Journey Toward Creation

Rating:
Summary: Journey Toward Narrow Minded BS
Review: I bought this DVD because I am an astronomy buff. What I got was one astronmers narrow viewpoint that didn't even sit well with biblical literests. If this guy is a true scientest why is he using words like "impossible" when its comes to the possibility that life may have developed elsewhere in the Universe. The fact is what astronmers are discovering more and more is that the Universe is much more dynamic than we ever could have imagined. I beleive in God but why would he create one vast Universe just for one civilization. In the Bible, when God made the world, the only thing he said wasn't good was the fact that Adam was alone. So why would he create a whole Universe in which we are alone?
Bad Science, Bad Religion. Nobody wins here. Don't waste your money no matter what your beliefs are.

Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking
Review: I consider myself a believer in creation that all started about 6000 years ago. I have read and viewed much information for and against the 6000 year old earth but this DVD has presented me with some of the most convincing evidence that maybe the earth is older. I'm not ready to discard my current belief system as of yet but this DVD has encouraged me to research more in depth the issue of an older date of creation.

Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking
Review: I consider myself a believer in creation that all started about 6000 years ago. I have read and viewed much information for and against the 6000 year old earth but this DVD has presented me with some of the most convincing evidence that maybe the earth is older. I'm not ready to discard my current belief system as of yet but this DVD has encouraged me to research more in depth the issue of an older date of creation.

Rating:
Summary: Journey Toward Creation
Review: I read all of the reviews presented and purchased the video based on those reviews. Unfortunately, I must say that our family was very disappointed with the video. It claims to be made by a Christian company (not certain) called Reasons to Believe but in the first 30 minutes of viewing the film, there is no mention of God and the subject matter tends to lead the viewer away from the Biblical creation. The statements made by Dr. Hugh Ross are not even close to being Biblical. Everything mentioned went against the Bible's creation. For any Christian thinking about purchasing this film, I would not recommend it. I would, though, highly recommend the Moody "Journey to the Edge of Creation" videos. There are two in the series, "Our Solar System" and "The Milky Way & Beyond." The photography is fantastic and the message is clear...our universe is made on a grand design. Only the Master Planner, God Himself, could have created it with such precision and loving care. Please do not be deceived by this video, "Journey Toward Creation." "Creation" should not even be a part of it's title. Maybe a more proper title would be..."Journey Toward Deception."

Rating:
Summary: Journey Toward Creation
Review: I read all of the reviews presented and purchased the video based on those reviews. Unfortunately, I must say that our family was very disappointed with the video. It claims to be made by a Christian company (not certain) called Reasons to Believe but in the first 30 minutes of viewing the film, there is no mention of God and the subject matter tends to lead the viewer away from the Biblical creation. The statements made by Dr. Hugh Ross are not even close to being Biblical. Everything mentioned went against the Bible's creation. For any Christian thinking about purchasing this film, I would not recommend it. I would, though, highly recommend the Moody "Journey to the Edge of Creation" videos. There are two in the series, "Our Solar System" and "The Milky Way & Beyond." The photography is fantastic and the message is clear...our universe is made on a grand design. Only the Master Planner, God Himself, could have created it with such precision and loving care. Please do not be deceived by this video, "Journey Toward Creation." "Creation" should not even be a part of it's title. Maybe a more proper title would be..."Journey Toward Deception."

Rating:
Summary: Awe and Wonder
Review: I suspect that many of us have never thought of a telescope as a time machine but that is exactly what Dr. Hugh Ross invites us to imagine in this amazing video. And, he makes a lot of sense in doing so! A telescope, whether earth bound or a satellite, looks out into the cosmos and in so doing looks back in time. If we look at the moon we are looking at light that reflected off the moon's surface 1 1/2 seconds ago; if we look at the Sun, we are looking at light that was generated there 8 minutes ago; if we look at Alpha Centauri, the next nearest star after the Sun, we are seeing light that left there roughly 4 1/2 years ago, and so on. And so we calculate distances in terms of "light years", the distance light travels in one year, moving at the rate of 186,000 miles per second (thus a light year is roughly 6 trillion miles!). It is the only way to calculate the immense distances of the ever expanding universe.

In addition, to take this Journey from where we are in space and time back to the point of creation, Dr. Ross provides another analogy. In order to consider the Universe, especially the roughly 14 billion years back to the Creation event, Dr. Ross invites us to consider that amount of time as being analogous to the distance between the Seattle Space Needle and the Empire State Building in New York City. In other words, by analogy, by the time we have left our Solar System with its accompanying asteroid and comet belts which go as far as 2 light years out, we have only travelled a couple hundredths of an inch in our journey back to Creation. Amazing!

