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Are You Being Brainwashed?
Propaganda in Science Textbooks
What all students should know about the creation-evolution controversy.
By Dr. Kent Hovind
Table of Contents
Introduction
Only
Two Choices Who
Started This Lie? The
Scopes Trial What
Should Be Taught in the Classroom? What Do
We Mean by the Word "Evolution"? What
Do the Creationists Believe? Lies in
the Textbook? Chart
Showing Micro and Macro Evolution Naturalism?
Geologic
Time Absolute
Time Do
Fossils Prove Evolution? Origin
of Life Have
Scientists Created Life? AminoAcid
Sequences Horses
Had Four Toes? Vestigial
Organs? Embryology Natural
Selection or Survival of the Fittest? Peppered
Moth Homology Dinosaurs Birds
Evolved from Dinosaurs? Human
Evolution? Plate
Tectonics Is
Evolution Part of Science? Why Is
Evolution Being Pushed in Public Schools? False
Information in the Classroom? Practical
Steps to Approach Teachers Steps
to Handle Evolution in Class Practical
Steps to Change Schools Sources
Introduction It has
always amazed me how two different people can look at the same thing and reach
two completely different conclusions. Two different people can look at the Grand
Canyon. An evolutionist would say, "Wow, look what the Colorado River did over
millions of years." The creationists would say, "Wow, look what the flood did in
about thirty minutes!" Did it form slowly over millions of years? Or did it form
rapidly during a giant flood like the one in the days of Noah described in the
Bible.
Since no one saw it form, we must look at all the
evidence and decide what to believe. If there are two or more ways of looking
at something and you teach all possible theories, that is education. But
if only one theory is taught, that is indoctrination.
There once was a farmer helping a cow with a
breech birth, (the calf was coming out back feet first) when a city fellow
happened by and saw the ordeal. The farmer was using a calf puller to try and
remove the calf from the mother cow and he needed help. He asked the city fellow
if he had ever seen anything; like that. The city fellow said, "No." The farmer
asked him if he had any questions. The city fellow said, "Yes. This has been
bugging me for the last ten minutes. How fast do you think that calf was going
when it ran into that cow?" No, no, no! They were not separating a wreck!
Sometimes two people look at the same thing and one of them gets the wrong idea.
The city fellow was looking at the situation all wrong.
Students today are only being shown one
theory of the origin of the universe. Textbooks today contain many lies used to
make the students believe in the evolution theory. The purpose of this booklet
is to expose these lies in today's textbooks and present another more reasonable
view of origins. Throughout this booklet we will refer to videos from our
seminar series that will provide much more information. These are available from
our office or can be accessed on our web site http://www.drdino.com/.
Only Two Choices The Creation vs. Evolution argument has been raging for years with no
end in sight. An atheist Russian astronomer visiting America once said, "Either
there is a God, or there isn't. Both possibilities are frightening!" The Russian
astronomer was right: either the universe was designed, or it came about by
random chance. These are the only options. The view you adopt as your philosophy
of life will have a profound effect on many decisions you make and your eternal
destiny when this life is over.
If there is a Creator, we need to find out
who He is, what He wants and do what He says! If there is no Creator, the
evolution theory is true and the universe was formed by chance, then there are
no absolutes regarding right and wrong - there are no rules! Man becomes God.
People who believe this are called humanists.
Everyone faces four great questions in
life:
1. Who am I? (What am I worth?)
2. Where did I come from?
3. Why am I here?
4. Where am I going when I die?
Your answers to these questions will depend
upon which of these "world-views" you have chosen. Many major decisions and
topics of debate in this life (like abortion, genocide, premarital sex, etc.)
are determined by which philosophy you adopt. This creation vs. evolution
subject is extremely important! Hopefully this booklet will be helpful to show
you that the evolution theory presented in your textbooks is not true. The
universe had to be designed, and the Designer loves you and has a plan for your
life.
Who Started This Lie of Evolution? Plain and simple, the devil started this lie. The
Bible predicted that this would happen. In II Peter 3:3-5, the Bible says that
in the last days there would be scoffers. These scoffers scoff at the Bible
because of their lusts, not their science. They will teach uniformitarianism,
"all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." They are
willingly ignorant of the Creation. It is a conscious decision for them! In
spite of the overwhelming evidence, they reject Creation.
These scoffers are also ignorant of the
Flood. They reject anything that proves that there is a God. The flood shows
God's right and willingness to judge His Creation. They are rejecting God
because of His rules! Rather than get right with God, they choose to deny His
existence.
By rejecting the Bible and God, it is easier
for the scoffers to justify their sins and lusts. It makes it easier to justify
abortion and euthanasia. Satan hates humanity and abortion kills people! He has
been using evolutionary ideas since the Garden of Eden, and evolution is a
primary method to destroy humanity. If evolution is true there are "inferior"
people on earth, and this world would be better off without them. Hitler felt
this way due to his belief in evolution.
The Scopes
Trial Until the 1925 so-called
"Scopes Monkey Trial"1 most public schools taught the divine creation
theory. Students in those days studied the facts of science and were told that
evidence indicates there was/is a Creator who designed the universe and that
only minor changes were possible within the boundaries of basic created "kinds"
of plants and animals.
The evolutionists lost that famous case, and
it remained illegal to teach evolution in many states until the 1960s. However,
in that famous trial, atheist lawyer Clarence Darrow said, "It is bigotry to
only teach one view of origins. Students should be taught both the
creation and the evolution theories." In the 35 years following the trial,
however, the Theory of Evolution was taught more and more in textbooks (in spite
of laws banning it), while the creation theory was taught less and less. Today
many textbook authors present only the evolution theory as if it is a proven
fact of science - inferring no other theories need even be considered. Some
teachers mistakenly believe that they are not even allowed to mention the
creation theory in the classroom. Today we have the "Scopes Trial in reverse,"
yet it is still bigotry to teach only one view of origin. Students
who believe the creation account as given in Genesis often have a difficult time
when the Theory of Evolution is exclusively taught in public school books. They
need help surviving the often hostile environment that books (and sometimes
teachers) create for their faith. This booklet is designed to help you and to
answer some questions you may have.
