Gloria in Excelsis Deo: Creation vs. Evolution

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Last updated 1/5/2020

Creation vs. Evolution:

Does It Even Matter to the Sincere Christian?

N.B. I try not to review resources that I have not read, listened to, or viewed myself. In reviews below, I have added in read whether and how much of the resource I have consumed myself.

RESOURCES

Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation (Catholic)

The Institute for Creation Research (Protestant)
*** Available to subscribe free to monthly e-magazine "Acts and Facts" sharing the latest science

AUDIO

"Evolution: The Religion of the Anti-Christ": 24-minute homily from 2013 exploring the implications to Catholic dogma for those Christians who believe in evolution. I listened and found this a superior overview.

BOOKS

The Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation offers many resources (book, DVD, audio) for purchase at its store.

"A Catholic Assessment of Evolution Theory: Weighing the Scientific Evidence in Light of Thomistic Principles and Church Teachings on Origins" by John Wynne (2011). The speakers at the conference, "Evolution and the Culture of Death: Unmasking the Roots of Today’s Abortion Movement" mentioned this book as "the most important book to read on the subject, if you can read only one." I have not yet read this, but a friend is reading it currently and I hope for a review. "A Catholic Assessment of Evolution Theory explains how the evolutionary claims commonly taught in high school and college textbooks are discredited in the scientific literature. The case is set forth that, based on permanent Catholic doctrine, it is impermissible to depart from the special creation of mankind and to embrace various types of theistic evolution. By the end of the book, the reader will see that the harmony of truth in the domains of science, theology, and philosophy all point to the acceptance of special creation to the exclusion of human evolution. The theological case set forth considers the unanimous teachings of the Church Fathers and Doctors, many Magisterial statements, and Catholic guidelines for interpreting Sacred Scripture. Given the devastating historical consequences of evolution theory, there is a moral obligation for Catholics to teach the full Church doctrine on creation and to help restore truth to the science classroom."

"Censored Science: The Suppressed Evidence" by Bruce Malone (2014). This glossy hardcover text with beautiful photos appeals to all ages, including children and students. Our children began pouring through it upon its arrival and have probably read most of it already. "Censored Science is a stunning designed, full-color book showcasing the fifty best evidences for a biblical creation worldview. Each two-page spread lays out the evidence for creation and then provides a rebuttal to the most common evolutionist objections to the evidence. Published in December 2009, the volume contains both the most recent cutting-edge evidence for creation and time-tested evidence which have never been answered by those rejecting Biblical truth. The book is divided into three major sections - Censored Biological Evidence, Censored Geological Evidence, and Censored Cosmological Evidence. Each section starts with a description of how an assumption of naturalism prevents our educational system from exposing students to any evidence which contradicts the presuppositions of evolution."

"Creation, Evolution, and Catholicism: A Discussion for Those Who Believe" by Thomas McFadden (2016): I read the entirety of this book which shows the incredibly frailty or outright fraudulence of evolutionary claims. It was shocking to me to read how much cannot be proven or has already been disproven. That said, this book is written for the masses, not professionals and, as such, is written in a conversational tone, often inflammatory, and without academic citations being given. This book would not stand up to university-level academic standards, but I think it is an excellent opening into which to enter the subject. Also, it provides innumerable URL citations of experts in their fields providing short or lengthy video presentations.

"Creation vs. Evolution" by Eric Bermingham (2004). "Excellent short introduction to the origins debate from a Catholic perspective by an aerospace engineer and member of the Kolbe's advisory council. The work has received an imprimatur and the nihil obstat. The scientific, theological, and scriptural arguments against a godless Theory of Evolution and for the traditional Catholic perspective on the first chapters of Genesis are presented." I completed this slim work and its academic and philosophical language requires close attention. This piece will appeal to the practicing Catholic because it explains so carefully why belief in evolution unravels one's Christian faith.

