Sunday, July 31, 2016

Exposing the Modern Evolutionists


The Evolution Delusion: A Scientific Study of Creation & Evolution
Author: Dr. Bo Kirkwood – Published by: Truth Books, Athens, AL, 2016


As a Christian, a father, and a grandfather, watching the impact inconclusive and unproven science has on our world and loved ones, I find it very hard to resist “just one more perspective” on the issue of evolution vs. creationism. So when offered an opportunity to review Bo Kirkwood’s book on the topic, I took up the challenge.  And a challenge it was – for reasons you’d not easily guess.
Dr. Kirkwood is a Board Certified Physician and on the faculty of two medical schools. Previous to medical school, he earned a B.Sc. in Biology. He is also the author of Unveiling the Da Vinci Code as well as a co-author, with his two brothers, Ron and John, both doctors, of A Case For Life: Christian Ethics & Medical Science. Bo Kirkwood is also a Christian but that should not prevent anyone from reading his book, as he approaches this topic with extreme fairness to the “other side”.
The book is clearly not for novices in this area. Kirkwood starts it off with a historical view on the origin of species as well as material on homology, DNA and the Genome. He very carefully addresses topics like irreducible complexity; the creation of life; birds, moths, and a missing link; the human fossil record; Cambrian explosion; and entropy. One of my favorite chapters was his treatment of evolution and racism.
At the end of the first section Kirkwood gets very direct identifying what he calls the “elephant in the room”. In a chapter by the same name, the author calls it out, “. . . if evolution is so obviously philosophical and so diametrically opposed to the scientific method how can so many very smart, extremely well-educated people, accept it so easily and in most cases without question? . . .  Many, many scientists today and in the past have rejected evolution on a scientific basis . . . People like [and he lists them] do not accept molecules-to-man evolution and this list could go on and on and on.  So the question remains, why can some see the problems scientifically [sic] with evolutionary theory and others cannot? This seems to me to be the elephant in the room!”  That chapter alone is worth the price of the book.
In the second half of the book, Kirkwood offers some alternative views when he tackles cosmologies; a fine-tuned universe; the age of the earth; and beginnings. His passion though comes out strongest in his last chapter entitled “What Does It All Mean?” He then proceeds to answer that for both the evolutionist and the creationist.
Admittedly, someone with a scientific mind or background would be able to navigate the book’s pages much better than I did, but certainly having a keen interest in the topic as I do, helps one follow the arguments both for and against both sides. Even though we know what side the author lands on, he still encourages us to think for ourselves. His biggest bone of contention is the circular arguments used by evolutionists today and the fact that theory (which is what Darwin himself called his hypothesis) is today passed off as fact.
The book helped me get a better picture of the bigger “evolution vs. creation” world. It isn’t simple. Evolutionists are divided on many counts. Creationists are not all marching to the same tune. So someone who is really searching for answers has to do some homework, and more importantly, be open to both possibilities. Kirkwood isn’t so kind on those who start off with the belief of evolution and then reject all arguments against it; nor is he too accepting of creationists that do not seek to understand what science has indeed truly proven (vs. unproven theories) and try to work that into their beliefs. And it’s this open-minded perspective that makes Dr. Kirkwood’s book well worth reading for the Christian, the atheist, the scientist, and the searcher. This is a book I’d want my grandchildren to read before they embark on their post-secondary school studies.
In the process, I gained many gems of knowledge that I found not only fascinating, but helping me to both better argue for my own beliefs as well as understand the nature of the debate. Here are but a few:
·      When experimentation cannot disprove the hypothesis then that theory becomes much more relevant.
·      Both evolution and creationism require a degree of faith.
·      What must be considered, however, is that evolutionary studies already presuppose evolution.
·      Darwin was keenly aware of the biggest obstacle with his theory and that was the lack in the fossil record of transitional forms which should have been innumerable, thinking they would come later, but never did.
The book clearly gives anyone who is a creationist a sense of comfort that not all scientists (including some non-theists) are letting evolutionists get away with bad science or worse still, no science at all. And for that, Bo Kirkwood has done a great honor to the topic and the debate.

By Ken B. Godevenos, President, Accord Resolutions Services Inc., Toronto, Ontario, May 13, 2016. www.accordconsulting.com

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Saturday, July 16, 2016

Hearts Are Well Designed To Handle Hurt -- DVD Review


When Calls the Heart: Troubled Hearts
Starring Daniel Lissing, Erin Krakow, Jack Wagner, and Lori Loughlin;
Directed by Michael Landon Jr.; 2016

This movie is number two in season three of the When Calls the Heart series and like all its predecessors, it continues to entertain, challenge and teach us. The series is inspired by the novel of the same name by Canadian author, Janette Oke.
Also like all previous episodes, Troubled Hearts has a host of sub-plots – each one somehow intertwined with the others and each one with a special lesson for viewers.  From young Cody’s hatred for school and those taking care of him as an ‘orphan’ to the women who have suffered the loss of spouses and yet again being betrayed by the men they have dared to be attracted to.  And the criminal element is also well-represented – both at the murderous gangster level (those you’d like to put away for life) and at the weasel level (those whose necks you’d like to wring and make them pay back every cent they embezzled).
Yes, of course, there’s romance.  This time I counted it developing on four fronts for sure and a possible fifth, complete with some very touching moments and the promise of more to come in the future in most cases. Throughout the movie, building trusting and nurturing relationships are paramount. And even though there are numerous characters, all the main ones are well-developed. Villains are dealt with and those that have erred have a change of heart or mind.  Wrongs are made right. But unlike the fairy tales we read as children or the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys novels we enjoyed, there is no indication that everything has ended well -- the main reason being, of course, that there’s more to come from Michael Landon, Jr.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention that both Oke and Landon, Jr. made a special effort to have some of the movie’s script sound like words from the Bible. It’s done very well and it’s very apropos, but I wonder how many would even recognize it.
We watched with our almost 11- and 13-year-old grandchildren as well as our senior neighbor – and all enjoyed it thoroughly. Highly recommended for the whole family, whether accompanied by popcorn or not.  And yes, I’m looking forward to still more – one of the few “fiction” works I allow myself these days.

By Ken B. Godevenos, President, Accord Resolutions Services Inc., Toronto, Ontario, July 16, 2016. www.accordconsulting.com

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.