What Should
Be Taught in the Classroom? The word science means "knowledge." Science is the study of what
we know. In order for something to be truly scientific in the strict sense of
the word, it must be observable, testable, and demonstrable. The entire
subject of origins (both creation and evolution) is actually outside the field
of science. No one alive today has observed the creation of the universe, and we
cannot "do it again" in the laboratory to demonstrate how it happened. Nor is
anyone alive who observed the "big bang" or the creation of life from non-living
matter. Any theories about the origin of the universe are inherently
religious (what we choose to trust, to believe in).
What Do We Mean by
the Word "Evolution"? Before we
present the creationist view in this booklet, it is important to define some
terms to prevent misunderstanding. First of all, the word evolution has
six very different and unrelated meanings. Confusing these six
meanings causes most of the disagreements. Most scientists refer to changes
within a basic kind (dogs producing a variety of dogs or roses producing a
variety of roses over a time or bacteria becoming resistant to drugs) as
micro-evolution. Numerous examples of micro-evolution can be cited. Both the
creationists and the evolutionists agree that these changes happen. They are
observable facts of science. The word "Evolution" has many meanings, only the
last one is scientific.
1. Cosmic evolution-the origin of time,
space and matter; Big Bang.
2. Chemical evolution-the origin of higher
elements from hydrogen.
3. Stellar and planetary evolution-origin
of stars and planets.
4. Organic evolution-origin of
Life.
5. Macro-evolution-origin of major
kinds.
6. Micro-evolution-variations within
kinds. Only this one has been observed.
The evolutionists believe that these
micro-changes can add up to macro-evolution, which would teach that dogs and
roses have a common ancestor, if you go back far enough in time.
Macro-evolution has never been observed in nature, the laboratory, or the
fossil record. Micro-evolutionary changes do not add up to macro-evolutionary
results. Some people might believe that small variations add up to major
changes, but no evidence supports this. Learning to distinguish between the
science of micro-evolution and the religion of the other five is an important
skill for science students to develop. Micro-evolution is better called
simple variation within the kinds.
The next section is an alternative
interpretation of the scientific evidence that is frequently used in public
school textbooks to promote evolution. Even though slightly more scientists may
currently believe evolution, truth is not determined by the majority. There is
no way either side can claim to have proven their case using the scientific
method.
What Do the
Creationists Believe? While there
are about as many types of creationist theories as there are evolutionist
theories, creation theories generally fall into one of the following three
categories:
View #1 A Creator (God) designed and created the universe sometime within the
last 6,000 to 10,000 years, giving existence to basic forms of plant and animal
life that were able to produce varieties of offspring, some of which would be
able to survive in various types of climates and/or changing conditions. The
"adaptations" or variations of which these offspring were capable have definite
limits. For example, some rabbits have adapted to 130F desert temperatures and
others have adapted to -30F arctic temperatures, but none can ever adapt to
5000F or -400F! There are limits to the adaptations. (By the way, they are
still rabbits!)
Sometime after the creation (1656 years
later, according to the Bible account), the world was destroyed by a global
flood, whose force totally disrupted the surface of the earth and formed great
oil, coal, and gas deposits from the buried plants and animals. This flood also
deposited thousands of feet of stratified sediments containing billions of
fossils from the creatures and plant life that perished in the flood.
As flood waters receded from rising
mountains, geological features such the Grand Canyon and the Badlands formed
rapidly while the sediments were still relatively soft. Rushing water cuts
canyons quickly.
Recent surveys show that over half of the
United States population believes the universe was created only a few thousand
years ago. There is much scientific evidence to indicate this view is valid.
(See my videotape #1.)
View #2 A Creator made
the universe billions of years ago and guided the evolutionary process to bring
everything to the present state of affairs.
View #3 A Creator
made the matter for the universe and then allowed evolutionary process to take
it from there. If a Creator still exists, he/she/it does not (or cannot)
interfere with the workings of the universe.
The majority of creationists (including this
author) believe the first view. The latter two views are closer to the
evolutionary view. Since nearly all public school textbooks already teach
the evolutionary view, only the view of the first category of creationists will
be presented here. For the rest of this booklet when I use the word
creationist, I am referring to the beliefs of those in the first
view.
Lies in the
Textbook Having taught high
school science for 15 years, I will be quick to admit that there is much good
science in most textbooks. However, there is some poison mixed in them. Did you
know that rat poison is 99.99% good food? It is that .01% that is deadly. Please
keep this in mind as you study your book; you will learn many facts from
science that will help you for the rest of your life. I do not object to all the
good things taught in science books, but I caution readers to be aware that most
textbooks these days are filled with their authors' philosophy of
evolution. To refute every place where evolution crops up in every
textbook would require many pages, so I will only deal with a few specific
subjects to show the reader how to separate the facts of science from the
teaching (religion) of evolutionism, and how to give the creationist
interpretation of the facts. I will also show you places where many textbooks
still present information that has been proven wrong or is grossly
exaggerated.
Naturalism? Many
scientists today approach the study of science with the idea that nothing beyond
the natural, observable world exists. To them, everything must be explained
without appealing to the supernatural. They do not seem to be able to
distinguish between the operation of complex systems and the origin of these
systems.
For example, I can explain the operation of
a complex machine such as a watch or a car in purely naturalistic terms.
Machines operate according to known laws of the natural world. We would not need
to appeal to the supernatural world to explain how it works. This would not,
however, explain the origin of the machine! Machines do not build themselves. To
explain its origin we would have to claim there was a designer. We do not have
to be able to see the designer of the machine to believe the designer exists.
The complexity of the design demands a designer; machines never come into being
on their own.
While it is true that many of the complex
living systems in the world today are capable of being understood as far as how
they are designed and how they operate, this has nothing to do with how they
originated! There must have been an intelligent force outside the machine that
brought it into existence.
Some textbook authors will try to give you
the impression that the creation story is not "scientific" because it involves
an unseen and unprovable Creator. They do not seem to realize (or admit) that
the evolution theory is not scientific either. They assign the attributes of God
to time, space, matter, and energy. In their mind, such forces are capable of
creating, designing, sustaining, and producing the universe and life itself. The
"god" of evolution is time and chance.
