Saturday 18 February 2017

FOUNDATIONAL FALSEHOODS OF CREATIONISM by Aron Ra

Foundational Falsehoods of CreationismFoundational Falsehoods of Creationism by Aron Ra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Religious fundamentalists and biblical literalists present any number of arguments that attempt to disprove evolution. Those with a sympathetic ear often fail to critically examine these creationist claims, leading to an ill-informed public and, perhaps more troubling, ill-advised public policy. As Aron Ra makes clear, however, every single argument deployed by creationists in their attacks on evolution is founded on fundamental scientific, religious, and historical falsehoods–all of them. Among their most popular claims is that evolution is a religion, that there are no transitional species, that there are no beneficial mutations, and that supposedly sacred scripture is the infallible word of God. Yet, as the evidence and data plainly show, each of these claims is demonstrably and unequivocally false. There is simply no truth to creationism whatsoever, and the entire enterprise rests on a foundation of falsehoods. This book explains and exposes the worst of these lies, and should be read by all who honestly care about following the evidence no matter where it might lead in pursuit of the truth.

MY REVIEW: This book is a must read for anyone interested in the debate about evolution and creationism. Aron Ra has spent decades interacting with creationists, understanding their arguments, and developing responses to them. The book is a compelling read. It is one of the clearest articulations I have read of major creationist beliefs and assumptions and the reasons they fail when compared to the actual evidence from science. The discussions of each of the 15 falsehoods is rich and in depth. There are some beautifully incisive passages with delightfully pithy turns of phrases. I have a couple of criticisms. It’s a long book at 440 pages and there are times when Ra perhaps strays a bit away from the focus of a chapter. Ra’s passion for this topic is evident. Unfortunately, he sometimes becomes emotive and condescending when discussing creationists. Two things that would improve the book: some visuals would be great (the whole book is text) and there needs to be references for sources and a bibliography. A great book and well worth the investment of the time to read it.

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