book he has been able to use his skills as an investigative writer to bring the conflicts of these two theories into a clearer picture than what other books have been able to achieve. According to Humes, the intent of this book was to "help dispel the larger myths about evolution theory, its relationship to religion, and the questions that science can and cannot answer." It is the goal of this author to clarify the facts of this dispute in order to allow his open-minded readers to decide what they believe to be true. I believe Humes has achieved this goal.
A major part of the appeal of this book is the style in which it is written. It allows the non-scientific reader to understand some complicated topics. As shown in the trial in Harrisburg, PA (Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School District), it is very easy for people to get bogged down or even bored by the details of evolution. The greatest strength of this book is that it teaches the reader about these details inside a story that is not just easy to comprehend, but in a way that keeps the reader's attention from beginning to end. To do this, Humes ably portrays the ridiculous and shameful behavior of fundamentalist Christian groups of people who have played and who continue to play an active role in this controversy. One extremist that Humes points to is the fundamentalist speaker Kent Hovind. According to Hume, Hovind outlandishly preaches that the teaching of evolution is the cause of the moral decay in this country and is directly related to "increases in crime, premarital sex, adultery, and drug use." What is scary is that Humes never runs out of extremists to talk about, as he is able to tell the reader about death treats Judge Jones, a Republican appointed by George W. Bush and much approved of by the Intelligent Design people before the trial in Harrisburg, received when he dared to rule against their case. While the portrayal of these extremists is a strength for this book and is understandable, it also could be considered a weakness. I believe that Humes devotes too much print to these extremists. While he does say that there are mainstream Christian groups, including the Catholic Church, that have no problem with theory of evolution, much less time is given to this much larger group of people.
In leading up to the climax of this book, Humes gives the reader a history of evolution's disagreements with creationism and introduces the latest challenge, ID, being put forth by the Discovery Institute. A well-funded think tank of some very bright "scientists", the goal of the Discovery Institute is to introduce ID into the public school system. Once the stage has been set, Humes describes the scene in Harrisburg where, not only was the judge convinced that ID was essentially creationism, but also a scene where one by one, scientists convincingly showed that the theory of evolution is real science and ID is not. For example, proponents of ID dispute the evidence of decent from a common ancestor. Yet, evidence in the trial showed that the chromosomes of chimpanzees are remarkably similar to those of humans. Also, Dr. Michael Behe has argued that complex parts of an organism such as the blood-clotting cascade could not have come from evolution. His theory, irreducible complexity, is that "natural selection can't create such a complex machine all in one step, nor could it gradually assemble it in the conventional evolutionary model, one bit at a time, because the bits don't work on their own." But, much to Behe's embarrassment, his theory was proven wrong under cross-examination in a way that the judge described as "painful." Time and again, Humes describes scientists who were very able to convince the judge that the facts show that ID is not science and is religiously based and therefore should not be taught in a public school system.
Monkey Girl is a well-written and informative book that should play a crucial role in helping many legislators, judges, school officials, and average Americans understand the controversy between evolution and Intelligent Design and the true facts about each theory. In writing this book, Edward Humes has provided a valuable service to the world of science that will hopefully have a positive impact on the theory of evolution and how it relates to religious beliefs. For those mainstream Christians who believe that an intelligent designer has utilized evolution to mold the creation over the last 3.5 billion years, this book will provide some answers.
Riveting.......2007-08-10
I thought I knew a lot about the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial: I had read Judge Jones's decision and some of the trial testimony, I've read books written by some of the witnesses, and so forth. I expected this book to fill in around the edges of my understanding.
Instead, it showed me a whole new picture of the trial and its place in the American "culture wars." To begin with, the book is very well written and exciting. (I stayed up reading it last night four hours past my usual bedtime.) Second, it shows players on all sides as intricate, three-dimensional individuals. It would be easy to ridicule Bill Buckingham as an ignorant rube, but in this book he comes across as a man of courage and conviction, as well as a man lacking an understanding of either science or religion. Humes makes his own opinions clear, but those who disagree with him are treated with respect, while those who agree with him are not given a free pass. Finally, while Humes centers his writing on the Dover trial and the science of evolution, he also puts it into context with discussions of Scopes and Kansas, as well as the role of reason in making policy.
One specific thing I learned from this book is that Dover school board members and administrators thought that the term "origin of life" meant macroevolution, speciation, and the origin of humanity. I didn't believe anyone could be so far off base, but I looked up the trial transcripts and found that he was not exaggerating.
I found three errors: (1) Humes claims that the Revolutionary Battle of Yorktown, Virginia occurred in York, Pennsylvania. (2) He describes iron molecules (not atoms) as spin aligned. (3) He twice claims that Bill O'Reilly broadcasts for the Cable News Network. (On a third occasion Humes correctly places O'Reilly at Fox News.)
Humes's love of America, while never mentioned explicitly, comes through clearly on every page. Humes worries about our country in an environment were every complex question is reduced to a simplistic two-sided barroom brawl, and were people cannot distinguish fact from opinion.
Average customer rating:
- Every Christian and Intelligent Design Proponent should read this book...
- Gobblty Goop
- Grossly misleading
- Scientists Separate Sense From Nonsense
- Clear, precise, logical, effective.
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Scientists Confront Intelligent Design and Creationism
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
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ASIN: 0393050904 |
Book Description
From leading scientists, lawyers, and educators, a new and decisive rebuttal to the assault on evolution from proponents of "intelligent design."