Geologic
Time Most textbooks teach the
concept of what is called "geologic time." The authors frequently promote the
theory that layers (strata) of the earth represent different time periods laid
down over "billions of years." Creationists believe that nearly all of these
layers were formed rapidly during a global flood. The general lack of erosion
between the layers and the existence of many fossilized trees that extend
straight up through many different layers indicate that these layers were not
formed slowly over billions of years.2 Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980 and made great
geologic changes in the surrounding area in a few days, not billions of years.
Hundreds of feet of stratified sediment were laid down quickly.3The principle of uniform process to which authors
often refer does not take into account that many catastrophes like floods,
earthquakes, or volcanoes can make rapid changes in an area in a very short
time. (See videotape #6 of my series for much more on this.)
In the early 1800s evolutionists assumed
that evolution had occurred and they arranged the life forms from what they
thought were simple to complex forms. Next they gave an age to
|
Polystrate fossils such as this one are
found all over the world. They run through many rock layers proving the
rock layers are not different ages as the textbooks teach. Much more on
this topic including many more pictures is on Videotape #4 from
CSE. | each rock layer, based on how long they thought it would take these life
forms to evolve from one kind into another.
| Today the
evolutionists date the rock strata by the fossils they contain, then turn
around and date the fossils by the strata they are in! 4 This is called circular reasoning! Even if
fossils were found in order from so-called simple to complex, (and
they are not) it would not prove the evolution theory. Order of burial
does not prove any relationship. If I was to get buried on top of a
hamster, that does not prove it is my grandfather! |
 |
"The intelligent layman has long suspected
circular reasoning in the use of rocks to date rocks. The geologist has never
bothered to think of a good reply, feeling the explanations are not worth the
trouble as long as the work brings results."5
"Ever since William Smith at the beginning
of the 19th century, fossils have been and still are the best and most accurate
method of dating and correlating the rocks in which they occur. Apart from very
'modern' examples, which are really archaeology, I can think of no cases of
radioactive decay being used to date fossils."6
Students need to realize that such a
geologic column cannot be found anywhere except in the textbooks and in the
minds of those who believe in it.7 While there is no question that the earth has many
layers of sediment, there is great disagreement about how they formed.
Evolutionists believe that each layer represents a different time period,
but creationists believe that the normal sorting action of moving water during a
world-wide flood would form thousands of feet of sediments and separate the
different types of plants and animals based on their body density, habitat,
mobility, and intelligence (the ability to avoid drowning until the last minute
in a catastrophe would put you on top of the pile).
Evolutionists will teach that clams are
found on the bottom of the fictitious geologic column because they are a "simple
life form" that evolved first. They claim that birds are found on the top
because they evolved last. It may be that clams are on the bottom because they
were already at the bottom when the flood started; that's where they
live. They would be the first ones buried; plus clam shells are heavier than
bird feathers. A global flood, not evolution, is the best explanation for the
geologic features and the fossil record. (See videotape #6 for more on
this.)
Absolute
Time Many textbooks deal with
radiometric dating methods. The creationists believe that students should be
told the many assumptions involved in such dating methods. Science books often
present a good explanation of how these dating methods work, but avoid
mentioning the problems with them. Many scientists are skeptical of the
results obtained. For example, when moon rocks were tested to determine their
age, the results ranged from 10,000 to 18 billion years from the same rocks! I
spoke with James P. Dawson (Chief of Engineering and Operations for the Lunar
Science Division in Houston from January,
| 1965 to August,
1969 and Co-Investigator of Lunar Samples until September, 1978). You may
reach him at P.O. Box 1328, Edmond, Oklahoma 73083 or call him at (405)
384-3410. His web site is http://www.jpdawson.com/. He worked on
lunar samples including the Genesis Rock and told me they found ages from
10,000 years to several billion years for the same rock. Living animals
have been dated to be many thousands of years old as well. |
 |
Students are often led to believe that
carbon dating or one of the other radiometric dating methods are accurate.
Anyone who understands how these methods work will admit that all of the
radiometric dating methods involve making unprovable assumptions: assuming that
the rate of decay remains constant, that the initial content of the tested
material can be known, and that there has been no contamination of the material
for all those assumed billions of years.
"One part of the Vollosovitch mammoth carbon
dated at 29,500 years and another part at 44,000. One part of Dima (a baby
frozen mammoth) was 40,000, another part 26,000, and the "wood immediately
around the carcass" was 9,000-10,000."8
"The lower leg of the Fairbanks Creek
mammoth had a radiocarbon age of 15,380 RCY, while its skin and flesh were
21,300 RCY. The two Colorado Creek mammoths had radiocarbon ages of 22,850670
and 16,150230 years respectively."9
For a clearer picture of radiometric dating,
read Scientific Creationism by Henry Morris or In the Beginning by
Walt Brown (both available from CSE at (877) 479-3466). You may also want to
watch my videotape question-and-answer session (videotape#7) where I cover the
subject in much more detail, or check my FAQ list at http://www.drdino.com/.
Do Fossils Prove
Evolution? The very existence of
trillions of fossils found in all parts of the world (including a 3000 foot
layer of rock containing millions of seashells at the top of Mount Everest
10) indicate to creationists that there was a worldwide
flood. Animals and plants that die today do not become fossils unless they are
buried rapidly under layers of mud.
| Textbooks often
state that "fossil evidence shows that organisms have been changing
continuously since life first appeared on earth. Evolution is the pattern
and process of change in life forms through time.11 Statements like this appear throughout most
books, yet are not scientifically valid. |
 | No author can know this as a fact of science since he did not observe
the formation of life or new life forms. Just because this type of story has
been told for years does not make it true. No one has ever documented a genuine
transitional fossil linking major kinds of animals.12 If the fossil remains of an animal are found in the
ground, there is no way to know if it had any descendants!
Many molecular biologists strongly disagree
with textbooks that teach that life slowly came about by chance from non-living
matter. Living things are extremely complex and could not have evolved by
slow, random processes. Even so-called simple cells are thousands of times
more complex than the most complex machine ever made by man-the space shuttle!
