Life Sciences

The 2001 Principle Mordechai Steinman and Gershon Robinson: In the annals of motion picture history, the film "2001: A Space Odyssey" holds a special place. Though outwardly science fiction, the film speaks about life, the universe, and reality in general, and the message seems to be one of enormous consequence. But that message may not be what you think.
Abortion Issues Tearing Our Nation's Fabric: Chapter 1 of "Issues Tearing Our Nation's Fabric", exploring 25 key issues dividing the nation of America.
Abortion, Breast Cancer, and Ideology First Things, May 1997: Many studies over the decades have linked induced abortion to an increased risk of breast cancer in women. In spite of their substantial statistical evidence, however, these studies have been ignored and criticized by the medical establishment.
Alabama Insert: A Call for Impartial Science, The Norris Anderson: Follow-up to the Alabama Textbook Report, Norris Anderson elaborates on some of the key issues contained in the Insert, and offers some commentary on the backlash since the release of the report.
An Analysis of Homer Simpson and Stephen Jay Gould William Dembski: Lisa Simpson in an episode of the popular animated televsion series THE SIMPSONS tries to prove that a fossil found near a mall development has been faked. Stephen Jay Gould makes a guest appearance as a local paleontologist (his actual voice is used). In the episode Gould claims to have performed a test on the fossil, but then at the end admits he never performed the test. The real-life Gould has yet to adequately test evolutionary theory. If he did, he would find it just as wanting as the faked fossil in this SIMPSONS episode
Animal Liberation: Do the Beasts Really Benefit? Richard Milne: Organizations like PETA and writers like Peter Singer believe any killing of animals is wrong. The Bible demands that humans take care of the creation because it is not ours. Factory farming and medical research are considered from a biblical viewpoint, and Christians are encouraged to show compassion in their use of the rest of God's creation.
Are We Alone in the Universe?: NASA scientists claim that a Martian meteorite contains signs of life on Mars. Is the evidence credible? If life is found on Mars does in invalidate Creation? These questions and more are answered by a trained Christian scientist.
Articles, Books, and Reviews (Origins Research) Dennis Wagner, Gregg Wilkerson: Origins Research 10:1 reviews Teaching Science in a Climate of Controversy, Creation's Tiny Mystery, and other writings.
Ask the Animals Robert and Patricia Mondore: Through the study of our physical universe we can be drawn closer to the One who formed it.
Behe Responds to Boston Review Michael Behe: The Dec96/ Jan97 issue of the Boston Review carried a discussion by H. Allen Orr of Michael Behe's book, Darwin's Black Box. This response to that article was published by the BR's Feb/Mar97 issue. Also included are links to the original review.
Being a Christian in Science Rich Milne: Walter Hearn, both a Christian and a scientist, has written an excellent book giving perspective and advice on how to be a Christian in the science field.
The Biotic Message (Book Review) What is it?: "The Biotic Message" is a science book on the creation-evolution controversy. It quotes frequently, if not exhaustively, and only from the author's opponents -- the evolutionists. It focuses keenly on all the literature of the anti-creationists, to address the issues they raise. The book engages evolutionists on their terms, on their issues, using their testimony, and their ground rules -- including the central role of testability within Science.
A Blindfolded Watchmaker: The Arrival of the Fittest Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
The Bulldog's Life: Part 1 Paul A. Nelson: Review of "Huxley: The Devil's Disciple" by Adrian Desmond.
The California Science Framework: How Firm a Foundation? Mark Hartwig: Editorial on the 1989 California Science Framework and its shortcomings.
Can Humans Be Cloned Like Sheep? Dr. Ray Bohlin: A scientist trained in cloning techniques looks at the cloning of Dolly the sheep, examining the value of cloning in general and humans in particular. Includes 8 concerns about human cloning from a Christian perspective.
Challenging Darwin's Myths Mark Hartwig: In this May 95 article published by Moody Magazine, Mark Hartwig criticizes Darwinists for the unscientific way they promote Darwinian theory while discrediting the growing recognition of Intelligent Design.
Christian Views of Science and Earth History Rich Milne and Dr. Ray Bohlin: Rich Milne and Dr. Ray Bohlin examine the major answers to the age of the earth question as given by Christians, with a call to mark our common enemy.
The Church of Darwin Phillip E. Johnson: In response to a Kansas state board of education decision, Berkeley Law professor Phillip E. Johnson lashes out in this Wall St. Journal article: "Evolution is having serious trouble with the evidence--but its proponents don't want an honest debate?."
Climbing Mount Improbable & Darwin's Black Box First Things, October 1996: Two books which take opposite views on Darwinism are examined by reviewer Phillip E. Johnson. "Climbing Mount Improbable" by Richard Dawkins presents the orthodox case for evolution. On the other side, "Darwin's Black Box" by Michael Behe challenges thi
Cloning Leadership University Special Focus: The news of Dolly, the sheep cloned in Britain, and the monkeys that were cloned in the U.S. have created great interest in the subject of cloning. Leadership University already had a number of articles on cloning. Our search engine would provide a number of interesting articles. In order to simplify your research, we have organized these articles into this page.
The Code Word Robert and Patricia Mondore: The most recent discoveries in the field of microbiology have revealed DNA to be a highly sophisticated and encoded language. The Bible refers to the Creator as the Word of God. Is DNA really an encoded message from our Creator? There are those who consider DNA as evidence of evolution claiming that its ubiquitousness proves all life must have evolved from a single source. Using their own logic there is a far stronger case that the highly encoded messages found in DNA could only have come into existence through intelligent design. The fact that it is found in every life form is proof that all life was formed by a single Designer.