With the pseudoscience of creationism rising again under the guise of "intelligent design," this powerful collection eviscerates the new assault on evolution and reveals the pervasive and insidious threat posed to genuine science by ID proponents like Phillip Johnson, Michael Behe, and William Dembski. The sixteen original essays address two key issues: the overwhelming scientific evidence for evolution gathered over 150 years and the dubious underpinnings of creationism; and how society can mount better educational and legal policies to prevent a theological takeover of our public and scientific institutions. The book includes powerful voices in the modern culture war against ID, including Kevin Padian, paleontologist and expert witness in the landmark lawsuit of Kitzmiller v. Dover. With creationist arguments forever morphing and reappearing under new aliases, this new confrontation is a must-read for teachers, students, and general readers, and a ringing and lasting refutation of creationism's fraudulent claims. 12 illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Every Christian and Intelligent Design Proponent should read this book..........2007-09-05
This books is, without question, a must read for individuals on both sides of the Intelligent Design debate. I, for one, do not understand why Christians are threatened by reading such material and why it is automatically given low reviews (1 or 2 stars) as a method of attack. First, I am an author and I know that having reviews helps sell books and one or two negative reviews can be very good for a book. Second, I am a Christian and I found the book very well written and full of interesting information.
Now, before all the evolutionists get to excited, the book did not present any "conversion" power arguments. In other words, there was nothing here that made me say, "Wow! Evolution did happen." There were many things that made me think more deeply and there were also some interesting insights about the thinking of the opposing side.
For example, on page 182 speaking about a comment by Francis H. C. Crick made in an application for a student research fellowship, the author admits that the goal of showing that areas apparently too mysterious to be explained by physics and chemistry could actually be explained has not been achieved. Then, in the next breath, the author says, "there is no evidence indicating an ultimate supernatural origin of the basic biological phenomena." So we see that the author requires evidence to believe there is a supernatural explanation, but he does not require any evidence to prove that there is a natural explanation. In other words, things that science has failed to explain must be believed to have a natural explanation even though there is no evidence for it. Notice how this is accorded to the naturalistic viewpoint, but not to the supernatural viewpoint.
I appreciated the book greatly because it helps me understand the arguments from both sides better and it also provides me with windows into the thinking process of the evolutionists mind. I think we all need to work harder to understand each other and we need to spend less time attacking the character of each other. Creationists, IDers and evolutionists are nearly all sincere. There have been liars on both sides, but we need to realize that the person against whom we are debating is just that: a person. Whether they evolved or were created, they are of the same species as me and I respect them.
Gobblty Goop.......2007-06-27
This book seems desparate to me. I am baffled that learned men differ so vehimently on this topic; men of science, which is by definition driven by emperical facts... with conclusions derived by using laws of logic. I conclude that, ironically, it is the Darwinists that are hanging on to their dogma, choosing to embrace that which is seriously flawed, and ignore the validity of the I.D. conclusions. It is the same ignorance that our politicians are exhibiting regarding the Jihad threat, and the unsecured southern border.
Don't bother them with facts... or logic... they've made up their minds.
Grossly misleading.......2007-06-21
This was a highly disappointing book, which I knew it would be from the title. Instead of addressing the merits of the ideas and concepts of ID head on, the authors decided on an end run by conflating intelligent design with creationism in an all out attack. They effectively setup a straw man and attempt to knock him down because they are aware how ignorant most people who read this book are of ID and the scholarship behind it. I can promise many who would give this book 5 stars have not done any significant reading on ID (which is simply due diligence), and are not aware of the dishonesty to be found in this book.
I have read over a dozen books on ID, and I can say with certainty (having read both sides of the argument carefully) that this book completely misrepresents its goals and assertions, and that there is a clear distinction between ID and "creationism." The only balance to be found is in Ronald Numbers' chapter. ID is not and never has been "anti-evolution," and has a diversity of working scientists from prestigious universities ranging from agnostic to evangelical Christian. What they all have in common is their understanding of what evolution can do, and what it can't do (as I recall, I don't think anyone has yet provided a satisfying explanation for the evolution of intentionality or of consciousness, let alone the astonishing complexity of "simple" one-cell organisms).
Understanding what evolution can and can't do opens up the doors to see other ways of looking at the problems considering gaps in the fossil record and problems of mutation rates which demonstrate statistical improbabilities, amongst others. So ID is not an argument from incredulity (a favorite criticism of scientific popularizers), but an argument from looking at the data and seeing there is more going on than random mutation and natural selection alone. In contrast, the authors of this book are clinging to an outmoded, closed-minded, dogmatic view of the biological world at the molecular level. What is interesting is that the ID folks are the ones who are open and willing to embrace new discoveries in science wherever they lead, while neo-Darwinists continue to flounder with worn out ideas and "just so" stories that simply don't accord with the new data.
But don't take my word for it. Actually READ Behe, Dembski, Meyer, Denton, Gonzalez, et al, and evaluate their arguments for yourself on their merits instead of on their religious affiliations (which does not dictate their science, despite what you may read). Read Species of Origins by Giberson and Yerxa, which has wonderful balance. I think you will find there is deep scholarship and thoughtfulness to the work of ID proponents, and that ID is in no way related to or affiliated with "creationism." That is, if you want to be fair and balanced instead of basing your decisions solely on polemics such as this book and Barbara Forrest's, which is more of the same.
Scientists Separate Sense From Nonsense.......2007-04-19
Fervent fundamentalist religious groups (Jewish, Christian, or Islamic), have exhibited chronic allergies to science ever since Charles Darwin's "The Origin of Species" convincingly presented his theory of evolution by natural selection. Unweaving rainbows could be tolerated - but dismantling cherished creation myths spawned an array of pseudoscientific hives and rashes ranging from 'creation science' to 'Intelligent Design.'
Faith-based resistance to evolution - a theory supported by an overwhelming and extraordinary consilience of scientific evidence - has deleteriously impacted everything from separation of church and state to economic competitiveness as science, and science education, became essential prerequisites for information age economies and political systems. "Scientists Confront Intelligent Design and Creationism" thoroughly and convincingly deconstructs the all dog, no pony, creationist and ID sideshow with sixteen essays by prominent scientists, historians, and educators.
