Rating: 
Summary: Informative, easy to read.
Review: This book is a response to an educators guidebook, published by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), called "Teaching about Evolution and the Nature of Science." The author uses this guidebook as a springboard for various quotes and introduction to creationist ideas, concepts and arguments. I'm sure the NAS didn't intend it for this purpose, but Sarfati has done a good job of rounding up the many holes and difficulties faced by those who hold to the evolutionary model. Such as: Sufarti quotes DMS Watson in Nature: : "Evolution [is] a theory universally accepted not because it can be proven by logically coherent evidence to be true, but because the only alternative, special creation, is clearly incredible." To which Sufarti rightly concludes: "So it's not a question of biased religious creationists versus objective scientific evolutionists; rather, it is the biases of the Christian religion versus the biases of the religion of secular humanism resulting in different interpretations of the same scientific data." For example: "For scales to have evolved into feather means that a significant amount of genetic information had to arise in the bird's DNA which was not present in that of its alleged reptile ancestor." Sarfati shows that Natural Selection actually inhibits the supposed transitional creatures from ever surviving. Natural Selection is biased toward those who are best fit to live in its present environment. Sarfati points out that Birds with their, "avian lung, with its super-efficiency, becomes especially advantageous only at very high altitudes with low oxygen levels. There would have been no selective advantage in replacing the reptilian lung." Another good point made by Sarfati is the question of what would it take for a rational person to recognize that something was designed? The SETI project uses, the criterion of "a signal with high level of specified complexity--this would prove that there was an intelligent sender, even if we had no other idea of the sender's nature." And Sarfati points out that within our cells is just that same specified complexity. Tiny motors that drive the flagellum of a bacterium and magnetic sensing systems found in many organisms, are an example of this specified complexity. But, and Sarfati's first point is right even to the end, that most evolutionists are committed to evolution, even before they open their first book, "so the evidence, overwhelming as it is, would probably have no effect." I enjoyed reading this book, as Sarfati did a good job of summarizing the many issues surrounding this debate.
Rating:
Summary: solid scholarship
Review: excellent and understandable -- covers five or six hot topics in depth, many detailed crossreferences. Good book for a serious study, to answer a teacher's objections, or just to learn more about what science ('good science') is learning today. Solid companion to Michael Behe's super book "Darwin's Black Box: The biochemical Challenge to Evolution" Both of these books belong on every Christian's reading list. Great idea for a "fence-sitting" friend.
Rating: 
Summary: Utterly worthless
Review: Given Sarfati's qualifications we may expect an authoritative scientific statement of "Creation Science." Unfortunately, it is a rehash of all the old arguments rather than a report on scientific findings. Much of the book is given over to citing the Bible, and instructing us in what creationsts may or may not believe. Thus, "the Hebrew words for the animals taken into the ark do not include invertebrates" from which it follows "they must have survived off the ark somehow."(p. 46). Yes, how, and what is the empirical evidence for this amazing statement. On the same page, Koalas could have migrated to Australia from Mt. Ararat. Could they really? Just as easily they could have been dropped by UFOs. There is no evidence for either scenario. One has to conclude that Sarfati has no idea about science despite his Ph.D. There is nothing new in Refuting Evolution. It is astonishing to see how much of modern science the fundamentalist Christians have to reject to uphold their faith. To support their imaginings, devotees have to reject all of historical geology and astronomical cosmology. Any evidence which shows the earth to be quite old must be rejected, which includes earth magnetism, nuclear physics, dendrochronology, as well as glottochronology. What is more, creationists also reject modern historical and archaeological scholarship which sees the story of Genesis as a myth borrowed from older Mesopotamian civilizations. At the end, Sarfati argues that the "intelligent design" explanation is legitimate. He fails to bring forward any evidence showing how a process of deliberate design may have worked. Rather it is the same old negative argument, nature is too complex for the trial and error of evolution. Not even the Bible describes a design process, rather the opening words of Genesis strike this non-expert as plain and simple word magic.
Rating:
Summary: Sometimes the truth hurts
Review: Because religion is such a personal issue, we tend to be easily 'offended' when our religion is 'attacked'. The truth about evolutionism is that it is not a 'theory' but is rather a set of beliefs about the past (ie - a religion). The author of RE does an excellent job of exposing the religious nature of evolution using the amazing admissions of evolutionists themselves. Dr Sarfati also exposes the truth behind the supposed 'evidence' of the evolutionary establishment. Facts do not interpret themselves, but rather are interpreted by the observer within his or her framework. Approaching this issue with an 'open mind' is impossible as we all have biases which color our thinking. The bottom line - who's authority do you accept?