Colin Patterson Revisits His Famous Question About Evolution Paul A. Nelson: Since the late 1970's, the thinking of English paleontologist and systematist Colin Patterson has been a focal point of controversy in biology and evolutionary theory. This article looks at highlights of his work.
Commentary on the Patterson/Walters Exchange Robert A. Gange: Dr. Robert A. Gange addresses some of the points made by Dr. John W. Patterson in the Thermodynamics debate in Origins Research 9:2.
The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory (Book Review) First Things, November 1997: For years, physicists did little to connect the mind with physical reality. In "The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory," author David Chalmers admits this while still embracing a pure materialistic view. Reviewed by Stephen M. Barr.
Contact: A Eulogy to Carl Sagan Dr. Ray Bohlin: The movie "Contact" was a well-crafted eulogy to Carl Sagan and a faithful demonstration of his world view: that science triumphs over irrational Christian faith, but that there is a place for humanistic faith in extra-terrestrial life. His world view is critiqued from a biblical perspective and found inconsistent.
Copying the Human Script Nancy Pearcey: The race to decipher the code of life has ended--in a tie between two research groups. Now that the human genome project has succeeded, what does it imply for our understanding of life and its origin? Find out in this article by Nancy Pearcey, published in World magazine, Vol. 15, No. 27, July 8, 2000.
Cosmology Confronts the Creator Hugh Ross: Hugh Ross investigates the twentieth century's scientific struggle to come to grips with cosmological evidence for a designed universe.
Creation Hypothesis: Scientific Evidence for an Intelligent Designer,The Michael Keas: Book review of J.P. Moreland's book centering on the intelligent design thesis. Problems and issues addressed by the book include the scientific status and legitimacy of both intelligent design and Neo-darwinian theory.
The Creation-date Controversy The Real Issue, September/October 1994: Dr. Hugh Ross discusses the question "Does the Genesis creation account force a wedge between faith and science?" Millions of devoted Christians find themselves painfully torn in the controversy surrounding the age of the earth.
Critical Thinking Prohibited First Things, April 2001: The Tangipahoa Parish Board of Education required its teachers to read a statement before any classroom discussion dealing with evolution urging the students ?to exercise critical thinking and gather all information possible and closely examine each alternative toward forming an opinion? regarding ?the origin of life and matter.? The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court decision that this violated the First Amendment religion clause. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case.
DNA, Design, and the Origin of Life Charles B. Thaxton, Ph.D.: Explores the evidence for design in the DNA structure.
Darwin Endangered Nancy Pearcey: From Crisis Online, "Letters to the Editor", January 1996. Nancy Pearcey responds to a November 1995 CO article, with a commentary about the reasons behind emotional nature of the creation/evolution controversy.
Darwin Legend, The: Review of James Moore's book in which Moore attempts to sort out the truth behind the legend of Charles Darwin's purported death-bed conversion to Christianity.
Darwin Under the Microscope Michael Behe: In a reprint of this New York Times article (October 29, 1996), Michael Behe responds to Pope John Paul II's statement that evolution is "more than just a theory". In fact, he says, it's "old news."
Darwin on Trial Raymond Bohlin, Ph.D.: A review of Philip Johnson's book "Darwin on Trial." The author explores Johnson?s review of the weaknesses of evolutionary theory and the impact of materialistic philosophy on science education.
Darwin's Black Box Dr. Ray Bohlin: Michael Behe's book Darwin's Black Box was hailed by Christianity Today as 1996's Book of the Year, with good reason. This is the first book suggesting Intelligent Design that has received such serious attention from the scientific community. Dr. Ray Bohlin, with a background in molecular biology, reviews this book from a perspective as a creationist and scientist.
Darwinism and Theism Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Darwinism's Rules of Reasoning Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Darwinism: Philosophical Preference, Scientific Inference, and ? Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Darwinism: Science or Naturalistic Philosophy? Study Guide: Condensed version of video study guide designed for use in conjunction with debate video: Darwinism: Science or Naturalistic Philosophy? The Johnson/Provine Debate at Stanford University, April 30, 1994.
Darwinism: Science or Philosophy A Symposium: The proceedings of a symposium entitled "Darwinism: Scientific Inference or Philosophical Preference?" held on the campus of Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA, on March 26-28, 1992.
Darwinists Deny the Obvious Mark Hartwig: Some Darwinists deny that there's any evidence against their theory. In this essay, which first appeared in Citizen Magazine, Mark Hartwig discusses some of the evidence that contradicts this claim.
Dealing with the Media in the Science Textbook Controversy Judith Anderson: Opponents of Darwinism are often characterized by the media as fundamentalist religious zealots. Judith Anderson explains the importance of identifying and defeating the "Inherit the Wind" stereotype to be able to teach good science in our schools.
Defeating Darwinism Rick Wade: Phillip Johnson?s important book, Defeating Darwinism, explains how evolution gained dominance as a theory of origins, and exposes its UNscientific foundations.
Defending Darwinism: How Far is Too Far? Mark Hartwig: Essay on Scientific American's firing of veteran science writer Forrest Mims because he didn't believe in Darwin's theory of evolution.