Having heard Dr. Ross speak in person several times, he is an excellent teacher. He takes difficult concepts and makes them much more readily available to the non-scientifically trained person such as myself. Although it's not going to compete with "Star Wars", the special effects and visual aids provided by the video are well-done and very helpful. Dr. Ross's narrative is well crafted.

In order to learn more, I have watched the video several times and I learn something new each time. I am continually amazed at the information shared about the incredible fine-tuning that is necessary for the universe to produce just one planet like Earth and for the Earth to support life. I am in awe of the probabilities or should I say the improbability of the earth itself, not to mention the fact that there would be life - the fine-tuning of "the Big Bang", the fine-tuning of the mass of universe, , the size of the Sun, the unique configuration of our solar system with two gas giants that are just the right size and distance from the earth to provide shielding, etc. Whether you are a believer or a non-believer, this video will leave you with a sense of awe and wonder at your very existence.

If a faith perspective is an obstacle to you, be forewarned. This video is the work of people of faith. Dr. Ross in the Director of "Reasons to Believe" and he is not shy about sharing his faith perspective. His conviction (and mine) is that science points to God (thus "Reasons to Believe") rather than being at odds with faith. He is convinced that there is mounting evidence from the scientific community in recent decades that makes faith in God virtually irrefutable. In fact, one has to go through incredible intellectual gymnastics to get to the point where one denies the possibility of God.

Also, be forewarned with regard to the fact that, if you are a biblical literalist and believe that world was created in a literal six days and that the world is only about 6,000 years old, you are going to be sorely disappointed. Dr. Ross deals with this issue in some of his books and argues that the Bible certainly supports the view that Creation, and the Earth in particular, took considerably longer than 6 days. However, in this video, that issue does not come up directly and there is no question that Dr. Ross argues for and exceptionally long time between the beginning of Creation and now.

The only reason I did not give this Video 5 stars is that there are occasionally awkward transitions and the analogy between journeying back to Creation and the distance between the Seattle Space Needle and the Empire State Building sometimes gets a little confusing. If I could have done so, I would have given the video 4 1/2 stars.

This is a piece of excellent work.
Gary R. Jepsen
Puyallup, WA

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, easy-to-understand visual journey through space
Review: If you have ever been amazed by looking into the night sky or at the images from Hubble and wondered about Life's Big Questions, this DVD is for you.

It is a detailed and up-to-date look at the discoveries from astronomy and what they mean to our existence and place in the universe. As you will see, science is neither unknowable nor heretical, it verifies what the Bible has said all along: The universe was designed specifically for humans.

See why we are alone in the universe and why the entire universe exists as it does to allow us to exist as we do. Expertly narrated by Dr. Hugh Ross - the Christian Carl Sagan - you will not be disappointed.

An excellent companion to books like "The Creator and the Cosmos" or "Show Me God."

Rating:
Summary: A Most Spectacular Tour of the Universe
Review: Journey Toward Creation is a wonderful documentary that takes
you on a tour through the universe from our solar system right back to the creation event. The imagery is spectacular and God's handiwork in his creation can be clearly seen.

The documentary is informative and avoids any outright religious terminology so it can be played in schools and given to non-christian friends that would be otherwise closed to the christian message. This is a video that every christian should have! It will prepare you to give a culturally sensitive message
to this generation about the love of Jesus Christ. The refreshing thing is that the science in this video is credible unlike some of the material produced by certain christian groups.
It is also a nice break from the young-earth nonsense that is promulgated by groups like AIG and ICR.

All in all a great video for church groups, evangelism and equipping the individual christian. My utmost recommendation!!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, easy-to-understand visual journey through space
Review: Journey Toward Creation is an excellent overview of big bang cosmology and the fine tuned nature of the universe that argues powerfully for an intelligent creator behind it all. It is appropriate for all ages--my 7 and 9 year olds sat in rapt attention through the entire show. The animation sequences are wonderful and reveal a view of the cosmos that everyone needs to see and contemplate. Easily something one would expect from Nature or Nova on PBS in terms of production quality.

Rating:
Summary: PBS quality production of cosmology
Review: Journey Toward Creation is an excellent overview of big bang cosmology and the fine tuned nature of the universe that argues powerfully for an intelligent creator behind it all. It is appropriate for all ages--my 7 and 9 year olds sat in rapt attention through the entire show. The animation sequences are wonderful and reveal a view of the cosmos that everyone needs to see and contemplate. Easily something one would expect from Nature or Nova on PBS in terms of production quality.