Rating:
Summary: An excellent response to the religious fanatics
Review: Dr. Sarfati demolishes the evolutionary religious fanatics and the overblown claims they make in the recent NAS propaganda piece. A good solid response to attempts present evolutionism as credible or "scientific." They will not like this work, but neither will they be able to meaningfully challenge it. For its size it is as good as anything else out there (Creation Scientists Answer Their Critics would be a good companion work, and Faith, Reason and Earth History would be good for those who want to learn about the creation model, as opposed to debunking evolutionism or defending creation in general from caricatures and misrepresentations.)
Rating:
Summary: Isn't it possible for religion and science to coexist?
Review: I read this book as a science teacher seeking to understand the fiercely critical stance of some holy rollers in regards to teaching/not teaching evolution in the classroom. I went into the book with an open mind, seeking to understand, and after the first two pages I was so offended I was turned off to everything the author had to say. The author takes many liberties with his blatant stereotypes and clumping of all scientists together into one group of "humanists" and claims that we are teaching our "own religion". I would submit that religion should be taught at the church and in peoples homes where it BELONGS and let us do our job of teaching science in the classrooms. We DO NOT teach that any religion is bad.....WE AREN"T ALLOWED BY LAW to talk about religion. I think it is arrogant of this author to even suggest that we should teach creation in the classroom. What about all of the other faiths? Shouldn't we teach those too? And what do you know, we will be turning a science class into a religion class. Evolution is a theory and should be taught that way. This book is just more fuel for the fire and does nothing to clarify the issue for me. The author quotes other authors out of context in a vain attempt to cast a dark shadow on the science community. I am offended by it in the worst way.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous! Please follow up with a longer version!
Review: For someone looking for a short introduction to the major issues this is a great place to start. Enough detail is provided to make a compelling case that a straightforward look at the evidence excludes the possibility of physical, naturalistic processes producing living organism. Every chapter should be followed up by a full-length book! Excellent references are supplied. Dr. R. Truman
Rating:
Summary: Best Critic of Evolutionary interpretations available
Review: If there is just one book to get, on the fallacies of evolutionism and the non sequitur reasoning that flow from evolutionary assumptions, it would be Refuting Evolution, by Dr. Sarfati! It is the best critic of current evolutionary interpretations available today!
Rating:
Summary: Tells the Unavoidable Truth About Evolution
Review: This book goes a long way to demonstrate that, far from being equivalent to such things as the sphericity of the earth, molecules-to-man evolution is extremely speculative. Showing that bacteria can acquire antibiotic resistance is a very different proposition from proving that life came from primordial slime, or that an ape-like creature changed into humans. The hard-core evolutionists will demonize this book all they want, but the facts that it presents just won't go away. As a degreed scientist myself, I heartily recommend it. It exposes many of the flawed arguments for evolution in a lucid manner. After reading this book, the objective reader will agree that it is about time that the intellectuals cease their "all scientists accept evolution" propaganda, face the fact that molecules-to-man evolution is NOT a proven fact of science, and recognize that many educated people reject evolution for legitimate reasons. Members of the liberal media would also do well to read this book. The fact that many religious people accept evolution proves nothing. How many religious leaders had endorsed anti-God systems of thought (fascism, Naziism, Communism) in the past? Whether he/she agrees with evolution or not, the objective reader of this book will come away with a very different perspective on evolution from that usually presented as fact. John Woodmorappe
Rating:
Summary: Fight the Evolutionists' Agenda
Review: The book is a mere 143 pages long (softcover) and is well illustrated. It answers specific paragraphs in the NAS manual to public schools, however the underlying premise of the book is presuppositional. In other words, the book claims that there are no neutral facts to which we can appeal with the non-believer. Rather, the very world-views between evolutionists and creationists cause each of them to interpret these facts in light of the presupposed world-view. The book then proceeds to analyze the claims made by the NAS manual and refutes them based on the evolutionists own words in addition to claims made by creationists. Scripture is used in many places. It thoroughly debunks and exposes as lies the claims made by the NAS. Throughout answering the NAS propaganda is interspersed reminders of the presuppositional nature of the debate. I encourage every Chrisitian to read this book. Better yet, call Ken Ham's ministry and find out how to distribute the book to public school students.
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