Defending the Faith Christian Apologetics in a Non-Christian World: A report on the 1995 Evangelical Theological Society Annual Meeting compiled by Probe Staff. Included are "Defending the Faith Philosophically" by Dr. J. P. Moreland, Talbot Seminary; "Defending the Faith Historically" by Dr. Gary Habermas, Liberty University; "Defending the Faith Scientifically" by Dr. Charles Thaxton Charles University, Prague, The Czech Republic; "Defending the Faith Theologically" by Dr. Thomas C. Oden, Drew University Theological School; and summary by Dr. Ray Bohlin.
Design and the Discriminating Public Nancy Pearcey: In this August 1999 article from Touchstone Magazine, Pearcey discusses the appeal of design theory for the general public and explains why the public wants good material about origins.
The Designed 'Just So' Universe Walter L. Bradley, Ph.D.: This article provides a clear indication of what is meant by design and then summarizes the factual basis from cosmology that our universe is indeed uniquely designed as a habitat for life in general and humans in particular.
Designer Genes Robert and Patricia Mondore: The discovery of a city clearly points to the blueprints and design of its architects. Similar logic was used by William Paley, author of "Natural Theology" who used the illustration of finding a watch in the road as proof of a watchmaker. Scientists have now discovered a similar evidence of design within the microscopic world. When one discovers the complexity of the cell world, and the encoded language of DNA there is only one logical explanation for its existence; God is the Builder of everything.
Dialogue on Censorship Chris Foreman, Paul Ricci: Paul Ricci responds to Chris Foreman's letter to Omni magazine (printed in OR 10:1). Foreman's response is included.
Doubts About Darwinism Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Editor's Column Art Battson: Making a guest appearance, Art Battson lends his unique insight to this issue's (Origins Research 15:1) issues and other controversial topics.
Editor's Column Access Research Network: Overview of Origins Research 10:2 featuring Hugh Ross's cosmology article and the continuing dialogue over Chris Foreman's censorship letter to Omni magazine.
Education or Indoctrination? Alabama Textbook Analysis Norris Anderson: 1995 textbook report by the Alabama State Board of Education Textbook Committee, which found current biology books teaching evolution as dogma, prompting placement of an insert inside the front covers of all biology texts.
Edward T. Oakes and His Critics: An Exchange First Things, April 2001: Edward Oakes' review of "The Wedge of Truth: Splitting the Foundations of Naturalism" (by Phillip E. Johnson, InterVarsity Press) evoked numerous responses. This compilation includes comments from Phillip Johnson, Michael J. Behe, David K. DeWolf, Robert C. Koons, J. Budziszewski, and Nancy R. Pearcey with a response by Edward Oakes.
Euthanasia Issues Tearing Our Nation's Fabric: Chapter 6 of "Issues Tearing Our Nation's Fabric", exploring 25 key issues dividing the nation of America.
Evidence of God in Human Physiology Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: A cursory examination of human physiology reveals: 1) the complexity of man and what it suggests about man's origins, 2) the efficient and versatile operation of man compared with machine, and 3) the depth of our ignorance about how man's physiological systems operate.
Evolution Issues Tearing Our Nation's Fabric: Chapter 5 of "Issues Tearing Our Nation's Fabric", exploring 25 key issues dividing the nation of America.
Evolution and the Pope Rich Milne: A look at Pope John Paul II's pronouncement on evolution and how Stephen Gould misunderstood it as reflected in his article in Natural History magazine.
Evolution's Big Bang Dr. Ray Bohlin: The Cambrian explosion of life has long befuddled evolutionists. New data have only deepened the mystery and caused a critical rethinking of cherished evolutionary concepts.
Evolution, Genes and Morality Raymond Bohlin, Ph.D.: Sociobiology claims to explain the origin and meaning of all human and animal social behavior in terms of genetics and natural selection. This view is inadequate to explain the complexities of human nature but curiously agrees with theism that man?s basic behavior is ultimately selfish.
The Five Crises in Evolutionary Theory Dr. Ray Bohlin: 5 crises in evolutionary theory are discussed: 1) the unsubstantiation of a Darwinian mechanism of evolution, 2)The total failure of origin of life studies to produce a workable model, 3) The inability of evolutionary mechanism to explain the origin of complex adaptations, 4) The bankruptcy of the blind watchmaker hypothesis, and 5) The biological evidence that the rule in nature is morphological stability over time and not constant change.
Fleshing Out the Past: Reconstructing Fossil Faces: Review of Michael Anderson's book, in which he discusses the shortcomings of the investigative methods of paleoanthropology.
A Frog with No Legs A layman's rebuttal to Jean L. Bertelsen Pond's "Catholic Frogs": Author Tim Ganstrom, BSE, rebuts Jean L. Bertelsen Pond's "Catholic Frogs" article advocating that scientific propositions and Christian beliefs have no bearing on each other.
The Frying Pan Never Looked So Good (Editorial) Mark Hartwig: Mark Hartwig provides an overview on Origins Research 10:1 and it theme topic: Thermodynamics.
Full House Follies David Berlinski: Book review by David Berlinski on Stephen Jay Gould's "Full House: the Spread of Excellence from Plato to Darwin", in which Gould explores reasons for biological change.
Genetic Engineering Kerby Anderson: A biblical look at genetic engineering. Christians would be wise to distinguish between two types of research: genetic repair (acceptable) and the creation of new forms of life (unacceptable). This essay covers genetic diseases, genetic counseling, as well as two different perspectives on gene splicing: the scientific benefits and concerns, as well as the legal and ethical concerns. It concludes with a biblical framework for genetic engineering.