PART ONE focuses on the origins of 'scientific creationism' and 'Intelligent Design.' Ronald L. Numbers unmasks the shell-game strategies employed by creationists attempting to substitute religious dogma for science in American classrooms. Shortly after the Supreme Court rejected 'scientific creationism' in the 1987 Edwards v. Aguillard ruling 'Intelligent Design,' chronicled by Eugenie C. Scott, whelped into view. Sired by an unremarkable claque of born again lawyers, underachieving academics, and a Moonie; 'Intelligent Design' was accompanied by a strident but content-free PR initiative from The Discovery Institute for the Renewal of Science and Culture. John R. Cole closes this section by documenting the conceit that led backers of 'Intelligent Design' to their own Golgotha in Kitzmiller v. Dover in 2005.
PART TWO includes essays by Victor J. Stegner, G. Brent Dalrymple, and Antonia Lazcano that roast creationist chestnuts ranging from 'The Second Law of Thermodynamics makes evolution or the natural origin of life impossible' (it doesn't, in fact non-equilibrium thermodynamics underlies a variety of physical and chemical processes that allowed life to develop and evolve on earth); to the age of the earth itself - an incontrovertible 4.54 billion years old. Despite all available scientific evidence, Young Earth Creationists (YECs) continue to insist that earth and the cosmos are only 6,000 to 10,000 years old - only off by factors of 750,000 for the earth and more than 2,000,000 for the universe!
Other PART TWO highlights pair Kevin Padian's and Kenneth D. Angielczyk's paper on how creationists duplicitously deny transitional forms with Robert Dorit's insights on biological complexity - flagellating Michael Behe's clumsy implementation of 'irreducible complexity.' Wesley R. Elsberry succinctly reveals the statistical slight-of-hand inherent in William Dembski's 'Design Inference.' The pretentious pseudomathematics genre was invented by Dembski and Elsberry's denouement is a fitting coup de grace. A summary of Human evolution by C. Loring Brace closes out this segment.
PART THREE pits Robert T. Pennock against an addled Dembski on philosophical and methodological grounds. His summarization is priceless:
"In other words, Dembski's argument works like this: If you cannot think of a way for natural regularities and/or chance to explain something, they say that a 'designer' did it. Dembski's 'design inference' is nothing more than a formalization of a simple god-of-the gaps argument. It is the standard argument from ignorance put in the form of a flow chart." Game, set, and match to Pennock.
J. Michael Plavcan explores how the concept of cognitive dissonance compels creationists to leap from the same conceptual cliffs over and over again with lemming-like disregard for the consequences. This model of how 'creation scientists' regurgitate fallacious arguments in the face of repeated and authoritative rebuttals is my favorite essay. If you want to know how Henry Morris, Duane Gish and Ken Ham (among others) manage to get everything exactly wrong read this chapter first and then enjoy the rest of the book.
Editors Andrew J. Petto and Laurie R. Godfrey worked with the essayists to weave numerous threads into a coherent and compelling tapestry that successfully champions sense over nonsense. If you cherish reason and prefer a reality-based worldview to faith-based voodoo, you will treasure this book.
Also try Tower of Babel: The Evidence against the New Creationism by Robert T. Pennock, Unintelligent Design by Mark Perkah, The Creationists: From Scientific Creationism to Intelligent Design, Expanded Edition by Ronald L. Numbers, or Creationism's Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design by Barbara Forrest
Clear, precise, logical, effective........2007-04-06
Twenty years ago, although I felt that evolution was probably a pretty good explanation for much of the history of life on this planet, I had read some books by young-Earth creationists Henry Morris and Duane Gish and was puzzled by how strong some of their arguments against evolution and in favor of young-Earth creationism (YEC) seemed to be. Then I read "Scientists Confront Creationism," and my confusion evaporated. The essays in SCC were so clear, so precise, and so logical, especially in comparison with Morris' and Gish's dreadful books, that I quickly realized that YEC arguments were not just wrong, but completely ignorant.
I'm happy to report that this new edition, "Scientists Confront Intelligent Design (ID) and Creationism," is just as clear, just as precise, and just as logical as the original, and is every bit as effective against ID as the original was against YEC.
ID may use different vocabulary, but its fundamental ideas and approaches are indistinguishable from many of the ideas and approaches of YEC. Like YEC, ID relies on rhetorical tricks rather than on research, and uses convoluted bafflegab and mathematizing to confuse readers rather than enlighten them. SCIDAC's short, clearly written essays clear away the smoke-and-mirrors obfuscation that underlies all -- repeat, all -- creationist arguments and show that evolutionary theory has no serious challenger in science.
There are three main types of essays in SCIDAC. The first subset addresses some of ID's key concepts. William Dembski's arguments about information and complexity rely on vague, shifting definitions, applied in an ad hoc manner. As one critic said, Dembski's arguments are "written in jello." Michael Behe's definition of "irreducible complexity" changes on a whim, along with his standard of proof. Shifting definitions and ad hoc analyses are worthless in science.
A second set of essays describes recent research in evolutionary biology. This research, needless to say, contrasts sharply with the complete absence of ID-based research.
A third subset of essays contrasts the cultural mindset of the ID/creationism movement with that of the scientific community. In a nutshell, the scientific community is extraordinarily diverse. It is unlikely that such a community would unite behind a demonstrably false idea and maintain that unity for very long. The creationist community, on the other hand, is both narrow and narrow-minded. Many of its most prominent advocates, for example, including William Dembski, have publicly proclaimed that they would remain committed to creationism regardless of what the evidence showed. A narrow and narrow-minded community, of course, is very capable of uniting behind a demonstrably false idea.
I highly recommend this book to anyone curious about the legitimacy of ID's "scientific" arguments.
Average customer rating:
- Three Ways to Make Use of This Book
- Literal Creationists- Don't Read This Book!!!
