Creation Research Society Quarterly Volume 44 Winter 2008 Number 3 Articles Departments Toppling the Timescale Editorial: Common Knowledge .................................... 169 Part I: Evaluating the Terrain ................................. 174 Letters to the Editor ....................................................... 243 John K. Reed Book Reviews Water Gaps in the Alaska Range ................................... 180 The Days of Peleg by Jon Saboe ............................. 172 Michael J. Oard A Student’s Guide to Natural Science The Primordial Seed of Life: Creation, Spontaneous by Stephen M. Barr ........................................... 179 Generation, and Emergence Theory ..................... 195 The Electric Sky by Donald E. Scott ....................... 193 Kareem I. Batarseh Darwin’s Conservatives by John G. West ................ 202 The Physics of Christianity by Frank J. Tipler ........ 203 Origins of Apoptosis: Dinosaurs: Where Did They Come from…Where Selfish Genes or Intelligent Design? ..................... 204 Did They Go? by Elaine Graham-Kennedy .... 213 Jerry Bergman In the Beginning ...................................................... 213 Clays of the Central Georgia Kaolin Belt: Pioneer Explorers of Intelligent Design A Preliminary Evaluation ....................................... 214 by Don B. DeYoung .......................................... 229 John Reed, Carl R. Froede, Jr. Creation’s Sensible Sequence by John B. Mulder ............................................. 235 Was the Prostate Gland Poorly Designed? ................... 230 The Language of God by Francis Collins ............... 236 Jerry Bergman Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of our Ancestors by Nicholas Wade .................. 237 Atlas of Creation, Vol. 1 by Harun Yahya ............... 247 Cover photos of Palouse Falls from iStockPhoto.com. Conference Report ......................................................... 238 Cover design by Michael Erkel: Minutes of 2007 CRS Board of Directors Meeting ..... 245 Michael Erkel and Associates, 1171 Carter Street, Membership/Subscription Application Crozet, Virginia 22932 and Renewal Form .................................................. 251 The Creation Research Society Quarterly is published by the Creation Research Society, 6801 N. Highway 89, Editorial Staff Chino Valley, AZ 86323, and it is indexed in the Christian Kevin L. Anderson, Editor Periodical Index and the Zoological Record. Jerry Bergman, Biology Editor George F. Howe, Assistant Biology Editor Send papers on all subjects to the Editor: John K. Reed, Geology Editor Kevin L. Anderson, Van Andel Creation Research Center, Eugene F. Chaffin, Physics Editor 6801 N. Highway 89, Chino Valley, AZ 86323. Ronald G. Samec, Astronomy Editor Send book reviews to the Book Review Editor: Don B. Don B. DeYoung, Book Review Editor DeYoung, 200 Seminary Dr., Winona Lake, IN 46590. Jarl Waggoner, Managing Editor Robert Mullin, Assistant Managing Editor Authors’ opinions expressed in the Quarterly are not neces- sarily those of anyone else associated with the Creation Board of Directors Research Society. Don B. DeYoung, President Eugene F. Chaffin,Vice-President Copyright © 2008 by Creation Research Society. All rights David A. Kaufmann, Secretary to the articles published in the Creation Research Society Theodore Aufdemberge, Financial Secretary Quarterly are reserved to the Creation Research Society. Gary Locklair, Treasurer Permission to reprint material in any form, including the Glen W. Wolfrom, Membership Secretary Internet, must be obtained from the Editor. Mark Armitage Danny Faulkner ISSN 0092-9166 George F. Howe D. Russell Humphreys Michael J. Oard John K. Reed Printed in the United States of America David Rodabaugh Ron G. Samec Haec Credimus For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh.—Exodus 20:11 ResourcesCREATION RESEARCH SOCIETY The Geologic Column: Perspectives within Diluvial Geology John K. Reed and Michael J. Oard, Editors 2006. Creation Research Society, 157 pages. Regular price: $15.00; Member price: $11.00. Many wonder how the evolutionary/uniformitarian geologic column fits into diluvial geology. At present, there is a remarkable diversity of original thought on this subject. Recent exchanges in the creationist literature show a tendency for various participants to talk past one another. This book has brought these different perspectives together with two goals: 1) to better define the real differences within diluvial geology, and 2) to identify the concrete issues that will provide a basis for continued research and, hope- fully, future resolution. The editors went one step further by providing, at the end of most chapters, a forum with comments and responses. In addition to ththee editors, the other authors are: Terry Mortenson, Peter Klevberg, Carl Froede Jr., David J. Tyler, Harold G. Coffin, and Emil Silvestru. Though it may be difficult to visualize now, diluvial geology represents a major paradigm shift that holds the potential to stimulate a revolution within the earth sciences. Creation vs. Evolution Debate 2006. Creation Research Society, approx. 