Genetics of Adaptation: A Reassessment, The: Review of Jerry Coyne and H. Allen Orr's paper stating that there is little evidence for the neo-Darwinian view.
Getting Rid of the Unfair Rules Paul A. Nelson: Book review of "The Battle of Beginnings: Why Neither Side is Winning in the Creation/Evolution Debate" by Del Ratzsch.
Global Warming: Fossil fuel emissions are unfairly being blamed for global warming. The Kyoto Protocol is based on questionable science, and will cause unnecesssary economic hardship.
God in the Public Square Nancy Pearcey: In his latest book, "The Wedge of Truth," Phil Johnson offers an intriguing new perspective on how the evolution controversy shapes today's "culture war"--and suggests the best intellectual strategy for fighting it. For more, read this in-depth review by Nancy Pearcey, published in Human Events, September 15, 2000.
The Gorbachev of Darwinism First Things, January 1998: Much is made of the "creation vs. evolution" debate. One should note, however, that both sides have serious internal disagreements among its own adherents. This article explores some of the disagreements within the evolutionist camp.
The Grand Canyon and the Age of the Earth Ray Bohlin, Ph.D.: Young-earth creationists need to be able to explain earth?s geological features as the result of a year-long flood only a few thousand years ago. The Grand Canyon is one of the few areas of the world that allows them to attempt to show that their model fits reality.
Green or Mean? Leadership University Special Focus: Earth Day is neither an official holiday nor is it heralded with the fanfare that surrounds so many traditional, particularly religious, celebrations. If not for the media promotion of it, Earth Day might be recognized by very few loyalists. It inspires news-copy and staged events, not family traditions. Earth Day is sponsored by the Environmentalist movement. Environmentalism is portrayed by the major media as a segment which seeks to prevent pollution, promote recycling and protect endangered species. Critics of this movement, however, accuse it of having radical ideological roots that find manifestation in extremist policies. Let us consider whether or not this is true. If so, should we not still seek to conserve resources and promote the responsible use of private property? On what basis should such stewardship rest?
Histone Deletion Mutants Challenge the Molecular Clock Hypothesis: Short summary of Michael Behe article published in Trends in Biochemical Science, October 1990. Behe presents arguments to challenge the molecular clock hypothesis.
Homology: A Concept in Crisis Jonathan Wells and Paul Nelson: Patterns of similarity (homologies) among diverse groups of organisms gave Darwin one of the key lines of evidence for his theory of common descent. Recently, the neo-Darwinian interpretation of homology has been powerfully challenged by new data.
How Incomplete Is the Fossil Record Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
How the Leopard Changed Its Spots: Review of Brian Goodwin's book, in which Goodwin argues that neo-Darwinism fails to explain the large scale aspects of evolution, including the origin of species.
How to Sink a Battleship The Real Issue, November/December 1996: Phillip E. Johnson issues a call to separate materialist philosophy from empirical science. This article is edited from the final address at the Mere Creation Conference.
How to Talk to Your Kids About Evolution and Creation Dr. Ray and Sue Bohlin: If parents have a basic understanding of creation and evolution issues with some helpful answers, it will be a lot easier to answer their children's questions and lead them into discussion about these important subjects. Dr. Ray Bohlin discusses with his wife Sue some of the questions kids and parents ask.
Human Fossils: "Just So" Stories of Apes and Humans Dr. Ray Bohlin: The study of human evolution suffers from too few fossils, tunnel world view vision, powerful personalities, and too much media misinformation. This article tries to sort out the data from a creationist perspective.
Human Genome Project: A brief look at the accomplishment, purpose and consequence of the Human Genome Project.
Ideas Have Consequences Real Issue, March/April 1997: In the beginning was "The Idea," - humans are nothing more than products of chance, progress and adaptation. However, Christian professors are advocating the pursuit of pure science: reporting the facts as they are found.
In Pursuit of Intelligent Causes: Some Historical Background Charles B. Thaxton, Ph.D.: In antiquity intelligent causes were considered essential for understanding nature. Three centuries after the publication of Newton's Principia, however, nature seems to have been swept clean of intelligent influence, except for that of human beings.
The Incompleteness of Scientific Naturalism Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: Is there anything that can happen in the world that would indicate unmistakably that God had acted? The existence of computational problems for which discovering the solution is intractable, but for which checking the solution once it is in hand is tractable, raises the possibility of being able to detect divine action with full empirical certainty. (Note, this paper was written in 1992 before quantum computation became widely discussed. If it were being written today, it would need to take this development into account.
Intelligent Design FAQ: New frequently asked questions section of Access Research Network's site. Deals with common questions like, "What is Intelligent Design?" and "But doesn't Intelligent Design refer to something supernatural? Isn't science supposed to restrict itself to the natural world?"
Is Common Descent an Axiom of Biology? Paul A. Nelson: This paper was written for the conference, "The Darwinian Paradigm: Problems and Prospects," held June 22-25, 1993, organized by Phillip Johnson. This paper is intended to highlight key points in the readings , and to suggest some general issues for discussion.
Is God Unconstitutional The Real Issue, Introductory Issue: Dr. Phillip E. Johnson brings his acute legal mind to the many issues surrounding Darwinism. He exposes the deeply philosophical bias for faith in evolution held by the theory's advocates.