- fulfills a serious need and fulfills it well
- A Handy Guide To Rebutting Creationist Objections To Valid Mainstream Science
- The Ultimate Puchline to Creationist Jokes
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The Counter-Creationism Handbook
Mark Isaak
Manufacturer: University of California Press
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ASIN: 0520249267 |
Book Description
Those opposed to the teaching of evolution often make well-rehearsed claims about the science that sound powerful and convincing. And many people who support the teaching of evolution--students, teachers, parents, administrators--do not have the background to respond. They know that scientists have thoroughly dismantled these arguments, but they don't have a handy way of responding to these attacks. The Counter-Creationism Handbook is a one-stop resource for addressing over 400 of the most prevalent claims made by creationists. Each claim is followed by a succinct and scientifically valid rebuttal, and the book includes print and on-line resources for further reading and information.
The Counter-Creationism Handbook:
Covers claims made about the disciplines of philosophy, biology, paleontology, geology, astronomy, physics and mathematics, history, and more.
Addresses the claims of Biblical creationism, intelligent design creationism, and some creationism based on non-Christian religions.
Includes an introduction on how to address creationists in different venues, how to deal with novel claims, and why accurate science is important.
Is organized thematically, with extensive cross-referencing.
Customer Reviews:
Three Ways to Make Use of This Book.......2007-10-05
1. Keep it close to your front door in case missionaries of any religious denomination come calling. Don't try to read it to them; trade it with them for any materials they bring, on the mutual promise to read the trades.
2. Carry it with you on all airplane flights longer than one hour in case you find yourself sitting next to a loquacious creationist. Don't engage in argument; just read the book conspicuously, chuckle often, and hope the creationist is tempted to read over your shoulder.
3. Bring it to your local school board meeting, having familiarized yourself with the index. Have a scissors ready to snip out pertinent responses to any creationist assertions. Fold the snippet into a paper airplane and fling it ostentatiously at the misguided creationist.
Honestly, I couldn't imagine any other use for the book, since there's no chance whatsoever that any earnest creationist will ever look at it. Unfortunate but true. And if your own personal social experience includes face-time with creationists, don't depend on facts that you really don't have or on science that you really don't know. Be polite and sincere and genuine. The effect will be unsettling.
Literal Creationists- Don't Read This Book!!!.......2007-10-03
Where's this book been all my life?
If only I'd had this book around when I taught evolutionary biology for three years in a school where mandatory intelligent design classes were taught. My experience there would have been so different. This is a book that needed to come out twenty years ago. It is simply amazing. Isaak goes through *every single argument* that the Literal Creationists make, and refutes them all. While some of his points on specific scripture references are off, most of his points on scripture are right to the crux of the argument. He is to be congratulated in recognizing that, to convince the Literal Creationist, you need science and a deep look into theology and the Bible. The index in the front provides for a quick leaf-through whenever you are presented with that "out-there" argument. Again and again I recognized wacky arguments that I had heard from my previous school's administration, that I had no response to because one couldn't be prepared against every strange idea that might pop into someone's head. (Like the sun is powered by gravitational collapse, and not by nuclear fusion. Yes, that was actually taught to students by the school administration.) Here, in this book, there are the convincing refutations.
I was once a Literal Creationist, and have since seen the light of evolution. I have studied it intensely, along with it's import on theology. And still I learned a good deal from this book. Had I read this book when I was still walking in darkness, it would have been far more than enough to convince me. I can't imagine how a Literal Creationist could leave this book, having read it cover to cover, and still come away convinced of a literal interpretation of Genesis and an instant intelligently designed creation. Even if they come into the book with a closed mind, the sheer weight of argument and evidence is a veritable flood that shall wipe the world clean of it's iniquity.
fulfills a serious need and fulfills it well.......2007-08-29
"What good is half an eye?" "Why are there still monkeys?" "Where are the transitional fossils?" You name it, this book answers it.
The Creationist claims are conveniently categorized by fields of interest, such as theology, biology, and paleontology. Some of the book is too technical for me, but most of it I find very interesting and easy to understand. Even if you find some of the material difficult to understand, you can later look it up in the handy index.
The author of this book is one of the editors of the highly-respected talkorigins Website. He knows his stuff, too. The bibliography runs from page 269 to 319.
Most, if not all, of the information in this book is also available on the talkorigins Website. But don't try to read it all off the screen, you'll hurt your eyes. Don't try to print it all out, either, you'll hurt your printer. Rather, buy this book.
A Handy Guide To Rebutting Creationist Objections To Valid Mainstream Science.......2007-08-04
While I believe that there are other, better books currently available which delve into the legal and philosophical issues presented by Intelligent Design and other flavors of creationism (e. g. books written by Scott, Forrest, Kitcher and Pennock), Mark Isaak has created a useful "handy-dandy" reference guide which offers a succinct rejoinder to every absurd creationist claim, covering a wide spectrum of subjects from philosophy to astronomy, and of course, biology. As such it is an invaluable guide for anyone seeking not only to rebut creationist claims, but equally important, to understand the philosophical and religious rationale behind these claims. However, I am quite skeptical that mere refutation of absurd creationist claims like "Evolution is just a theory" or "there are dinosaur and human footprints side by side in some Texas river bank" may be succinct to persuade most creationists, who truly are fundamentalist religious zealots, whether they are Young Earth Creationists or IDiots (Intelligent Design Advocates). And yet I recognize that Isaak's clear, concise, well-written tome is an invaluable resource too for educators and probably deserves to belong on the bookshelves of school administrators and school district superintendents (or chancellors) around the country.
The Ultimate Puchline to Creationist Jokes.......2007-07-15
There's an old joke about a new visitor to a neighborhood Irish bar. The newcomer listens as one of the regulars shouts out a number and all the others burst into laughter. Soon, another patron shouts out a number with more ensuing laughter. The newcomer asks the bartender what's going on. The bartender replies, "Everybody has come here for so long that we tell the same jokes over the years. We know the jokes so well we have a number for each joke. Instead of telling the whole joke, we just shout out a number." The newcomers nods and waits a few minutes. Then he shouts, "42!" All the regulars glare at him and mutter into their beer. "What happened?" he asked the bartender. The bartender replies, "You can't tell an Irish joke with a Scottish accent!"