Darwin himself admitted the absurdity of believing that something as complex as
the eye could have been formed by natural selection.13 One may believe living cells evolved by chance over
billions of years, but believing something does not make it happen. It is
unfortunate that dogmatic statements such as, "life began on earth 3.5 billion
years ago" are found throughout most public school textbooks. (The number
changes from 3 billion to 4.2 billion depending which textbook you use. What's a
few hundred million between friends?)
Even many respected scientists who believe in evolution
would disagree with the idea that fossils prove life evolved slowly by chance.
Many scientists have admitted in print that there is no real evidence for any
major changes in the fossil record.14
Because they can find no evidence of gradual
change, (missing links) these men (and others like them) have a new theory to
explain why the "missing links" are still missing. They call the theory
Punctuated Equilibrium.15 This theory
basically says that evolution happened in rapid spurts so no fossils were
preserved. The choice for them seems to be, did evolution happen slowly? Or, did
evolution happen rapidly? They don't seem to be able (or willing) to consider
that there may be another option. Maybe they don't find the missing links
because evolution didn't happen at all! They seem to be saying, "Because
we don't find proof of evolution, that proves it happened."
Origin
of Life Life cannot begin by
chance! Many textbooks teach that life began by chance from non-living matter.
The evolutionist must believe this to be true to his theory.
Creationists believe that life is too
complex to have originated by a random shaking of molecules, no matter how much
time elapsed. Life on earth is so marvelously designed that it could never have
arisen by chance! They believe that life had to be designed by a
Designer/Creator. Even a single-celled organism contains millions of complex
proteins. Each protein is made up of thousands of amino acids in a very precise
sequence. There is less probability of a single cell arising through chance than
there is of a tornado blowing through a junkyard and assembling a Boeing
747.
Many books contain the improvable assumption
that life arose from non-living material.16 This can only be speculation on the part of the
author. To make the claim that all life forms came from a "simple, single-celled
organism" takes incredible faith! No one has ever observed this happening.
Numerous experiments in labs have confirmed that life could not have arisen by
chance and that animals always produce the same basic kind of life.17 The Bible says the plants and animals will "bring
forth after their kind." (Genesis 1)
Though scientists and people in general are
welcome to believe life "just happened," that is not science! Even if a group of
intelligent scientists could spend millions of dollars and produce life in a
laboratory, that would only serve as evidence that it takes intelligence to
create life-it certainly would not prove that life came by chance!
The impossibility of life coming by chance
has caused many scientists to begin teaching that life came from outer space!
This does not answer the question of how it started but only makes it happen
"long ago and far away" like all other fairy tales. (See Seminar Part 4 for
more).
Have Scientists Created Life? Many failed experiments have proven that life
cannot come from non-living matter. In the 1950s, Miller and Urey tried to make
life in the laboratory.18 They circulated a mixture of gasses through some
tubes where they would pass an electric spark supposedly to simulate lightning
strikes in nature. The resulting substance was trapped out and analyzed. After
several days they found it contained some amino acids. The experiment was a
failure in creating life, or even explaining how it could evolve, for many
reasons:
1. They excluded oxygen from the experiment and used what is
called a reducing atmosphere. There are several problems with this approach:
Oxygen is essential to form ozone, which blocks Ultra Violet light. UV light
would have been destructive to any of life's building blocks that would have
formed. Ammonia (one of the gasses they used) is also destroyed by UV light. So
you cannot get life to evolve without oxygen.19 But since we know the lowest rock layers show us the
earth has always had an abundance of oxygen this is no problem.20 They excluded oxygen in their experiment anyway
because they knew that any oxygen would destroy (oxidize) the very building
blocks of life (amino acids) they were trying to make. This creates a real
problem if you cannot get life to evolve with oxygen and you cannot get it to
evolve without oxygen!
2. A second problem with their experiment arises
because they filtered out the product produced by the spark. This of course is
not realistic for real life. If life were to evolve in the "soup," it would not
be protected from future lightning strikes. They had to filter it out because it
was thousands of times more likely to be destroyed than produced.
| 3. A third problem
your textbook will not tell you about is the fact that the product they
made was 85% tar, 13% carboxylic add, (both toxic to life) and only 2%
amino acids. Problem: mostly only 2 of the 20 different amino acids life
needed were produced, and they are much more likely to bond with the tar
or acid than they are with each other. |
 | Half of the amino acids were right-handed and half
were left-handed. This is a problem because all proteins are left-handed
and even the smallest proteins have 70-100 amino acids all in the precise order.
DNA and RNA are made from many thousands of all right-handed amino acids.
In addition to this, proteins are millions of times more likely to un-bond in
water than they are to bond, and the oceans are full of water.
No one has
made life in the lab or even come close to making life. It takes more than the
proper ingredients and added energy to create life. If that were the case, you
could put a frog in a blender, turn it on and let it run for millions of years.
How long would it take before the frog is reassembled? It will never happen!!
Any textbook author that says scientists have made life or that life can come
from non-living matter is either confused or lying.
Amino Acid
Sequences Amino acids are the
small building blocks of complex proteins just like letters of the alphabet are
the building blocks of paragraphs and books. The letters of the alphabet must be
in a precise order and they must be facing the right way for the
paragraph to make sense. In the same way, amino acids must be in precise order
and facing the right way in order for the protein to function properly. The
probability of dropping letters randomly and forming a complete paragraph is
close to zero. The probability of amino acids arranging themselves in the right
sequence to create even one protein is even less than that. It is calculated
that the probability of one protein arising by chance is less than one in 1x
l0119000 (a one with 119,000 zeros behind it). It will never happen
by chance.
| Many textbook
authors like to point out that sequences of amino acids between humans and
apes are 96% similar.21 To them, this appears to be evidence of a
common ancestor. Of course, it could be evidence of a common
designer. |
 | By the way, only 1/3 of one human chromosome has even
been analyzed. Percentage of differences may not mean anything anyway.
Watermelons are 97% water; clouds are 100% water. That is only a three percent
difference. Does that prove that watermelons are related to clouds? Jellyfish
and snow cones are both 98% water. Does that mean they are identical twins and
the missing links between watermelons and clouds?