Is God Unconstitutional? (Part 1) The Real Issue, September/October 1994: Dr. Phillip E. Johnson brings his acute legal mind to the many issues surrounding Darwinism. He exposes the deeply philosophical bias for faith in evolution held by the theory's advocates.
Is God Unconstitutional? (Part 2) The Real Issue, November/December 1994: Dr. Phillip E. Johnson brings his acute legal mind to the many issues surrounding Darwinism. He concludes his exposition of the deeply philosophical bias for faith in evolution held by the theory's advocates.
Is Science a Threat or Help to Faith? The Real Issue, November/December 1994: Dr. J. P. Moreland responds to the question "How are we to understand the relationship between science and Christianity?"
Is the Sky Falling?: The Kansas Evolution Vote Charles Colson: Author and culture-watcher Chuck Colson clarifies the issue of the Kansas Board of Education's 1999 decision to delete macroevolution as a requirement for the state's testing guidelines. The issue, he says, is to teach evolution honestly.
Jettison the Arguments, or the Rule? The Place of Darwinian Theological Themata in Evolutionary Reasoning Paul A. Nelson: Methodological naturalism has lately come under critical scrutiny. This essay provides some raw materials for that project, by showing how theological premises bear directly on the content of evolutionary explanations. This essay also suggests that the received understanding of such questions as the significance of homologous patterns may be skewed by unjustified theological premises.
John Stuart Mill, Charles Darwin, and the Culture Wars John Angus Campbell: In this 1996 Intercollegiate Review article, Campbell sets forth the fact and nature of the contradiction over the teaching of ethics in the public schools and the teaching of science (specifically Darwin's theory of evolution).
Johnson, Phillip E. Law, Author of Darwin On Trial and other books: Phillip Johnson has been a professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley, for 26 years. He received his B.A. from Harvard and his J.D. from the University of Chicago. Johnson is the author of Darwin on Trial, Reason in the Balance, and Defeating Darwinism by Opening Minds. Since the writing of his books, Johnson has spoken and debated extensively with other experts on these issues.
Laws, Causes, and Facts: A Response to Michael Ruse Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Life on Mars? Did it Come from Earth? Hubert Yockey: The discovery of meteorite ALH84001, and its apparent traces of biological activity, has generated much excitement, as well as a troubling array of difficulties. Information theorist and origin of life expert Hubert Yockey explores those difficulties.
Literature Survey Paul A. Nelson: Levinton on Kauffman; Penman rethinks cell structure; Snyder illuminates Whewell; Sullivan and Dawkins spar; and other selections.
Literature Survey Paul A. Nelson: The origin of feathers; Rosenberg anatomizes naturalism; the continuity thesis in origin of life research; how vestiges may arise; and other selections.
Literature Survey Paul A. Nelson: Darwin and theology; beauty in theories; etc.
Literature Survey (Origins & Design, 18:1) Paul Nelson: Paul Nelson reviews recent writings from Winter 1997: T.H. Huxley's ambivalence about natural selection; how the giraffe got its neck; Mendel as an opponent of evolution.
Literature Survey (Origins & Design, 18:2) Paul Nelson: Paul Nelson reviews recent writings from Fall 1997: The cosmological argument; Agassiz's case against Darwinism; molecules versus morphology; more uses for genetic "junk".
A Look Back at Ten Years Dennis Wagner: In marking the 10-year Anniversary of Students for Origins Research, Dennis Wagner takes a look at the past and offers some thoughts for the future (Spring 1997).
Looking for the Mind Erik Larson: Erik Larson reviews David Chalmers' book, "The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory." Chalmers investigates the idea of incorporating the idea of consciousness into science.
Making Progress in the Origins Debate: The philosophers, scientists and scholars who met together at the Naturalism, Theism and the Scientific Enterprise conference made substantial progress on the very important question: Is methodological naturalism an essential part of science?
Measuring Political Correctness: Literacy Test Really a Litmus Test Mark Hartwig: Do you think that humans descended from other species of animals? If not, you're scientifically illiterate--at least according the National Science Foundation. In this Los Angeles Times article, Mark Hartwig criticizes the NSF's "literacy" test.
Mere Creation: Science, Faith, and Intelligent Design [Book Review] Reviewed by Jim Miller: A review of "Mere Creation: Science, Faith, and Intelligent Design," written by William A. Dembski and published by InterVarsity Press (Downer's Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1998. 475p.). This review is by Jim Miller.
Methodological Naturalism Part 1 Alvin Plantinga: Science by its very nature, a widely-held philosophical view maintains, simply cannot refer to theological claims. In part one of a two-part article, University of Notre Dame philosopher Alvin Plantinga offers a distinctly different perspective.
Methodological Naturalism Part 2 Alvin Plantinga: Science by its very nature, a widely-held philosophical view maintains, simply cannot refer to theological claims. In part two of a two-part article, University of Notre Dame philosopher Alvin Plantinga offers a distinctly different perspective.
Michael Kinsley Out on a Limb: Stem-Cell Rationale Recalls Ideas of Debunked Scientist Nancy Pearcey: Syndicated columnist Michael Kinsley tries to use an out-dated evolutionary theory to support embryonic stem-cell research, and is roundly trounced in this article by Nancy Pearcey, which was published in Human Events.
