CRSQ Volume 15

CREATION RESEARCH SOCIETY QUARTERLY Copyright 1978 0 by Creation Research Society VOLUME 15 JUNE, 1978 NUMBER 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITORIAL BOARD Page Accurate Predictions can be Harold L. Armstrong, Editor Made on the Basis of Biblical 4 Couper Street Creation Concepts . 3 Kingston, Ontario, Canada Walter E. Lammerts Walter E. Lammerts, Research Editor A (Recently) Living Plesiosaur Found? . 8 Ralph Swanson Donald 0. Acrey . Geophysicist, Amarillo, Texas Thomas G. Barnes . University of Texas at El Paso, Texas More Recent Stalactites . 8 John Amer Duane T. Gish . Institute for Creation Research, San Diego, Calif. Rapid Stalactite Formation Observed . 9 George F. Howe . Los Angeles Baptist College, Eric B. Cannell Newhall, Calif. Creation, Evolution and Catastrophism . 12 John W. Klotz . Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO. James E. Strickling John N. Moore . Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan Creationist Predictions Involving Cl4 Dating . ............ 14 Henry M. Morris . Institute for Creation Research, Don B. DeYoung San Diego, Calif. William J. Tinkle . Anderson College (retired) Radiocarbon Calibration-Revised. ............ 16 North Manchester, Indiana David J. Tyler John C. Whitcomb. Grace Theological Seminary, Dendrochronology, Radiocarbon, Winona Lake, Ind. and Bristlecones . 24 Emmett Williams . Bob Jones University, Harold S. Gladwin Greenville, S. Car. The Canopy and Ancient Longevity. 27 Notices of change of address, and failure to receive this publication Joseph C. Dillow should be sent to Wilbert H. Rusch, Sr. 27 17 Cranbrook Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48 104. Life Begins at 140 . 34 Creation Research Society Quarterly is published by the Creation Captain Geoffrey T. Whitehouse Research Society, 2717 Cranbrook Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104. 0 by Creation Research Society. A Creationists’ Taxonomy . 36 Hilbert R. Siegler Creation Research Society Quarterly is indexed in the Christian Periodical Index. The Venus Flytrap-A Cagey Plant . ........ ....... 39 George F. Howe COVER ILLUSTRATION The Law of Cause: An Examination The picture on the cover is a scene on Mars, taken by of the Need for Causal Factors . ........ .... ., .. 40 the Viking 1 lander. In the original picture almost Jerry Bergman everything showed a reddish tinge, although there were some tints of black or dark blue. No Hope for the Phalarope . ........ ....... 46 If someone should say: “There is really not so much of Willis E. Keithley interest in that scene”, the answer might be: “Exactly! And in particular there is no sign of anything living”. Creationist Science: A Challenge from Professor Young. ........ ....... 47 Moreover, the other investigations which were carried Charles A. Clough and out seem to have shown that nothing lives on Mars. Louis E. Fredricks Some Creationists have been predicting, for a number of years, that no living things would be found elsewhere Assumptions and Human Nature . ........ ....... 53 than on the Earth. And they seem now to have been pro- William J. Tinkle ven right. Dr. Walter Lammerts, in another place in this issue of the Quarterly, discusses this matter at some- Against Catastrophic Rationalism: what greater length. It appears that God made the Gravitational Attitude Deflections Earth to be inhabited, the other planets and heavenly on the Earth’s Axes . ........ ....... 55 bodies for other purposes. James N. Hanson This picture was provided by the National Aeronaut- Panorama of Science . , . ........ 68 ics and Space Administration, and is used here by per- Book Reviews (6) . 73 mission. Mr. George Mulfinger, of Bob Jones Universi- ty, attended to getting the use of it for the Quarterly. Letters to the Editor (2) . 78 VOLUME 15, JUNE, 1978 3 ACCURATE PREDICTIONS CAN BE MADE ON THE BASIS OF BIBLICAL CREATION CONCEPTS WALTER E. LAMMERTS* Received January 16, 1978. Creationists have predicted, on the basis of Biblical information, that no living things would be found on Mars. Another wrediction is that the world would be seen to be still drying out after the Flood. It is pointed out that both of those prldictions have been fulfilled. The concept that the universe of stars, the solar have I commanded.” No mention is made here that any system, and the earth gradually evolved, versus the of the heavenly hosts were designed for the habitation of belief that they were created by a personal God with a life in the form of various creatures. Rather in Genesis 1 definite purpose or design in mind, lead to fundamen- the sun, moon, and stars are clearly stated as being tally different concepts as to their makeup and designed to give light upon the earth and to be for signs possibilities of being the habitation of life forms. Thus and for seasons, for days and for years. Henry Morris in most evolutionists, such as Carl Sagan, are firmly con- his book Many Infallible Proofs reaches the same convinced that life exists on the planets of certain stars, clusion. 