Horses Had Four
Toes? Textbooks often state that
the horse evolved from a four-toed ancestor. Othniel C. Marsh invented this
entire series back in the 1870s. He gathered animals from all over the world and
arranged them in the order he thought they would have evolved, though the
animals are not found in the right order. Even if they had been found in
order, that would not prove evolutionary relationships. The entire horse
evolution series was disproved years ago.22 No knowledgeable scientist would support the horse
evolution as depicted in textbooks.
Modern horse skeletons have been found in
layers older than (at least according to the evolutionist view of geology) the
so-called four toed ancestors. Also, an animal nearly identical to the
Hyracotherium (the so-called ancestor of all horses) is a small,
four-toed, meat-eating animal that is still alive in South America
today!23 In addition, the fossils in South America show
one-toed horses in lower layers than their supposed three-toed
ancestors.
In 1995 the Tulsa, Oklahoma Zoo removed
the display showing this disproved claim about horse evolution (after over 2,000
area residents signed a petition demanding that it be removed, and elected
officials and news media got involved.24) Pages that show the horse evolution should be
deleted in future editions of textbooks and a warning label placed in the front
of those that include it, warning students that the book contains outdated,
false information. Call or write for more information about the long-disproved
horse series if you would like.
Vestigial
Organs? When the evolution theory
first became popular in the early 1800s, some people said the human body had
over 200 organs that were no longer needed. One of the organs mentioned was the
appendix. "Long regarded as a vestigial organ with no function in the human
body, the appendix is now thought to be one of the sites where immune responses
are initiated."25
That sounds like a good organ to have.
They said the existence of structures like these was proof of evolution.
According to the theory, we used to need these structures in the past but lost
the need for them as we evolved. Evolutionists say that humans used to have
tails. Why don't we have them now? A tail would certainly be handy to carry in
the groceries!
| One evolutionist said
that one of the proofs of evolution was the human tailbone! He said it was
a vestigial organ that we no longer need. I told him that I had taught
anatomy and biology and that I know there are 9 small muscles that attach
to the tailbone that are very important for him to be able to perform
certain functions; but, if he felt the tailbone was vestigial that I would
pay to have his removed! (In less than 24 hours he would realize what a
mistake he had made.) Any textbook author that claims there are vestigial
organs is either misinformed or deliberately using false information to
promote his theory. |
 |
| Some textbooks say
the whale has a vestigial pelvis that proves the whale used to walk
on land!26
Any textbook
author that makes a
statement like that is either ignorant of whale anatomy (those bones are essential for muscle
attachments that allow for whales to reproduce), or he is deliberately using false information
to promote his theory. The whale does not have a vestigial
pelvis. |
 | There are no vestigial organs! Evolutionists don't
seem to realize that this type of evidence is the opposite of what they need to
prove their theory. Vestigial organs (if they existed) would be examples of
losing something, not gaining something!
Embryology
| Many textbooks
today show embryos of various animals as they develop inside the mother.
Often the books will say the embryos of humans, birds, reptiles, etc.,
have "gill slits" or "gill pouches." This false idea was first proposed in
1869 by the German God-hater, Ernst Haeckel. He altered the real drawings
of various animals to make them look more alike, then traveled extensively
around Germany with big charts, holding meetings and publishing books to
prove his evolution theory. His drawings were exposed as frauds in 1874 by
the famous embryologist professor, Wilhelm His, Sr. Haeckel was even
convicted of fraud by his own university.27 |
 |
In spite of the fact that embryos of various
organisms are different from the moment of conception and Haeckels' drawings are
completely fake, they are still in most Biology textbooks today!28 If your textbook shows the so-called "gill slits" on
various embryos as evidence for evolution, you can be sure that the author is
either ignorant of the truth or deliberately lying to promote his religion of
evolution. For an in-depth article about the gill slits and Ernst Haeckel's
other frauds, see pp. 33-36 of Creation ex nihilo (March-May 1996
available from Answers in Genesis, 1-800-350-3232).
Natural Selection
or Survival of the Fittest? Charles Darwin's book was titled The Origin of Species by Means of
Natural Selection or The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for
Life.
One of the problems in a discussion on this
subject is with the definition of the word species. It is true that our
current classification system has a dog and a wolf as different species, but
they are still the same kind of animal. The creationists believe that dogs,
coyotes, wolves, foxes, and possibly a few other species of dog-like animals may
all have a common ancestor. That is not proof that they all came from a
rock over the last 3.5 billion years! The Bible teaches that the plants and
animals would "bring forth after their kind." Nothing other than this has ever
been observed in all of human history or in the fossil record.
It is amazing that some textbook authors and
scientists still believe that natural selection can lead to new kinds of life
forms.29 While it is true that forces in nature tend to
select the strongest to survive and pass on their genetic information to the
next generation, this does not explain the origin of the life form, nor can this
process create anything new. Survival of the fittest does not explain the
arrival of the fittest!
If a factory produces any complex product
such as computers, it is normal for that factory to employ quality control
people to check the product after assembly to make sure it works. If some of the
computers are rejected because of deficiencies, that does not prove that the
computers are making themselves! The selection process will only keep the
quality of the product high; it will not create the product. Quality
control will not change a computer to a helicopter. Natural selection cannot
change the product to be anything fundamentally different, nor can it explain
how it came to be a computer in the first place. By the same token, natural
selection will only keep the species strong and healthy; it will not create
anything of a different kind nor explain the origin of the kind.30
Peppered
Moth Many textbooks show pictures
of the two different colors found in populations of peppered moths and claim
they represent some of the best evidence for evolution.31 In the early 1800s about 95% of the moths were
light-colored because trees had light colored bark and offered good camouflage.
Very few of the dark moths survived. During the industrial revolution when coal
was being burned in the factories, many trees turned black from the soot.
Surveys revealed that the moth population had changed to 95% dark colored moths
near factories. When the factories stopped using coal, the trees turned light
again and the moth population changed back to 95% light-colored moths. This
observation is often referred to as one of the best examples known for
evolution! It started off as a moth and ended up as a moth! Is this supposed to
prove that we slowly evolved from a rock over the last 3.5 billion years? Here
we have yet another example of a good observation with a bad
conclusion.
