Scientific Creationism Prepared by the technical staff AND CONSULTANTS OF THE INSTITUTE for Creation Research Edited by Henry M. Morris President, Institute for Creation Research Twenty-scvcnlh printing: February 2018 (Jopyrij’lil <<01974,1985 by Master Books® All rights reserved. No part of I hi,$ book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of Uriel quotations in articles and reviews. For information write: Master Books®, P.O. Box 726, Green Forest, AR 72638 Master Books® is a division of the New Leaf Publishing Group, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-89051-003-2 ISBN: 978-1-61458-188-8 (digital) Library of Congress Number: 74-14160 Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the King James Version of the Bible. Please consider requesting that a copy of this volume be purchased by your local library system. Printed in the United States of America Please visit our website for other great titles: www.masterbooks.com For information regarding author interviews, please contact the publicity department at (870) 438-5288. Master Books® A Division of New leaf Publishing Croup www.masterbooks.com Contents Foreword to First Edition................................................................ iii Foreword to Second Edition...........................................................vii Chapter I — Evolution or Creation? The Importance of Origins.........................................................1 Impossibility of Scientific Proof of Origins..............................4 The Two Scientific Models of Origins....................................... 8 Pedagogical Advantages of the Creation Model....................14 Chapter II — Chaos or Cosmos? Origin of Matter, Energy, and Natural Law.............................17 The Beginning of the Universe.................................................24 Origin of the Solar System....................................................... 29 Purpose in Creation..................................................................32 Chapter III — Uphill or Downhill? The Laws of Thermodynamics.................................................37 The Origin of Life......................................................................46 Variation and Selection............................................................ 51 Genetic Mutations....................................................................53 Chapter IV — Accident or Plan? The Complexity of Living Systems..........................................59 Similarities and Differences..................................................... 69 Vestiges and Recapitulations................................................... 75 Systematic Gaps in the Fossil Record......................................77 Chapter V — Uniformitarianism or Catastrophism? The Message of the Fossils....................................................... 91 Rapid Formation of Geologic Deposits................................ 101 Contemporaneity of the Fossil World................................... I l l Residual Catastrophism......................................................... 123 ( 'Ituplcr VI — Old or Young? I low lo Date a Rock................................................................ 131 Radiometric Dating................................................................ 137 Evidence for a Young Earth....................................................149 'I he Antiquity of Man............................................................. 160 Chapter VII — Apes or Men? The Origin of Man.................................................................. 171 Languages and Races.............................................................. 178 Ancient Civilizations.............................................................. 185 The Origin of Religion............................................................ 195 Chapter VIII — Creation According to Scripture The Historicity of the Genesis Record................................... 203 Divisions of Genesis...............................................................204 Fall, Curse, and Laws of Thermodynamics........................... 211 Overflowed with Water.......................................................... 212 Summary of the Biblical Model.............................................214 Theistic Evolution...................................................................215 Progressive Creation...............................................................219 The Day-Age Theory..............................................................220 The Gap Theory.......................................................................229 The Framework Hypothesis................................................... 241 Gaps in Human Chronology................................................. 245 Local Flood Theory.................................................................248 Tranquil Flood Theory...........................................................251 Summary and Conclusion..................................................... 252 Appendix. Bibliography on Creationism......................................253 Index of Subjects............................................................................ 265 Index of Names.............................................................................. 277 Index of Scriptures........................................................................ 281 WRITERS AND CONSULTANTS SCIENTIFIC CREATIONISM (First edition) This book is the result of a cooperative project undertaken by the scientific staff of the Institute for Creation Research, the members of the technical advisory board of the Institute, and a number of other scientists and teachers who assisted in various ways.' The basic text of the manuscript was prepared by the I.C.R. di­ rector Dr. Henry M. Morris. It has been thoroughly reviewed by the associate director Dr. Duane Gish, and by Professors Harold Slusher and Stuart Nevins. It has been reviewed by the members of the I.C.R. Technical Advisory board and by the other teachers and scientists listed below. Their corrections and suggestions have all been incorporated in the revised text. The final manuscript has been tested as a textbook by the I.C.R. staff in a special 14-hour workshop on scientific creationism spon­ sored by one of the California school districts for its teachers. Feed­ back from this course in every way confirmed the suitability of the book for its intended purpose. The list of writers and consultants follows: Thomas G. Barnes, D.Sc. Professor of Physics, University of Texas, El Paso William A. Beckman, Ph.D. Professor of Physical Sciences, Christian Heritage College, San Diego, California Edward Blick, Ph.D. Professor of Aerospace, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman Richard Bliss, M.S. Science Consultant, Unified School District #1, Racine, Wisconsin David R. Boylan, Ph.D. Dean, College of Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames 1. Hie data shown refer to the degrees and positions held by these men in 1974, when the first edition of this book was published. Although more than half now (1985) hold different positions, and several have been awarded additional degrees, their position on the subject of scientific creationism remains the same. - i - Larry Butler, Ph.D. Professor of Biochemistry, Purdue Univer­ sity, West Lafayette, Indiana Kenneth B. Cummings, Ph.D. Research Biologist, U.S. Consul­ tants Fisheries service, LaCrosse, Wisconsin Malcolm Cutchins, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Aerospace En­ gineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama Robert H. Franks, M.D. Professor of Biological Sciences, Chris­ tian Heritage College, San Diego, California Duane T. Gish, Ph.D. Associate Director, Institute for Creation Research, San Diego, California Donald Hamann, Ph.D. Professor of Food Technology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh Charles W. Harrison, Jr., Ph.D. President, General Electro- Magnetics Corporation, Albuquerque, New Mexico Harold R. Henry, Ph.D. Chairman, Department of Civil and Mining Engineering, University of Alabama Joseph Henson, Ph.D. Head, Science Division, Bob Jones Uni­ versity, Greenville, South Carolina Lane Lester, Ph.D. Professor of Biology, Christian Heritage College, San Diego, California John R. Meyer, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Louisville, Kentucky Henry M. Morris, Ph.D. Director, Institute for Creation Re­ search, San Diego, California John N. Moore, Ed.D. Professor of Natural Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing Stuart E. Nevins, M.S. Assistant Professor of Geology, Chris­ tian Heritage College, San Diego, California Robert Olson, M.Ed. Science Teacher, San Diego City Schools, California Charles C. Ryrie, Th.D., Ph.D. Professor of Systematic Theol­ ogy, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas Harold S. Slusher, M.S. Professor of Planetary Sciences, Chris­ tian Heritage College, San Diego, California. John C. Whitcomb, Jr., Th.D. Director of Post-Graduate Stud­ ies, Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, Indiana - ii - FOREWORD TO FIRST EDITION he widespread movement in recent years toward the establish­ ment of new private Christian schools has been stimulated Tlargely by the failure of the public schools to maintain academic and philosophic objectivity. In the name of modern science and of church-state separation, the Bible and theistic religion have been ef­ fectively banned from curricula, and a nontheistic religion of secu­ lar evolutionary