45 minutes. Audio CD. Regular price: $10.00; Member price: $8.00. Dr. Kevin Anderson (director of the Society’s Van Andel Creation Research Center) squares off against local Arizona anti-creationist, Nigel Reynolds. The debate features initial arguments by both presenters followed by lively rebuttals, cross-examinations, and audience questions. This debate provides the listener an excellent opportunity to weigh the arguments of each side and seriously consider where the scientific evidence best fits. Orders can by placed through Creation Research Society, 6801 N. Highway 89, Chino Valley, AZ 86323-9186 Phone: 1-877-CRS-BOOK (1-877-277-2665); Fax: (928) 636-9921 www.creationresearch.org For U.S. orders, add 20% for S/H (min $5, max $15) A free catalog of books and videos is available. For Canadian orders, add 20% for S/H (min. $5, no max.) Send your e-mail request to CRSBooks@starband. For foreign orders, add 25% for S/H (min. $10, no max.) net or call 1-877-CRS-BOOK. Orders must be pre-paid. For credit card payments, (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express), please include the card number, expiration date (month/year), and your phone number. Volume 44, Winter 2008 169 Common Knowledge t has been said that “common knowl- the nineteenth century, the most popular the excretion of protective mucus edge” is not always so common, and explanations for the cause of common around the stomach lining, increasing Ioften not very knowledgeable. Not diseases were poisonous air (miasma the stomach cells’ exposure to gastric too distant in human history, numerous theory) or spontaneous imbalances in acids. This was considered the breeding ideas and “facts” were generally consid- bodily tissues (aka, humors), such as ground for gastric ulcers. Treatment for ered “common knowledge.” Yet many of the blood (humoral theory). This later these ulcers generally included antacids, these are almost laughable to us today. theory led to the practice of phlebotomy stress reduction counseling, and other For example, it was “common knowl- (“blood letting”), a misguided attempt approaches aimed at keeping blood flow edge” that if man were meant to fly he to remove the “excess” blood so that steady and stomach acids in check. The would have wings. It was “common a proper balance of the humors could association of gastric ulcers with stress knowledge” that dirty rags and rotting be restored. The most famous victim of was hard to deny and appeared to be meat could spontaneously generate this procedure was George Washington. based on strong medical evidence. Even into living creatures, such as maggots The early suggestions by Louis Pasteur the treatment success seemed to support and mice. It was “common knowledge” and others that microscopic organisms the thinking. that disease was caused by “bad” air were involved in causing disease were In the early 1980s a young Australian or too much blood. It was “common frequently met with dismissal and ridi- physician, Barry Marshall, began to knowledge” that ulcers were caused by cule. After all, it contradicted “common question this “common knowledge” and excessive stress. It was “common knowl- knowledge.” suggested that the key player in ulcer de- edge” that humans would not perform We now recognize that microscopic well in the weightless conditions of organisms, such as bacteria and viruses, outer space. are intimately involved in causing many Man’s journey to fly is well docu- diseases. For example, injection of a mented and can be verified by simply specific protein from the bacterium looking into the sky of virtually any Clostridium botulinum into an otherwise industrialized country. The “common healthy individual will quickly result in Common knowledge knowledge” that humans were never a potentially deadly illness called botu- meant to fly was patently wrong. The lism. Vaccines targeting specific micro- same can be said about the “common bial pathogens have all but eliminated is not always knowledge” of spontaneous generation. what were once global terrors, such as While data contradicting the claims small pox and polio. Certainly some hu- so common, of spontaneous generation had been man diseases may involve more than just gradually accumulating for centuries, the actions of microorganisms, but the ardent supporters steadfastly defended direct microbial link to many