The peppered moth experiment was recently
proven to be a fraud. After 40 years of watching, only 2 moths were found
resting on trees, so dead moths were glued to the trees to take the picture
shown in many textbooks!
The creationists see the moth as an example
of the Creator planning ahead. The moths are designed to be able to survive as a
species even if some changes happened to their environment. General Motors puts
both a heater and an air conditioner in most of their cars. This is not proof of
evolution. It is proof that they are planning ahead. Some of their cars go to
warm climates and some go to cold climates. Variations do happen but:
|
1. They have limits.
Farmers have been trying for years and
years to breed bigger pigs, but they will never get one as big as
Texas. |
 | Some insects become resistant to pesticides, but they will never become
resistant to a sledgehammer.
2. They are still the same kind of animal or
plant.
Dog breeders may be able to get big dogs or little dogs, but they
never get elephants or pine trees.
3. The information was already
present.
The peppered moths were able to produce dark or light varieties,
but they never got pink or purple.
4. The gene pool is now more
limited.
A Chihuahua has a very limited gene pool. You will never be able
to in-breed Chihuahaus and get a Great Dane. The genetic information is no
longer present.
Homology Often textbook authors show pictures of the front limb structure of
various animals and point out a common pattern.32 The fingers, wrist, and arm bones of the human, ape,
whale, bat, bird, and horse are indeed similar in their design. This fact does
not necessarily mean they all had a common ancestor. It might be because they
have a common designer! Maybe the same Creator designed all life forms
using common patterns. Why don't the textbooks teach you that as an
option?
| True science
students keep alert to the possibility of other explanations for the
things they observe. If I prove a Cadillac engine can fit in a Chevy, does
that prove they both evolved from a skateboard? |
 |
Dinosaurs Most textbooks
state authoritatively (as if the author were there at the time) that dinosaurs
were the dominant life form for 150 million years and that they became extinct
65 million years ago. Creationists believe that dinosaurs lived with man at the
beginning of creation,33 and that over time man hunted most of them to
extinction (hence all the legends of people killing "dragons").
Many scientists alike believe that a few
small dinosaurs may still be alive in remote places like the swamps in Africa,
Loch Ness, Lake Champlain, etc.
| Making statements about
dinosaurs living millions of years ago shows the textbook authors'
faith, not facts from real science. (See videotape #3 for much more information on
this topic. See also Claws, Jaws & Dinosaurs available through
Creation Science Evangelism.)34 |
 |
Birds Evolved
from Dinosaurs? Nearly all new
textbooks teach that dinosaurs evolved into birds.35
The movie "Jurassic Park" made that
thought one of its main themes. The one "evolutionary link between the two life
forms" that the textbooks give is the fossil bird called Archaeopteryx.
Several things need to be kept in mind by observant science students. Only 6 of
these 12-inch bird fossils have been found. Many scientists do not think they
represent a "link," but were simply an unusual bird with 100% normal
feathers.36 They have claws on their wings, but so do at least
twelve species of birds today like the ostrich, hoatzin, and turoco. The heart,
lung, brain, skeleton, nervous system, body covering, and reproductive system
are totally different between birds and reptiles. Billions of changes would be
required to change a reptile to a bird. "The [evolutionary] origin of bird is
largely a matter of deduction. There is no fossil evidence of the stages through
which the remarkable change from reptile to bird was achieved."37
| Archaeopteryx was
one of the first fossils found after Darwin's book was published in 1859.
Since Darwin had predicted that billions of "missing links" would be found
in rock strata, many people began looking for them. Scientists in Darwin's
day quickly realized that archaeopteryx was only an unusual
bird. |
 | It was not a missing link. As the years went by and
no missing links were found, Archaeopteryx was "resurrected" to be a much needed
missing link. (See video tape #4 for more on this.) Many textbooks claim that
missing links have been found. This is not true. Absolutely no missing links
exist between major kinds of animals, as many major evolutionists have
admitted.38
Not only can the intermediates not be found,
they cannot even be imagined! How can an animal with half wing and half leg
survive? It couldn't fly and it couldn't run! In addition, who would it marry?
And who would its offspring marry? The evolutionists must imagine that this same
change happened to two individuals of the opposite sex, at the same time, in the
same location! Nobody has ever observed any animal change into any other kind
of animal!
Human
Evolution? Did man evolve from an
ape-like ancestor? Over the last 100 years many "cave-men" have been proven to
be frauds or misidentified. The famous "Piltdown Man" was in the textbooks for
over 40 years before it was proven to be a fake. The skull was human and the
jawbone was from an ape.39 This clever forgery fooled the world's best experts
for a long time. Hundreds of papers were written about the Piltdown
fossils!
The famous
so-called missing link dubbed "Nebraska Man" was built from one tooth! All
that was found was one tooth, yet museums had the entire "man" and his
wife on display! Two people from one tooth! Later it was discovered that
the tooth had belonged to a pig!40 Experts agree that "Lucy" (found in most
textbooks today) is not a missing link. It is just an unusual monkey.
There is some evidence that a few may still be alive in the jungles of
Sumatra! For a thorough treatment of the subject of these "ape-men," I
recommend Bones of Contention, by Marvin Lubenow. (Available from
CSE.) |
 |
Plate
Tectonics
| Textbook sections
on this subject need to be read with caution. While it is true that the
earth has several "plates" that are moving and causing earthquakes,
volcanoes, etc., it cannot be proven that they have been moving for
millions of years. The Pangea theory teaches that all the continents broke
apart 200 million years ago. They show students how the continents seem to
fit.41 |
 |
Things the textbooks do not tell
you:
1. Africa has been shrunk 40% for the
drawings
2. Mexico and Central America are
gone
3. Europe and South America have been
rotated counterclockwise and Africa clockwise.
Textbooks often show pictures of the ocean
floor in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and say that there is evidence of
magnetic reversals down there.42 This is simply not true. There are areas of weaker
and stronger magnetism, but there is no place on the ocean floor where a
north-seeking compass will point south.
