Creationism - National Center for Science Education
Creationism - National Center for Science Education Creationism - National Center for Science Education
anthropological study of Old Testament life, also discredits evolution and affirms the special creation of man. John Grebe was director of nuclear and basic research at Dow Chemical Company. He held a hundred patents, and was instrumental in development of styrofoam, Saran, synthetic rubber, and other petrochemical products. Grebe wrote an article for Vol. 1., No. 1 of the Creation Research Society Quarterly, “Science Is Now Proving the Genesis Creation Account Is Correct” (1964), and argued that the structure of DNA proved evolution was statistically impossible a few years later (1967). In 1969, in testimony before the Texas Board of Education, he offered $1000 for any proof of evolution (Gabler and Gabler 1985:B-7). Grebe contributed a chapter to the 1966 book Behind the Dim Unknown, a volume in which 26 scientists prove the power of God. In it he suggests that a reversal of the earth’s magnetic field caused the Flood, since this field continuously creates water. The Flood also disrupted the carbon-14 ratio; thus, all C-14 dates may have to be drastically revised to fit within a few thousand years after the Flood. “How wonderful it would be if further data from space and the orientation of magnetite crystals in viscous lava flows would continue to clarify the details of the biblical creation and flood accounts!” (J. Monsma, ed. 1966:187). (Other contributors to this volume include Gish, Burdick, Slusher, George Howe, and Russell Artist.) Wilbert H. Rusch, Sr., a Missouri Synod Lutheran, has a M.S. in biology from the University of Michigan, and was professor of biology, geology, science and math at Concordia College in Michigan. A Missouri Synod Lutheran, he contributed chapters to Zimmerman’s creationist volumes (1959, 1966). He is the only person who has served continuously as an active CRS officer from its inception in 1963 into the 1980s. In 1983 he became president of CRS. Duane Gish, the remaining “Team of Ten” member, is, with Henry Morris, the creationist with the greatest public recognition. Gish has a B.S. chemistry from UCLA and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Berkeley. He was working on the research staff of Upjohn Co. in Michigan when the CRS was formed. Gish has been second in command at Morris’s Institute for Creation Research ever since its founding, and is the most famous creation-science debater. Gish says he converted to creationism after reading a booklet by John Howitt, Evolution: “Science Falsely So-called”. 15 The CRS “Statement of Belief” has achieved considerable notoriety: it is frequently quoted by anti-evolutionists to prove that creation-”science” is actually religion, and that creationists are dogmatic believers in supernatural miracles. The Statement of Belief has a more pragmatic purpose than as a mere affirmation of fundamentalist belief. The CRS founders, especially Morris, were determined that their new creationist society not be allowed to slip into compromise on fundamental doctrinal matters. This required the explicit spelling out of doctrine in creedal form and requiring that all members subscribe to these. The old Religion and Science Association, and the Creation-Deluge Society— both founded by strict creationists, believers in recent creation and Flood Geology—had sunk into oblivion because they were taken over by old-earth compromisers. Many of the 15 205,000 copies of Howitt’s booklet were already in circulation by the time of the 1981 edition. Date of the original is not listed, nor is any author [Howitt] credited. Howitt was a Canadian psychiatrist and hospital superintendent. He wrote several popular anti-evolution booklets, for EPM and the Toronto-based International Christian Crusade [1964, 1976]).
early ASA members were strict creationists who thought that that organization would remain dedicated to strict creationism, and they were sorely disappointed to see its membership increasingly dominated by old-earthers and even theistic evolutionists. This is what the Statement of Belief is designed to prevent. As Morris put it when he left the CRS presidency to devote himself to his new Institute for Creation Research: We must, by all means, continue to resist all efforts to dilute our commitment to a recent literal creation and a worldwide flood, as required by sound Biblical exegesis. Uncertainty on these points at ASA’s inception...was the direct cause of that organization’s rapid drift into theistic evolution and the social gospel. [1985:198-9] The Statement of Belief was the first and “most important” order of business when the CRS was organized. Significantly, the CRS constitution forbids any change in this doctrinal statement. Here is Creation Research Society Statement of Belief, printed in the first issue of the CRSQ (1964) and every issue since: 1. The Bible is the written Word of God, and because we believe it to be inspired throughout, all of its assertions are historically and scientifically true in all of the original autographs. To the student of nature, this means that the account of origins in Genesis is a factual presentation of simple historical truths. 2. All basic types of living things, including man, were made by direct creative acts of God during Creation Week as described in Genesis. Whatever biological changes have occurred since Creation have accomplished only changes within the original created kinds. 3. The great Flood described in Genesis, commonly referred to as the Noachian Deluge, was an historical event, worldwide in its extent and impact. 