Creationism is one long running joke broken into a whole series of objections to evolution. Mark Isaak has undertaken the Herculean task of categorizing each creationist objection as its own joke and assigning each its own number. Isaak has analyzed the creationist claims and broken them down into subcategories of philosophy, biology, geology, paleontology, astronomy and physics. Now, instead of wasting time describing any creationist objection, you can just shout out its number. After assigning the number, Mark Issak then delivers the punchline.
The book is set out in a carefully cross indexed and well-documented format intended as a reference book for educators, public speakers and any person interested in countering creationist arguments. Anyone familiar with Isaak's Talk.Origins site will read any creationist literature and nod knowingly, thinking "there is argument CA201 ("Evolution is just a Theory") again!" Just as the jokes are known by number, the creationist arguments have been rebutted so thoroughly and so many times, that they really can be reduced to numbers.
This book is a valuable resource to anybody who teaches evolution, writes about it or speaks about it. It is a great resource to consult when responding to any creationist argument. When I do so, I also refer to the argument by its "Isaak number." This does two things. First, it demonstrates to the truly uninformed and disinterested individual that scientists really have thought about all of the objections to evolution. Second, it demonstrates that many creationists are really dishonest at heart.
The creationist arguments span so many fields of science and philosophy that it is impossible to be an expert in each. Furthermore, there may many versionsof creationism. The Counter-Creationism handbook serves as a common reference manual for those fields outside an individual educator's areas of expertise and also addresses each version of creationism from young earth creationism to intelligent design, on its own terms. It is a joy to be able to find so much information on so many subjects in one volume.
Some creationist arguments are so well refuted that merely making the argument is evidence of dishonesty. For example, the claim that evolution somehow violates the second law of thermodynamics (Argument CF001) is so well worn that its even rejected by the creationist organization Answers in Genesis. Issak's reference book allows evolution educators to quickly identify the creationist augment, the rebuttals to the argument and areas for further research and reading.
It's now on my bookshelf and I intend to use it.
Book Description
Dr. Geoffrey Simmons focuses on the millions of structures and systems on the Earth that came about all at once, entire...with no preceding links, no subsequent links, no “sideways” links.
To illustrate, he surveys examples like...
- the hummingbird and its circulatory system
- insects and insect–eating plants
- the role of the thousands of species of viruses
- chemical signals and the sensory apparatus that detects them
- the self–regulating capacity of the Earth’s ocean/air/soil system
It’s clear: Nature contains only leaps, not links. Only the intelligence and purpose of an all–powerful Designer can explain the intricate
creatures, connections, and “coincidences” everywhere.
Excellent for students and parents, especially homeschoolers, and for educators who want to present the “full picture.”
Customer Reviews:
ID light- an honest review.......2007-10-05
I call this ID light because its not as in youre face as some of the other ID literature. I don't think someone who is against ID would be compelled to change their minds after reading this book. If you are an evolutionist, I think you should still find some beauty in this book, and not think of this as a direct insult on youre intelligence. This is a book filled with all kinds in neat facts that I think everyone can enjoy. Yes he clearly promotes ID, but he says you be the judge, could this model fit in with a design or do you think evolution has a better explination?
What really sold me on this book was scamming through it in the book store. I didn't even really want to buy it till I flipped through. It seems almost every sentence has something interesting. For example I just opend it to get a random quote and here it goes on page 212 about halfway down the page states "The bristle millipede is covered with tiny tufts and rows of velcro-like bristles that easily detach when the insect is attacked." Not that its the best part or anything, but I hope you can see how this book reads.
My overall favorite part is about ratios and symmetry. The fibonacci sequence is incredible! The bodys symmetry, The body mass and blood volume in mammals are intricately related. Even the heart size is dependant on the animal. There were better facts than that, but thats what sticks out currently in my mind. Sounds to me like a design! Like I said before, that may not convince you, but these are great facts and a fun read!
3 stars.......2007-05-20
*** Could the universe have come into existence by chance? That is what proponnants of atheistic evolution would have us believe. However, after reading the evidence presented in this book, such conclusions should seem to not have a chance to anyone with a reasonable mind. Though little is said about God, the evidence is laid out in such a way as to show that there had to be design, hence a Designer, orchestrating life. Beyond making that case, a variety of fascinating, little known facts are rendered that will enlarge your acumen, even if you never have the need to engage in a debate over evolution vs. intelligent design or creation. ***
Amanda Killgore
Excellent book.......2007-05-07
It just helps to demonstrate that it takes a bigger leap of faith for evolution than for a creator God.
Same old rhetoric........2007-05-03
Same old , same old. X can't be explained..........YET, therefore "GOD", the biggest assumption of all which doesn't EXPLAIN ANYTHING. And of course we all know this means the christian god as opposed to the thousands of other "GODS" throughout history. Same old "god of the gaps" arguement. Sorry, but that does not follow.
Evolution is an established fact of life, if you don't believe it, then I suggest you quit taking antibiotics along with using or eating domesticated animals for food,work, and or companionship. According to this book scientist should just throw in the towel and fling their hands collectively in the air and say "WE QUIT!". I suppose that should have been done before Copernicus,Kepler,Newton,Lavousier,Faraday,John Clerk Maxwell,Crick and Watson,Einstein etc made their discoveries. Utter nonsense. One assumption after another regarding nature and the cosmos has been toppled like sandcastles. The skeletetal backbone (no pun intended) and general principles have been quite established in evolutionary biology. Anybody with an inkling of reading regaring the sciences realizes all the emperical evidence for evolution is quite firm. These disciplines include,molecular biology, comparitve genome studies,physics,geology,paleoanthropology,paleontology,comparitive anatomy etc etc etc. The book has nice pictures though.