Creationists believe that Noah's Flood
destroyed the world and caused the surface features we see today. The Bible
teaches that in the days of Noah "all the great deep were broken up, and the
windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and
forty nights." (Genesis 7:11-12) The water rushing out of the cracked crust
would widen the gap causing the top layer of rock to slide away as the sublayer
of basalt rock lifted up. The basalt split, allowing the water to flow into the
cracks. This cooled the hot rock, locking in the magnetic field along these
cracks. Hot rock will not store a magnetic field. As the rock cooled, the
magnetic field is locked in place. The scientists were measuring stronger and
weaker magnetism, not magnetic reversals.43 There is evidence that the plates are moving, but
don't believe the lie about reversals in the magnetic field of the earth. The
magnetic field is getting weaker so the earth cannot be billions of years old.
The reversal idea attempts to rescue the teaching of "billions of years." The
plates may only have been moving for a few thousand years since the flood, as a
result of "the fountains of the deep" breaking open. (See videotape #6
for more on this subject, and also the book In the Beginning.)
Cracks in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
(In the Beginning, by Walt Brown,
p. 91)
Is Evolution a Part of Science? While there is no question that many scientists have
chosen to believe in the theory of evolution for one reason or another, belief
in evolution is not scientific proof. There are many who believe the creation
theory. As you read your textbook, I suggest you keep an open mind and try to
identify scores of other references that may have an explanation besides the one
evolutionists present. There is a great deal of good science to be learned from
science textbooks. It is a shame that the evolution religion is intermingled
with science so often.
Why is Evolution
Being Pushed in Public Schools? Nearly every public school science textbook published in the last 40
years has been full of the evolution philosophy. Why? Having studied this
subject for many years I have come to four conclusions as to why this theory is
pushed so hard by some textbook authors and science teachers:
1. They don't know any better. It may be
that they really have never seen a clear presentation of the evidence for the
creation side. Many teachers are just parroting the things they were taught in
school. False science often gets passed on for many generations this way, as any
study of the history of science will show.
2. Some promote the evolution theory
because it is the only way to eliminate the concept of God. They want to be god
of their own lives and make their own decisions about what is right or wrong.
The idea that they may have to face a judgment day and give an account of their
life sounds terrible to them, so they look for a theory that removes God and
puts man in His place. They really don't like the God of the Bible! Evolution is
a great theory to eliminate God, at least in their own mind (for
now).
3. Some promote the theory for fear of
losing their job. They know it is not true or at least have strong doubts about
it, but they teach it anyway to keep the paycheck coming in. Scores of teachers,
authors, museum personnel, and science writers have already lost their jobs for
speaking out against evolution. Many others have decided to remain silent or pay
lip service to the theory out of fear.
4. Some teach evolution because they
understand clearly the link between this theory and their dreams of a "New World
Order". The evolution theory is the very foundation for Mother Earth worship,
Communism, Nazism, Socialism, Marxism, and a host of other anti-God 'isms.' God
must be eliminated for their political agenda to go forward. They know that
evolution is the only alternative to special Creation.
What Should
Students, Parents and Teachers Do about False Information in
Textbooks? Most states have laws
that require textbooks to be accurate. If your state does have such a law, see
that it is enforced. If it does not, you may want to have this law passed. I
believe it is only fair that false, outdated information be removed from the
books. Until the time and money become available to replace the book, several
options are available:
1. Have false information cut out or
blacked out.
2. Have pages containing false information
glued together.
3. Have stickers placed in the front of
each book warning of false information by page number.
4. Require students be given a booklet
detailing errors in their textbooks.
As a more long-term goal toward fixing the
problem, students and parents alike should find out about how the textbooks are
selected in your area and get involved in the process. Many school board members
have not had the time to read all the books for themselves; they just go along
with the recommendation of the committee reviewing the books. Students and
parents can certainly get on the textbook selection committee or at least attend
the meetings and voice their opinions and objections. If you are able to get on
the textbook selection committee, select the least "poisonous" textbook. You
could tell the other publishers why you didn't select their book (evolution
content). Then you could tell the publisher you chose why you chose them this
time. Be sure to tell them if you find a textbook with less evolution in it
next time, you will pick that one instead. Book publishers may also be willing
to print a special, error-free version for your school district or state. See
Mel Gabler for help with this. (903) 753-5993
Do not confront your teacher publicly if it
can be avoided. Try to talk to the teacher after class to share your concerns
about the false information in the book. Most teachers are intelligent, sincere
professionals who are only teaching what they have been taught. It may be that
they have never seen the other side. Many teachers are creationists and would
love to discuss the subject in class. "Teachers may discuss Creation in science
classes if they wish."44 (See Public School Video for more on this topic.)
You may find your teacher very supportive and would welcome the opportunity to
discuss creation in class if a student brought it up. However, if you are late
to class frequently, the class trouble-maker or goof off, never do your homework
and don't pay attention in class, then please don't tell them you
are a Christian!
Many students let their teachers watch my
video series in class or allow other students to borrow them to watch at home.
Scores of teachers have shown the series in their public school classrooms. This
is perfectly fine and legal for them to do, even though some may be
unnecessarily afraid of doing this.
If your teacher refuses to even consider the
creation option, ask them to give me a call. I would be glad to answer any
questions they have. Good educators educate students, they do not indoctrinate
them with only one belief.
Get or make copies of this booklet or my
video tapes and give them to all the students in your class. Even if you cannot
change the books or the teacher, you can help the rest of the students get
unbrainwashed. You might want to consider starting a Bible class as part of
the curriculum in your school. Several schools have done this already. Call or
write Elizabeth Ridenour for details. (336) 272-3799, National Council on Bible
Curriculum in Public Schools, P.O. Box 9743, Greensboro, NC 27429.
Call to schedule a time for me or one of my
staff members to speak in your class or school assembly. I speak in scores of
public schools free of charge each year and would be glad to help as time
permits.
Steps to Handle
Evolution in Class First of all,
it is important to know your rights. Not knowing your rights can be as bad as
not having any rights at all. Public schools cannot teach against your religion
contrary to your will. You can ask to be exempt from evolutionary
material.45 States can require teachers to discuss evolution,
but there are no rules stating it must be taught as fact. It is important to
understand that the Supreme Court did not remove the Bible from school.
