Henry M. Morris - Exploring the Evidence for Creation: Reasons to Believe the Biblical Account

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Cover by Dugan Design Group, Bloomington, Minnesota

Cover photo Anton Balazh / Fotolia

EXPLORING THE EVIDENCE FOR CREATION

Copyright 2008/2009 by Institute for Creation Research

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Morris, Henry M.

Exploring the evidence for creation / Henry M. Morris III.

p. cm.

Originally published: Dallas : Institute for Creation Research, 2009.

ISBN 978-0-7369-4721-3 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-4722-0 (eBook)

1. Evolution. 2. Creationism. 3. Creation. 4. Bible and evolution. I. Title.

BL263.M583 2012

231.7652dc23

2011048729

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

This book is a distillation of nearly four decades of scientific research conducted by the dedicated men and women of the Institute for Creation Research.

My father, Dr. Henry M. Morris, the founder of ICR, wrote more than 60 books, many more booklets and pamphlets, and literally hundreds of articles during his 36 years on the job. Much of what has been written about creation science in the last half century is due in large part to his intellect, training, and passion for the proper understanding and articulation of Gods truth, particularly related to Genesis.

Early on he was joined by Dr. Duane Gish, who became a renowned debater on college and university campuses, fiercely defending the accuracy of the biblical model for the origin of life as well as exposing the emptiness of the evolutionary claim of transitional fossils in the geologic record.

Other researchers joined the science faculty as word of our work spread. Dr. Steve Austin, considered one of the most knowledgeable creation geologists in the world today, became active as a field geologist for ICR and began his three-decade research at the Grand Canyon, followed by nearly a decade of active field work on Mount Saint Helens.

Ken Ham was on the ICR team for several years before he left with our blessing to establish Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky.

Senior research scientist Dr. Larry Vardiman coordinated the groundbreaking project on isotope dating called Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth (RATE). This eight-year study involved all of the scientific staff at ICR along with several others with whom ICR had established adjunct relationships.

For the past ten years, my brother Dr. John Morris has served as president of ICR. A geologic engineer and former professor, John has written a number of popular books dealing with the core issues in the creationevolution debate.

Many others who have worked at ICR or are working here now have written articles or books for us, and their materials have been adapted for use in this book.

A number of years ago, Richard Pferdner, director of Internet ministries for ICR, told me of his vision to broaden the reach of ICR through an easy-to-use collection of many of the evidences found in the following pages. That vision has been a great motivation to complete this book.

The labor of writing has been complemented by the editorial oversight of Lawrence Ford, director of communications for ICR, and his superb staff, with special thanks for the careful review by Beth Mull and Brian Thomas, who have been instrumental in making sure that the material is readable and accurate.

Gene Skinner and the rest of the staff at Harvest House Publishers have been such an encouragement as they have taken this material and transformed it into the fine work you hold in your hands today.

Rare is the book that is written without any help or encouragement. So it is with this work. I am grateful to all who have been involved and trust that the truths in this book will impact the lives of many and cause us all to extol the wonders of our Creator.

Henry M. Morris III, DMin

Chief Executive Officer, Institute for Creation Research

Dallas, Texas

In the beginning, God created

Does the God described in the Bible really exist? Is it plausible to believe that an omnipotent, omniscient being has existed eternally? And did that God really create everything in the universe? Or did everything that exists develop over billions of years as a result of the random interaction of stellar gas?

It is mans nature to question life and the world around him. Who am I? How am I different from the other creatures on earth? Am I just a higher order of animal, a freak accident of natures infinite cycle of accidents over billions of years? Could I possibly be created in the image of God, or am I merely the fittest of animals, now able to use everything within my power for my own pleasure? Is my sole purpose in life to fulfill those personal desiresto simply surviveor was I, a member of humanity, designed to serve and glorify something or Someone much greater? Is life an exquisite work of art or a cosmic joke at mans expense?

There are two very different views on these fundamental questions. These views, or worldviews or belief systems, hold their own presuppositions that we use every day to interpret the meaning of everything around us. Some have suggested that all presuppositions can be summarized by two types of information filters: atheist, which presupposes that God does not and cannot exist, and creationist, which presupposes that God is the originator and sustainer of everything.

Obviously, these two are diametrically opposed to each other.

Those who presuppose that God does not exist look at everything from a purely naturalistic viewpoint. Everything is to be explained without God in the story. Those who presuppose that God does exist attempt to understand everything in light of what that God has revealed, both in His creation and in the information that He caused to be recorded through human authors over the millennia.

This book rests firmly on a creationist worldview.

If the creationist worldview is true, we should expect to discover real, tangible, and observable evidence that supports its fundamental tenets. The God of Scripture invites our investigation: Prove me now herewith, saith the L ORD of hosts. Indeed, if God does exist, there ought to be plenty of evidence that He exists. If there is no God who designed the cosmos, that should also be clear.

This book presents evidence to validate the creationist worldview.

We tend to look for answers from the limited experience and knowledge of our own lives, but the answers we seek are freely given by the One who created us. Gods very existence is witnessed in the creation, and His immutable truth is clearly proclaimed for all to observe. Even science itselfwe might even say, especially scienceverifies the hand of a Creator in our universe. The Bible, unique and beautiful in its account of human history from the beginning, becomes the foundational textbook in which we begin our search for truth.