A Pleasure to Read.......2007-04-11
This book puts forth some very interesting trivial information about many animals that is often left out in the biology classroom in order to teach other information. Did you know the pupil of your eyes and the tip of your nose forms an equalateral triangle? The tip of you nose forms another one with the edge of your lips? That a square exists between your pupils and your lips' edge? In fact your body contains many such wonders. The belly button is the exact center of a circle that you can make with your body. Design or Chance....interesting.
The forethought and first chapter were very nice to read. The forethought basically said if you've convinced the miracle of birth and the beauty of it.. came about by trial and error... you might as well stop reading now. Birth is so amazing I think anyone will be struck with awe when reading his description of birth. However; Even if your a staunch evolutionist I think you would still like this book very much, I would encourage you to read it, even if you disagree with his view point you'll love the information. It contains alot of information that teachers/professors should talk about in class since it will keep students interested. I am a biology undergraduate and some of his book actually went over some of the things we were learning in university study, but put forth simply enough that anyone with no biology backround could unnderstand it. It presented the information in a fresh way to me, which was nice.
I thought his first chapter was great because I think many scientists (ID theorists and Neo-Darwinists) forget exactly what the scientific method is all about. It was designed to eliminate bias. I agreed with his suggestion that the scientific method should the foundation of biology not a philosophical theory like evolution by natural selection. Why? The scientific method begins with "observation". With that being said and to be fair he says the same flaw is found in the Intelligent Design and Evolutionary arguments alike. If you look into it you would be surprised how much of the whole molecules to man theory has never been observed its pure conjecture. Simmons says there could be some problems with the scientific method as the cornerstone of science, but they could easily be resolved.
Many people constantly say that ID theory says it is so complex that it could not have been designed. That is not true. In the first chapter he says ID says that life is natural systems that cannot be explained by natural forces, yet in any other circumstance would naturally be attriubted to design. Such a good definition. Why is it not attributed to design? Some people have a hard time comprehending something made them I guess. The same way other people cannot imagine that unintelligent processes made them. I think the first argument is weaker than the latter. The more we know about life he harder time Darwin's theory is having. Simmons also points this out in the first chapter.
Simmions puts forth a good analogy of the ID/Darwinist battle in the opening chapter. Imagine coming up to an oil rig in the ground and you said to your friend wow I wonder who made this, and you friend said "wait no one made this what are you talking about?" You try to convince you friend it was designed... maybe showing him parts that pump oil out of the ground and are needed to make it functional.. if they are not there the rig would not work.. and your friend says well you can't prove who made it...your making dogmatic statements about the existence of oil rigs. Sadly the friend is right you cannot prove someone made it dispite how much you try to convince your friend the oil rig was designed because neither one of you were there to see it so neither know for sure was that it was made. Darwin's challenge to his theory which was "if something could be shown to have not developed through slow steps my theory would absolutly break down". It certainly has broken down. So now darwinists say it has not broken down but then they themselves put forth unobserved senerios to try to preserve the theory. Big Surprise, evolutionary scientists are humans too all of them have a bias like all humans.
But regadless of your view of biology you will love this book just because its so fun to read. When I was reading I thought the information was great. It was like reading Planet Earth on the Discovery channel instead of seeing it. Simmons shows some amazing facts of the differences in life and what needs to be found for a fully comperhensive theory of evolution to be correct. You will come out of this book having a better appreciation of all life regradless of your views. Read the book
amazon.com
Author and computer systems designer Gregg Braden wrapped this entire book around the premise that God's name is literally encoded into every human body. According to Braden's logic, the basic elements of DNA--hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon--directly translate into specific letters of the Hebrew alphabets (YHVA), which then translate into the original name of God. Braden's hope is that knowing that God's signature is carried within each cell of the estimated six billion humans on earth will give humankind the evidence we need to overcome our differences and renew our faith:
Beyond Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Shinto, Native, Aboriginal, white, black, red, or yellow; man, woman, or child, the message reminds us that we are human. As humans, we share the same ancestors and exist as the children of the same Creator. In the moments that we doubt this one immutable truth, we need look no further than the cells of our body to be reminded. This is the power of the message within our cells.
One could argue that this melding of spirituality and science may be the next frontier in human evolution. Nonetheless, skeptics could also argue that this DNA=YHVA equation is an eerie coincidence, instead of a quantum breakthrough--like folding a $20 bill in a certain shape and seeing the twin towers in flames (Braden dispels such skepticism by asserting that the "odds that this relationship has occurred by chance are approximately 1 in 200,000"). This is neither a consistent or easy read. Some passages are filled with dense, analytical stretches of cross referencing ancient texts with modern science. Others are more prosaic as Braden explains his beautifully optimistic hope for peace on Earth. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
A coded message has been found within the molecules of life; deep within the DNA in each cell of our bodies. Through a remarkable discovery linking Biblical alphabets to our genetic code, the "language of life" may now be read as the ancient letters of a timeless message. Regardless of race, religion, heritage or lifestyle, the message is the same in each cell of every woman, child and man, past and present.
With nearly one third of the world's nations currently embroiled in armed conflict, such proof of a universal bond offers compelling evidence that we are greater than any beliefs that have separated us in the past. Through this newly found expression of unity we find a place to begin when our differences seem insurmountable.