4 even though such planetary systems have not actually been demonstrated. In fact, until recently Sagan was The Viking Explorations convinced that some of the planets of our solar system Let us then examine what the two Viking spacecraft such as Mars would be inhabited by at least lowly forms found according to Norman H. Horowitz in his article of life.’ On the other hand, as pointed out by Henry “The Search for Life on Mars”.5 Morris,2 in 1974 the creation model leads to a number Horowitz starts out by observing that of all the extra- of predictions, one of which is that “no evidence of past terrestrial bodies in the solar system Mars is the only or present life would be found anywhere in the solar one at all similar to the earth. Accordingly it is by far system (or universe) except on earth. the most plausible candidate for life in the solar system. Now one of the tests of a correct theory is that ac- The two Viking spacecraft were launched from Cape curate predictions can be made from it. Thus on the Canaveral in the summer of 1975. They arrived at Mars basis of the concept that God created the earth, or in July and August of 1976. On command from the designed it for habitation of various forms of life, earth each lander separated from its orbiter. Retro- especially man, a prediction could be made that the engines and parachutes were used to effect a safe land- stars and planets were created for other purposes. ing in the northern hemisphere of Mars when the season Also, on the postulate that the earth was destroyed by was summer. On July 20, 1976, Viking 1 lander came a world-wide flood, one could predict that as time went to rest in the Chryse Planitia region and six weeks later on and the earth gradually dried out certain parts of the Viking 2 lander settled in the Utopia Planitia region. In earth would become much drier than others, so that the longitude these regions are separated by almost 180 area and extent of deserts would greatly increase. Also, degrees. Chryse is 23 degrees north and Utopia 48 as a corollary of this, one could predict that areas adja- degrees north of the equator. cent to these deserts would become increasingly arid as First the Martian air was analyzed by means of two the rainfall gradually continued to decrease; and that mass spectrometers, one operating during descent and this pattern will continue to get worse. the other on the ground. 95 % was carbon dioxide, 2.5 % What then are the facts as regards these predictions as nitrogen, and 1.5 % was argon, with traces of oxygen, judged by recent space explorations and a study of rainfall patterns in the Pacific Northwest? Predictions About Mars ELECTION RESULTS In the introduction to “Scientific Studies in Special 2 17 ballots were cast in the annual election, held Creation3 I stated in 197 1 that, “though some earlier this year. The following persons were elected to astronomers still have slight hope that some lowly form the Board of Directors for a term of three years, of life such lichens or mosses may be found on Mars, it 1978-1980. is my prediction that none will be found.” I based this Clifford L. Burdick prediction on two statements in the Bible. One is Isaiah Wayne Frair 45:18: “For thus saith the Lord that created the George F. Howe heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made John R. Meyer it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he John N. Moore formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord; and there is George Mulfinger, Jr. none else.” Also earlier in Isaiah 45: 12 we read: “I have All of these were incumbent member of the Board. made the earth and created man upon it. I even my The proposed amendment to the Constition, the addi- hands have stretched out the heavens and all their host tion of Section 3, dealing with Student Chapters, to Ar- ticle III, was approved almost unanimously.’ *Walter E. Lammerts, Ph.D., was a Founding Member, and is now a Fellow, of the Creation Research Society. He operates Lammerts Only ballots postmarked not later than 1 March 1978 Hybridization Gardens, P.O. Box 496, Freedom, California 95019. were counted, as had been announced. 4 CREATION RESEARCH SOCIETY QUARTERLY carbon monoxide, neon, krypton and xenon. The at- against the existence of biological processes on Mars. mospheric pressure was 7.5 millibars compared to our The instruments on the Viking lander are highly sen- earth’s 1013. So the elements necessary for life are sitive, capable of detecting organic compounds at a available with the exception of the critically important concentration of a few parts per billion, a level 100 to compound, water vapor, and of course adequate per- 1000 times below that on the earth’s desert soils.

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