The Missing Link that Wasn't: National Geographic's 'Bird Dinosaur' Flew Against the Facts Nancy Pearcey: Darwinism has been beset in recent years by several reversals in key evidence supporting the theory. The most embarrassing was the "dinobird" that turned out to be a hoax. This article published in the March 10, 2000 issue of Human Events examines the hoax and reviews other surprising reversals.
Molecular Machines: Experimental Support for the Design Inference Michael Behe: An essay on irreducible complexity by Michael Behe. Behe explains the concept of the "black box", irreducible complexity, and gives examples.
Monkeying with Science Education John Angus Campbell: In this article published in The Commercial Appeal, March 18, 1996, John Angus Campbell analyzes Tennessee's proposed "Monkey Bill", and determines it to be "a bad means to a good end."
NTSE: An Intellectual Feast John W. Burgeson: The debate over the role of naturalism versus theism in science is beginning to enter academia. In February 1997, the University of Texas, Austin, sponsored a conference on the issue. John W. Burgeson provides some observations.
The Natural Limits to Biological Change: Neo-Darwinism Under Attack Raymond G. Bohlin, Ph.D.: This article summarizes the book by the same name. The authors critique both Darwinism and puncuated equilibrium, and offer an alternative based on Intelligent Design.
News and Views Paul Nelson: Reviews from Origins Research 13:1, including Michael Anderson's "Fleshing out the Past: Reconstructing Fossil Faces" and Michael Behe's "Histone deletion mutants challenge the molecular clock hypothesis." (pdf file)
News, Views, and Reviews Access Research Network: Origins Research 10:2 reviews of Quasars, Redshifts and Controversies, The Ancestry of Vertebrates, Cosmic Joy and Local Pain, and other writings.
No Relevance to the Origin of Life Walter L. Bradley: Dr. Walter L. Bradley addresses some of the arguments raised by Dr. John W. Patterson ("Thermodynamics and the supernatural") and Francis Arduini, as well as some concerns raised by other OR writers.
A Note to Teachers Mark Hartwig, Steve Meyer: This article is a reprint of the appendix to the Second Edition of Of Pandas and People by Davis and Kenyon. The article notes that controversy has its benefits and offer teachers convincing justifications for teaching alternatives to Darwinian theory.
On the Origin of Stasis Art Battson: Does Natural Selection prevent major evolutionary change and account for higher taxon-level stasis? Art Battson probes that idea in this thought-provoking article.
Opening the "Big Tent" in Science: The New Design Movement Nancy Pearcey: In this March 1997 World magazine article, Pearcey gives a brief discussion of the design movement, how it got started, and where it's headed. (Originally titled "The Evolution Backlash")
The Origin of the Universe Rich Milne: What is the newest evidence for the Big Bang? The cosmic background radiation is exactly what was expected if the universe began as an immensely hot event 10-20 billion years ago. But the universe that was created is "just-right" for life. Dozens of factors are exquisitely fine-tuned for life to be able to exist, at least on our planet.
Our "Tailor-made" Universe: New Scientific Study Begs the Philosophical Question, "Who's the tailor?" Nancy Pearcey: Cosmology is at a surprising crossroads. The evidence for design in the physical universe is so strong that cosmologists today openly discuss philosophical questions, as Nancy Pearcey shows in this September 2, 2000 World article.
Paradigm Shifts in Geology and Biology: Geosynclinal Theory and Plate Tectonics John Wiester: John Wiester explains the paradigm shift in geology from continental drift to plate tectonics, and expresses the hope that biology can learn from the mistakes of geology when considering the concept of intelligent design versus natural selection.
Phillip Johnson's Speaking Schedule Speaking Engagements: Phillip Johnson's speaking schedule. See if the author of "Darwin on Trial," "Reason in the Balance," and "Defeating Darwinism by Opening Minds" will be in your area.
The Possibility of Extra-Terrestrial Life Leadership University Special Focus: The Pathfinder's exploration of Mars, following on the heels of the Roswell anniversary, has turned our attention and imagination to space once more. The question of extraterrestrial life looms again as an issue of great interest. Underlying questions about the origin of the of the universe and its relation to the God of faith are being raised again with renewed vigor. Leadership University offers a special focus to discuss some questions relating to these issues.
"Pre-biotic Soup"?: The Case for Faith Charles Colson: As part of a series highlighting Lee Strobel's new book "The Case for Faith," Colson comments on discoveries by NASA and others which show a universe incredibly and uniquely suited for life.
Probe Answers Our E-Mail: Human Genome Project: Answers the question, 'Did the Human Genome Project Prove that Darwin Was Right?'
The Process, Described Properly, Generates Complexity in Good Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Rain Without Thunder: The Ideology of Animal Rights First Things, October 1997: Book review of "Rain Without Thunder: The Ideology of the Animal Rights Movement" by Gary L. Francione. The author believes that the animal rights movement is not radical enough. Reviewed by Thomas Sieger Derr.
Reason in the Balance First Things, February 1996: This is a review essay of the book "Reason in the Balance: The Case Against Naturalism in Science, Law and Education" by Phillip E. Johnson. Reviewed by Nancy R. Pearcey. This book traces the influences of Darwinism over the last century.
Rebuttals to Common Criticisms of the Book Darwin's Black Box Robert DiSilvestro, Ph.D. Biochemistry: Robert DiSilvestro provides a very short summary of the basic ideas of the book "Darwin's Black Box" by Michael Behe, and then briefly describes the eight main criticisms and gives rebuttals to them.