In this all-new original research, Gregg Braden shares the life-changing discovery that led him from a successful career in aerospace and defense to an extensive 12-year study of the most sacred and honored traditions of humankind. Through his global search and controversial findings: • Discover the coded message of our cells from the day of our origins • Experience that message as a universal principle of unity that makes war based in our differences obsolete • See the recently revealed fragment of the Dead Sea Scrolls validating the text discovered in our cells • Discover tangible and unprecedented evidence that we are part of a greater existence • Learn how the message in your DNA becomes the foundation to resolve conflict; and offers a method, and a reason to believe that peace is possible within families and between nations
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing, but what was I to expect.......2007-09-19
I came upon this book by accident and given some of the great reviews and the claim by the author to have worked for many years as an engineer, I expected this would be a logically sound book. I was very disappointed to learn that not only was the book mostly(about 95%) a compilation of works from other authors and just common knowledge, but to make the leap from what the author wants to believe and what he presents to be so undeniable is just absurd. There is no proof, nor did I expect any, but I did expect a logical progression to making logically sound points, which were missing. Assumptions were made left and right to come to a conclusion that the author wanted to believe in more than anything. Very disappointed with this book, would not suggest this book to anyone, and unfortunately I've bought two books by this author before being acquainted with his work, so I'll just have read The Divine Matrix and provide my review independent of The God Code.
God Code.......2007-07-23
Thought provoking. Makes you wonder about all that we don't know about our history and about our prehistory.
God Code reveals a Hidden Message.......2007-07-15
Like so many books that delve into the more esoteric aspects of reality, the God Code explores the hidden, unseen aspects of codes. Hidden in our DNA, and applying gematria (Hebrew letters which are assigned number values), we get a very important message that God is eternal and within our bodies.
For some people, a few of Braden's conclusions will be a stretch and seem far-fetched. However, I totally relate to all the numerological relationships Braden puts forth, so I really enjoyed the God Code. The book actually helped me understand several important connections about YHVH (Hebrew name of God) and the four DNA bases that make up all life. Because this was important to me, I referenced his observations in the book I was writing at the time.
EVERYONE LISTEN UP!!!!!!!.......2007-04-04
YOU HAVE TO GET THIS BOOK. THE WHOLE WORLD NEEDS THIS MESSAGE. I HAVE BEEN TRAVELING DOWN A SIMILAR PATH AND CAME TO THE SAME BASIC CONCLUSIONS. THE TIME FOR AWAKENING IS HERE AND WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME. GREGG BRADEN HAS PUT HIS MONEY WHERE HIS MOUTH IS. HE IS BRILLIANT AND TIMELY...GREAT READ....
Where is the evidence?.......2007-02-13
The Cod Code presents an interesting theory but then proceeds to insist that it is the TRUTH with no supporting evidence. I was disappointed. I wanted to see some justification for Mr Braden's theory. I wish the book had left me with more than the knowledge of Mr Branden's belief.
Book Description
In this third component to the Reasons To Believe foundational series, Hugh Ross draws from the depths of his studies in both science and Scripture to show how creation and evolution intertwine.
Customer Reviews:
We Are Now Truly Without Excuse.......2007-09-07
What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?
Psalm 8:4 (NIV)
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Psalm 19:1 (NIV)
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Roman 1:20 (NIV)
We may very well be alone in the universe.
Rather than regarding that as a disturbingly lonely thought, or as a hopeless throwback to pre-Copernican anthropocentrism, Hugh Ross, the author of Creation as Science, would regard this as properly ennobling man's position as the sole creature which Genesis 1:27 declares was made in "the image of God," a view increasingly supported, according to Ross, by various scientific discoveries from fields as diverse as cosmology and genetics.
Since 1986, Hugh Ross has been working through his Science-Faith Think Tank, Reasons to Believe, to show that science and Biblical faith are not enemies; that, indeed, recent scientific discoveries increasingly point to the Biblical creation account as the model that best fits the facts as science is uncovering them. While Ross is an astrophysicist by profession, he has assembled a team which look not only recent discoveries and developments in cosmology and astronomy, but also all the earth sciences, including biology and psychology.
Having followed the discussions cataloged at the Reasons to Believe Web site for a few years now, I could see that the bits and pieces of evidence Ross and his team were accumulating were leading up to something yet grander than just looking to the heavens to see the awesome scope and intricacy of the visible universe. No, Ross has been working to show that as vast and complex as the universe is increasingly revealed to be, the more exquisitely fine tuned we find the earth and its locale--with respect to the sun, our galaxy, and the rest of the universe--for the purpose of bringing forth life and, at just the right moment in the development of the cosmos, man. This fine tuning, from vast cosmological forces down to the minutiae of quantum mechanics, indicates that the chances of there being another world in all the universe which could harbor intelligent life (or even animal and plant life) are so infinitesimally small as to be practically nonexistant. Earth and the life on it can reasonably only be the products of a combination of the planning of a supremely intelligent being and real, honest-to-goodness, miracles.
The culmination (so far, at least) of Hugh Ross' efforts is the recent publication of the book, Creation as Science. With it, Hugh Ross has thrown down the gauntlet, as it were. As the dust jacket declares, the book sets forth "a testable scientific model approach to end the creation/evolution wars." The idea is that, as new discoveries are documented in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, the predictions of the RTB Biblical Creation Model can be tested against the predictions of the primary competing models: naturalism/evolution, the young-earth hypothesis, and theistic evolution. The book also acts as a fairly detailed summary of the scientific evidence RTB has gathered so far which points toward the Biblical creation account as the best model.
This book, in my view, is an important one, adding significantly to the potency of Christian apologetic arguments based on what Christians call general revelation--what man can learn about himself and the rest of creation by studying himself and the rest of the material world. At the same time, the book will be problematic for both Christians and naturalists.
For naturalists, it involves interpreting the data revealed by scientific studies in a manner that some scientists will define as unscientific. For example, Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education, defines "science" as "an attempt to explain the natural world in terms of natural processes, not supernatural ones." (Emphasis in the original.) Interjecting the idea of a supernatural planning, controlling God as an explanation for observations is, under this view of science, "unscientific." To such scientists, I would suggest that they remember their history. The scientific method developed only because the Judeo-Christian world view saw God as a constant, unchanging creator, from which sprang the inference, now borne out by centuries of experiments, that physical laws reflect that unchanging character and that therefore experimental results are transportable through time and space. Such constancy of physical laws is not something one would expect if the creation, sustaining, and development of the universe and everything in it was purely the product of time and blind chance, as naturalists hold.