4. Finally, we are an organization of Christian men of science, who accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The account of the special creation of Adam and Eve as one man and one woman, and their subsequent Fall into sin, is the basis of our belief in the necessity of a Savior for all mankind. Therefore, salvation can come only through accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior. The last tenet, of course, excludes non-Christians. Rusch wanted the CRS to be open to all creationists, even Jewish and Islamic, and therefore opposed the adoption of this tenet, but he was overruled. (Moshe Trop, a Jewish creationist, has published in the CRSQ, and articles by old-earth creationists appear occasionally, but their articles do not argue these points.) As already mentioned, Morris felt that the CRS Statement was not explicit enough, in that it did not unambiguously specify recent ex nihilo creation and insist upon Flood Geology (though he admits that the Statement certainly implies such a strict interpretation). Morris set up an even stricter doctrinal statement when he founded his creationist college, and stricter still for the Institute for Creation Research. The Creation Research Society was founded as a research and publishing organization, with the primary function of publishing a creationist journal. The first issue of the Creation Research Society Quarterly was the 1964 Annual (vol. 1, no. 1 followed later that year). In the debut issue, Lammerts announced the goal of CRS as the “complete re-evaluation of science from the thesitic viewpoint” (1964:2; also reprinted in Lammerts, ed., 1973:2). Authors in that first issue were Klotz, Harris, Zimmerman, Morris, Slusher, Marsh, Tinkle, Lammerts, John N, Moore, George F. Howe, Clifford Burdick, and Thomas G. Barnes. Moore has an M.S. in biology and an Ed.D. fromMichigan State University, where he was professor of natural science. Moore took a sabbatical from Michigan State, staying at Morris’s creationist college, where he wrote
- Page 21 and 22: Morris, like most creation-scientis
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anthropological study of Old Testament life, also discredits evolution and affirms the<br />
special creation of man.<br />
John Grebe was director of nuclear and basic research at Dow Chemical<br />
Company. He held a hundred patents, and was instrumental in development of<br />
styrofoam, Saran, synthetic rubber, and other petrochemical products. Grebe wrote an<br />
article <strong>for</strong> Vol. 1., No. 1 of the Creation Research Society Quarterly, “<strong>Science</strong> Is Now<br />
Proving the Genesis Creation Account Is Correct” (1964), and argued that the structure of<br />
DNA proved evolution was statistically impossible a few years later (1967). In 1969, in<br />
testimony be<strong>for</strong>e the Texas Board of <strong>Education</strong>, he offered $1000 <strong>for</strong> any proof of<br />
evolution (Gabler and Gabler 1985:B-7). Grebe contributed a chapter to the 1966 book<br />
Behind the Dim Unknown, a volume in which 26 scientists prove the power of God. In it<br />
he suggests that a reversal of the earth’s magnetic field caused the Flood, since this field<br />
continuously creates water. The Flood also disrupted the carbon-14 ratio; thus, all C-14<br />
dates may have to be drastically revised to fit within a few thousand years after the Flood.<br />
“How wonderful it would be if further data from space and the orientation of magnetite<br />
crystals in viscous lava flows would continue to clarify the details of the biblical creation<br />
and flood accounts!” (J. Monsma, ed. 1966:187). (Other contributors to this volume<br />
include Gish, Burdick, Slusher, George Howe, and Russell Artist.)<br />
Wilbert H. Rusch, Sr., a Missouri Synod Lutheran, has a M.S. in biology from the<br />
University of Michigan, and was professor of biology, geology, science and math at<br />
Concordia College in Michigan. A Missouri Synod Lutheran, he contributed chapters to<br />
Zimmerman’s creationist volumes (1959, 1966). He is the only person who has served<br />
continuously as an active CRS officer from its inception in 1963 into the 1980s. In 1983<br />
he became president of CRS.<br />
Duane Gish, the remaining “Team of Ten” member, is, with Henry Morris, the<br />
creationist with the greatest public recognition. Gish has a B.S. chemistry from UCLA<br />
and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Berkeley. He was working on the research staff of<br />
Upjohn Co. in Michigan when the CRS was <strong>for</strong>med. Gish has been second in command<br />
at Morris’s Institute <strong>for</strong> Creation Research ever since its founding, and is the most<br />
famous creation-science debater. Gish says he converted to creationism after reading a<br />
booklet by John Howitt, Evolution: “<strong>Science</strong> Falsely So-called”. 15<br />
The CRS “Statement of Belief” has achieved considerable notoriety: it is<br />
frequently quoted by anti-evolutionists to prove that creation-”science” is actually<br />
religion, and that creationists are dogmatic believers in supernatural miracles. The<br />
Statement of Belief has a more pragmatic purpose than as a mere affirmation of<br />
fundamentalist belief. The CRS founders, especially Morris, were determined that their<br />
new creationist society not be allowed to slip into compromise on fundamental doctrinal<br />
matters. This required the explicit spelling out of doctrine in creedal <strong>for</strong>m and requiring<br />
that all members subscribe to these.<br />
The old Religion and <strong>Science</strong> Association, and the Creation-Deluge Society—<br />
both founded by strict creationists, believers in recent creation and Flood Geology—had<br />
sunk into oblivion because they were taken over by old-earth compromisers. Many of the<br />
15 205,000 copies of Howitt’s booklet were already in circulation by the time of the 1981 edition. Date of<br />
the original is not listed, nor is any author [Howitt] credited. Howitt was a Canadian psychiatrist and<br />
hospital superintendent. He wrote several popular anti-evolution booklets, <strong>for</strong> EPM and the Toronto-based<br />
International Christian Crusade [1964, 1976]).