Regarding Functional Classes of Proteins to Be Highly Isolated Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
The Religion of the Blind Watchmaker The Real Issue, September/October 1992: Phillip Johnson has authored Darwin on Trial, contending theories of evolution are based on philosophical naturalism. Dr. Stephen Jay Gould responded to Johnson's book. This is Johnson's reply.
Reply to Arthur M. Shapiro: Tamed Tornadoes Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Reply to Leslie K. Johnson Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Reply to Michael J. Behe Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Reply to William A. Dembski Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Report on the ASA Conference Debate on Pandas and People Paul Nelson: Paul Nelson's report on the July 23, 1995, American Scientific Affiliation (ASA) sponsored debate on the textbook Of Pandas and People: The Central Question of Biological Origins.The book has engendered controversy since it was first published in 1989.
Report on the Mere Creation Conference John Angus Campbell: University of Memphis rhetorician and Darwin expert John Angus Campbell sketches a lively report from his perspective as a participant at the November 1996 Mere Creation Conference held at Biola University.
Response to Arthur M. Shapiro Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: Arthur Shapiro faults creationists generally and Phillip Johnson in particular for thinking that Darwinism entails naturalism/atheism. Shapiro is right as far as he goes, but he doesn't go nearly far enough. The point is not whether Darwinism logically compels atheism, but whether Darwinism makes atheism that much more plausible. It does. Given Darwinism, there is no reason to think God had anything to do with biology, thus no reason to think that God has been active in creation, and thus no reason to think that God exists. One can remain a theist, of course, but such a theism then becomes a sheer believism, or what is sometimes called fideism.
Response to David L. Wilcox: Darwin Twisting in the Wind Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Response to Frederick Grinnell Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Response to Gould Phillip Johnson: Phillip Johnson responds to Stephen Jay Gould's scathing 1992 review of Johnson's book, "Darwin on Trial" published in Scientific American.
Response to K. John Morrow, Jr. Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Response to Leslie K. Johnson Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Response to Peter van Inwagen: The Problem of Language Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Response to Talk.Origins Criticism Michael Behe: October 16, 1996 reply to Keith Robison and Tim Ikelda, in reponse to a series of postings in the Talk Origins Newsgroup.
Response to William A. Dembski Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Resurgence of Evolutionary Ethics, The Richard Weikart: Book review of "The Temptations of Evolutionary Ethics" by Paul Lawrence Farber and "The Secret Chain: Evolution and Ethics" by Michael Bradie.
Rethinking Deep Blue Erik Larson: In an expanded editorial, philosopher of mind Erik Larson examines some of the broader questions raised by Deep Blue's chess victory over Gary Kasparov.
The Role of Natural Selection on Macroevolution Theory Art Battson, J. Richard Wakefield: Continuing dialogue between J. Richard Wakefield and Arthur LaGrange Battson III, originally begun with Battson?s article, "The Paradox of Natural Selection" which appeared in Origins Research 9:2, Fall/Winter 1986.
Ruse "Gives Away the Store" The Real Issue, November/December 1994: Dr. Michael Ruse stunned his listeners at the 1993 annual AAAS meeting in Boston by announcing that he had recently come to view evolution as ultimately based on several unproven philosophical assumptions.
Science of Evolution and the Politics of Creation, The Norris Anderson: On May 8, 1997, America's "evolutionist laureate," Stephen Jay Gould, spoke at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Science consultant Norris Anderson reports on that address.
Science, Censorship, and Omni Magazine Christopher Foreman: An open letter to Omni Magazine received from one of ARN's readers, Dr. Chris Foreman. We printed this letter because it expressed well the spirit of SOR's (Students of Origins Research) position. The dialogue started by this letter is continued in OR 10:2.
Scientific Facts and Christian Faith: How Are They Compatible? Otto J. Helweg: Explores the battle between science and Christianity. The causes of the science versus Christianity battle may be traced to three errors. First, the proponents on both sides often fail to define the term, "evolution." Second, both sides have failed to see science as a product of a Christian world view. And, finally, both sides confuse the realms (limits) of science and theology.
Scientifice Evidence for the Existence of God The Real Issue, September/October 1994: Dr. Walter Bradley explores the overwhelming evidence from modern science for the existence of God. He considers three areas: 1) evidence for design in the universe; 2) the origin of the universe; and 3) the origin of life.
Some Useful Information About Origins for Students in Undergraduate Biology Classes Robert DiSilvestro, Ph.D.: Undergraduate biology classes often make statements about origins of life, species or even the universe. In many cases, these statements seem to remove the need for any involvement of a creator God. However, the credibility of many of these statements can be called into question. This article provides some short pieces of information that can be used to pose such questions.
Special Edition: Faith and Science The Real Issue, September/October 1994: Rich McGee explains his purpose is twofold: 1) provide helpful information on the complex interface between faith and science and 2) motivate readers to develop their own evangelistic lectures from their fields.
Special Edition: Faith and Science The Real Issue, November/December 1994: Rich McGee explains his purpose is twofold: 1) to provide valuable information from leading thinkers whom God is using and 2) to inspire Christian professors to combine this with their own research to develop scientific apologetics presentations.
Stasis Considered Michael Thomas: Thomas, a Ph.D. with a long-standing interest in origins issues, outlines the discontinuities between basic cell types.
The Status of Evolution as a Scientific Theory Robert Newman, John Bloom, Perry Phillips, John Studenroth: An investigation of the scientific basis of evolutionary theory, featuring discussions on Darwinian mechanisms and Descent through common ancestry.