For Christians, the book causes problems because it declares a lack of scientific evidence for the "young earth" hypothesis believed my many Christians who take the "six days" of the Genesis creation story as six literal 24-hour days. Ross sides with naturalistic scientists in finding that the overwhelming evidence points to the universe being about 14 billion years old. While there has long been debate among Bible scholars about whether the Hebrew word for "day" used in the Genesis account can mean an indeterminably long period of time (as in the English usage "day of the dinosaurs"), most modern evangelical scholarship seems to side with a literal 24-hour day interpretation as the most reasonable textual and contextual interpretation. See, for example, John MacArthur's book, Battle for the Beginning.
I usually find MacArthur to be at the summit of reason among Biblical interpreters. I recognize that man's imperfection leaves room for observational error and misinterpretation of accurate observations. I also recognize that general revelation must yield to specific revelation, that is, observations and their interpretation, however, logical they seem, must yield to the revealed truth of the scripture.
However, here I must differ with MacArthur and other conservative Bible scholars and side with Ross and scientific investigation. As mentioned, the interpretation of the meaning of "day" in Genesis, is not without considerable historical controversy. A 24-hour day interpretation is not the only reasonable view. To interpret "day" as meaning 24-hours would be to succumb to the same error that evolutionists swallow. Leading evolutionists view the challenge of evolution/naturalism as showing how the appearance of order and design, which appear to imply a designer, is really only just that--an appearance without a basis in fact. Young earth Christians, on the other hand, attempt to show that the appearance of great age in the earth and the rest of the universe is just that--an appearance not based in fact. I keep coming back to the question: if the universe is actually quite young, why does the scientific method, which serves us well in all other realms of basic investigatory discovery and technological application, keep giving us the wrong answer here. Is God playing a game or attempting to deceive us? I think not.
Christians also have a tendency to believe that an old earth view somehow makes God less powerful, since it seems less of a miracle to create man and all we see given 14 billion years rather than six 24-hour days or only a few thousand years. To this I would first say, well, God could have created everything in the twinkling of an eye, that six 24-hour days was a relative snail's pace, and that the Evangelical interpretation of the Genesis creation account itself diminishes God's power.
Second, I would just refer Christians and non-Christians alike to the story of the fine tuning revealed in the pages of Creation as Science. Like me, you may come away breathless and awestruck at the amazing, almost inconceivable forethought that went into the orchestration of events to bring forth the earth and life on it all at just the right cosmic place and time. I come away thinking that, if one is looking for evidence of supremely powerful miracles as an evidence of God, here they are on display for all to see and appreciate. And then I realize that in the few years that Ross has been investigating and cataloging the evidence of this exquisite fine tuning, the nature and complexity of the required fine tuning revealed by hard science has dramatically escalated. As men have been turning away from faith to a naturalistic view, unbeknownst to them, the scientific evidence for the Biblical creation account and faith in the God of the Bible has been mounting--continuously and rapidly.
We are now truly without excuse.
An End to the Creation/Evolution Wars?.......2007-07-31
Few individuals are better qualified than Hugh Ross--minister with a Ph.D. in astronomy--to apply a balm of common sense to the increasingly heated debate over creation and evolution.
His newest book begins with a much-needed reminder that "God has revealed himself to humanity in two books, the written record [the Bible] and the record of nature." In other words, we should never be forced to reject science in order to embrace the Bible, or vice versa.
Ross is also adept at reclaiming the theological implications of accepted scientific theories, such as the Big Bang. In addition, he chides certain Christians who engage in evolution-bashing without offering "a definitive explanation or evidential defense of their own beliefs about life's origin and history."
So does this book fulfill its promise to "end the creation/evolution wars"? Not really.
Readers on both sides of the line will argue with Ross's creation model. And those looking for specific, scientific experiments to support his theory (as I was) will be disappointed.
Still, Creation as Science opens the door for meaningful dialogue between proponents of creationism, evolution, and Intelligent Design. And that is definitely a step in the right direction.
Reviewed by Sam O'Neal.
Originally appeared in Christianity Today
A little more sense in a noisy debate........2007-05-28
Another book by prolific author, astrophysicist and lay minister Hugh Ross. Here he lays out the testable model he has referred to in several of his previous works and that critics of "creationism" have demanded in order to be taken seriously.
Unfortunately, some of the previous reviewers have taken exception to such a rational treatment of a supposedly "religious" subject, evidently accepting the post-modern myth that religious faith is totally subjective and accepted only by "blind faith" (ie. belief without evidence) and can have nothing to do with an objective discipline like science. In fact, like Lew Wallace and C.S. Lewis, Ross came to faith in the attempt to disprove the validity of the Bible, converted not by an emotional appeal from some evangelist, but by the weight of scientific and historical evidence.
Those who still have trouble accepting the validity of an interplay between science and religion on the subject of origins would do well to read agnostic Robert Jastrow's "God and the Astonomers", then come back to Ross for this more advanced coursework.
How NOT to define science!.......2007-05-02
As soon as a scientist appeals to the action(s) of a deity as the solution to a scientific problem, he/she ceases to be a scientist. By definition, any attempt to formulate a testable scientific hypothesis involving the agency a supernatural being whose intentions are both unknown and unknowable is not only impossible but a complete abdication of scientific methodology. In essence, the solution to any presently unsolved scientific problem can be had simply by saying that "God must have done it", a methodology very few scientists and knowledgable lay people would ever find acceptable.
And to insist that knowledge of God's intentions can be found by reading scripture is a futile venture from the outset, fraugtht with all sorts of practical difficulties. Whose interpretation of scripture shall be used in the process? And what recourse do I have if my interpretation is at variance with th
Letter to a Christian Nation
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