Publishers and the NEA removed the Bible. In fact, the Supreme Court stated
that, "The Bible may constitutionally be used in an appropriate study of
history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like"46 So it is within your rights to be dismissed from
this false teaching. However, if you choose to remain in the class and you
continue with the work, there are other ways around the situation. If test
questions come up about evolution, say: "The textbook says... however this is
not correct." Another approach is to just learn the material; however, don't
believe it.
Practical
Steps to Change Schools Here are
some ways that you could use to attack the problem from a different angle. Many
times, all that it takes to make a difference is one strong and determined
individual. You can make a difference in your school or community by running for
or influencing the school board. You could try to get on or influence the
curriculum committee or write some textbook publishers. Pass or enforce laws
requiring textbooks to be accurate. Keep an eye on your local newspaper. When
they have articles on evolution, write the editor and express your view. Another
way to help is to donate Christian books and/or videos to your school's library.
Educate others! Use Creation for evangelism as in Acts 17. But most importantly,
pray for your teachers and classmates and try to win them to Christ.
If you have any questions or comments or
would like more information on this vital subject, feel free to contact me. I
speak free of charge all over the world to various audiences, including public
schools. I would also be glad to supply you with a free catalog of my materials.
Just call or write for one.
Enjoy studying science, but don't get
brainwashed!
Dr. Kent Hovind
Creation Science Evangelism
(CSE)
c/o 29 Cummings
Road
Pensacola, Florida
[32503}
(850) 479-DINO
(3466)
e-mail: dino@drdino.com
Other web sites with information
on creation:
Institute for Creation Research
http://www.icr.org/
Answers in Genesis http://www.answersingenesis.org/
Center for Scientific Creation
http://www.creationscience.com/
Or see our site (www.drdino.com) for more good links. (You
can now see our seminars online!)
Sources: 1. Worlds Most Famous Court
Trial, Rhea County Historical Society, Bryan College Dayton, TN
37321 2. Bob Jones Earth
Science, p. 306 3. See
ICR.org or call (619) 448-0900 for more information on Mt. St.
Helens 4. Glenco Biology
1994, p. 306-307 5. J.E.
O'Rourke, American Journal of Science 1976, 276:51. See also In the
Beginning by Walt Brown, p. 64. 6. Ager, Derek V., "Fossil Frustrations," New
Scientist, Vol. 100 (November 10, 1983), p. 425 7. HBJ Earth Science 1989, p.
326 8. Troy L. Pewe,
Quarternary Stratigraphic Nomenclature in Unglaciated Central Alaska, Geological
Survey Professional Paper 862 (U.S. Cov. printing office, 1975), p.
30 9. In the
Beginning, by Walt Brown, p. 124. 10. Holt Modern Earth Science 1983 edition, p.
207 11. Health Biology
1991 12. Dr. Stephen J.
Could, Evolution Now, p. 140. Marxist Professor at Harvard University in
Boston 13. The Origin
of Species by Means of Natural Selection or The Preservation of Favored Races in
the Struggle for Life, by Charles Darwin 1859, p. 217 14. See The Revised Quote Book
or That Their Words May Be Used Against Them. Both available from CSE for
$3.50 and $21.50 respectively, for many quotes from leading evolutionists about
the absence of missing links. 15. Richard B. Couldschmidt The Material Basis of
Evolution, Yale University Press 1940, p. 395 16. HBJ 1989, p. 357 17. Evolution, A Theory in
Crisis by Michael Denton 18. Glenco Biology 1994, p. 325 19. Origins of Life Vol. 12
1982 20. See Michael
Denton's book Evolution, A Theory in Crisis, p. 61 21. Glenco Biology 1994 22. Simpson, George Gaylord
"Evolutionary Determinism and the Fossil Record," Scientific Monthly Vol.
71 (October 1950), p.
254 23. Please speak
with Frank Sherman of ICR (Institute for Creation Research) or visit their web
site at www.icr.org 24.
ICR (Institute for Creation Research) 1995, p. 3 25. Roy Hartenstein, Grolier
Encyclopedia 1998 26.
Holt Biology 1994, p. 182 27. New Scientist September 6, 1997, p. 23 28. Merrill Earth Science 1993, p.
451 29. Holt Biology
1994, p. 186 30.
Parasitoloty, 6th Edition Lea and Febiger, p. 51631 31. Holt Life Science 1978, p.
360 32. Glenco Biology
1994, p. 309 33. Genesis
1:20-28 34. More
resources for this topic: Incredible Life: An Handbook of Biological
Mysteries by William R. Corliss, A Living Dinosaur? By Dr. Roy P.
Mackal, On the Track of Unknown Animals by Bernard
Heuvelmans 35. Holt
Biology 1994, p. 214 36.
Alan Feduccia a world authority on birds from UNC Chapel Hill quoted in
"Archaeopteryx: Early Bird Catches a Can of Worms," Science Feb. 5, 1994,
p.764-765 37. W.E.
Swinton, British Museum of Natural History, London 38. Dr. Colin Paterson, Senior
Palentologist, British Museum of Natural History in Correspondence to Luther
Sunderland quoted in Darwin's Enigma 1988, p. 89 39. Alien L. Hammond, 'Tales of an
Elusive Ancestor,77 Science 83, November 1983, pp. 37 and 43 40. In the Beginning by Walt
Brown, p. 11 41. Merrill
Earth Science 1993, p. 343 42. Burdett & Ginn Earth Science 1987 Edition, p.
301 43. Hall, J.M. and
P.T. Robinson, "Deep Crustal Drilling in the North Atlantic Ocean,"
Science Vol. 204 (May 11, 1979), p. 578 44. Educational Research Analysts,
P.O. Box 7518, Long View, TX 75607, (903) 753-5993 Mel Gabler 45. Student's Legal Rights on a
Public School Campus, J.W. Brinkley with K.C. Crump, p. 53 46. Stone vs. Graham, 449 U.S. 39, 42
1980
|