Stephen Hawking, The Big Bang, and God (Part 1) The Real Issue, November/December 1994: Dr. "Fritz" Schaeffer makes comments on Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time."
The Teleological Argument And The Anthropic Principle William Lane Craig: The discovery during our generation of the so-called anthropic coincidences in the initial conditions of the universe has breathed new life into the teleological argument. Use of the Anthropic Principle to nullify our wonder at these coincidences is logically fallacious unless conjoined with the metaphysical hypothesis of a World Ensemble. There are no reasons to believe that such an Ensemble exists nor that, if it does, it has the properties necessary for the Anthropic Principle to function. Typical objections to the alternative hypothesis of divine design are not probative.
Teleological Principles in Biology: The Lesson of Immunology Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Theism and Darwinism: Can You Serve Two Masters at the Same Time? Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Theories of Evolution First Things, March 1997: This is a transcript of Pope John Paul II's address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, October 22, 1996. What did the Pope really say about evolutionary theories? Did he reverse Church teaching on the subject?
Thermodynamics and the Supernatural John W. Patterson: Dr. John W. Patterson comments on Tracy Walters? replies in the thermodynamics debate in Origins Research 9:2.
Thinking About the Theory of Design Paul A. Nelson: A Report on the Symposium "Can There be a Scientific Theory of Intelligent Design?" held at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Scientific Affiliation, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, August 9, 1993.
Truly a Wonderful Life Kurt P. Wise: Review of Stephen Jay Gould's book, Wonderful Life, by a former student.
The Trustworthiness of Scripture in Areas Relating to Natural Science Walter L. Bradley and Roger Olsen: In this paper we would like to focus on the interpretation of the Hebrew words "yom" and "bara/asah" as they are used in the early chapters of Genesis to describe the time frame and mechanism of creation. A careful examination of both biblical and scientific data will be summarized. A critique of the current models based on this data will be made leading to our summary of how at present we think one may best harmonize all of the available information.
The Truth About "Inherit the Wind" First Things, February 1997: The author summarizes and comments on the play "Inherit the Wind" by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. This drama is based on the 1925 "monkey trial" which took place in Dayton, Tennessee.
The Unraveling of Scientific Materialism First Things, November 1997: Is Darwinian evolution an irrefutable fact or materialistic philosophy disguised as science? Professor Johnson addresses this question as he considers the writings and career of Carl Sagan with regard to this matter.
Up a River Without a Paddle: A Darwinian View of Life Raymond G. Bohlin, Ph.D.: This article critiques Darwinist Richard Dawkins' book "River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life." Dawkins attempts to explain the superiority of Darwinism as a world view.
A Very Big Bang Robert and Patricia Mondore: In accepting the Big Bang model, scientists acknowledge the occurrence of a creation event.
Very Intelligent Design Joel Belz: Article by Joel Belz from World magazine concerning Phil Johnson and the 1996 Mere Creation Conference.
Walters Replies to Patterson Tracy Walters: Tracy Walters? response to Dr. John W. Patterson?s views on the Thermodynamics debate in Origins Research 9:2.
Wedge Issues - An Intelligent Discussion with Intelligent Design's Designer Nancy Pearcey: The person who has done most to revive and refine criticisms of Darwinian evolution in recent years is easily Phillip Johnson. His book, "The Wedge of Truth," explains why evolution is having a destructive effect in ethics, philosophy, and even the humanities. This interview with Nancy Pearcey gives a brief and readable introduction to the book's themes.
Welcome to Roe No More Ministries The Pro-Life Outreach of Norma McCorvey "Jane Roe" of Roe v. Wade: After her dramatic conversion in 1995, Norma McCorvey spent two years working with the pro-life activist organization Operation Rescue. In the summer of 1997, with the assistance of her friend, Ronda Mackey, Norma decided that it was time to start her own pro-life ministry. This is the homepage for Roe No More Ministries.
What's in the Fridge? Access Research Network: Testimony of French geneticist Jerome LeJeune in the Tennessee "Frozen Embryo" case.
The Whole Question of Metaphysics Paul Nelson: Paul Nelson delivers his report on the AAAS 1993 Boston meeting discussing "The New Anti-Evolutionism" and Professor Michael Ruse's surprising remarks.
Why Darwinism Matters: Washington DC Policy Briefing May 10, 2000 Nancy Pearcey: It has become virtually a cottage industry today to apply Darwinism to every area of life, from morality to educational methodology to the law. Pearcey traces the effects of "applied Darwinism" in this paper, which was delivered at a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill on May 10, 2000.
Why Naturalism is an Assumption Necessary for Doing Science Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article
Witnesses for the Prosecution Joel Belz: Article by Joel Belz from World magazine concerning Phil Johnson and the 1996 Mere Creation Conference.
World Population Rich Milne: Is overpopulation an immediate crisis, or an alarmist theory? Can the earth provide enough food for 9-10 billion people? Christians need to work for justice as well as improved agricultural practices and more equitable distribution.
The World View of "Jurassic Park" Dr. Ray Bohlin: The book and movie "Jurassic Park" were more than just great entertainment. There was a specific attempt to alter the way you think about Nature, its use and potential abuse.
X Does Not Entail Y: The Rhetorical Uses of Conflating Levels of Logic Darwinism: Science or Philosophy: No abstract available for this article