"The Doctrines of Genesis 1-11: A Compendium and Defense of Traditional Catholic Theology on Origins" by Rev. Victor P. Warkulwiz, M.S.S. (2007). I have begun reading this dense tome and will be doing so for a long time! The astute author is a priest who holds a Ph.D. in physics as well as his divinity degrees. "Today the Catholic Church has well-developed theologies of redemption and sanctification but no well-developed theology of creation. That is because so many of her influential thinkers have abandoned the sound creation theology of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church and have embraced instead the false principles of evolutionism. The purpose of this book is to help restore traditional Catholic theology on origins to its rightful place in the belief of Catholics. The traditional teaching of the Church on Creation, the Fall, and the Great Flood and its aftermath is clearly presented in the form of sixteen doctrines abstracted from the text of Genesis 1-11. The doctrines are defended on theological, philosophical and scientific grounds from assaults made on them from the sectors of biblical criticism and scientism. The author attempts to present a story of origins that evokes true and vivid images of the creation of the world and the primal history of the human species. Accurate, thorough and readable answers are given to many questions about origins that perplex the modern Catholic. The exposition is kept as non-technical as possible so that the book will be accessible to everyone. Not everyone will be able to understand everything that is presented, but every reader will find enough to set his thinking straight and to nourish his Catholic faith."

DVDs

"The Design of Life DVD Collection." Our children from about age six have the interest to sit glued to these visually exquisite DVDs. "The Design of Life Collection 3-DVD Set - Introducing the special collector's edition set of the internationally acclaimed documentaries,LIVING WATERS: Intelligent Design in the Oceans of the Earth, FLIGHT: The Genius of Birds, and METAMORPHOSIS: The Beauty and Design of Butterflies. During the past four years, enthusiastic viewers have described these Illustra Media films as "the most amazing documentaries I have ever seen," "a stunning, thrilling look at what God has made," "a joy to watch," and "great science with a profound message." Individually, they have touched global audiences of all ages. Now, they are available together - in one beautiful package - at a special set price! LIVING WATERS, FLIGHT, and METAMORPHOSIS are the first two volumes of the new series, The Design of Life. Together, they explore fascinating evidence for intelligent design, while confronting the myth of Darwinian evolution that has long dominated the scientific establishment. These remarkable films are highlighted by technical and artistic excellence comparable to the BCC, National Geographic, and the Discovery Channel (FLIGHT is currently being broadcast on PBS affiliates throughout the United States). Photographed in North and South America, Europe, Greenland, and Antarctica, they combine stunning images and computer animation with cutting-edge research and original music to reveal the truth about the origin, beauty, and diversity of life on earth."

"Incredible Creatures that Defy Evolution: I." The presenter of this family-friendly DVD is a Ph.D. and professor of science who was a staunch evolutionist politely challenged by some creationist students early in his career. He describes a five-year internal struggle as he became a creationist himself. Our family has enjoyed watching this DVD many times. "Are there really creatures that produce fire to defend themselves? How does a giraffe get a drink of water without lethal blood pressure exploding his brain? How can geckos walk upside down and not fall? Powerful evidence proves that animal designs can be attributed only to a creator and cannot be explained by evolution."

"Project Dinosaur." This somewhat-dated fictional movie shows middle-schoolers who discover that evolution doesn't agree with Christian beliefs. A student evaluates the theory himself and exercises the courage to defend it at the school science fair, even though he might lose friends, respect, and a good grade. It's a cute movie that older children might be too sophisticated for these days, but our elementary kids have enjoyed it.

VIDEOS ONLINE

"Evolution and the Culture of Death: Unmasking the Roots of Today’s Abortion Movement": A seminar by the Kolbe Center given in Charlotte, NC, during November 2019. I attended this conference in person and it changed my life. All the seven one-hour talks are available to watch for free online at Sensus Fidelium. The talks are free and family-friendly, except for the one actually about abortion (which does discuss Alfred Kinsey and some mature topics, but done so in a discreet manner): I listened to all of them and advise ages 12+.

"From Darwin to Hitler," discussing six Implications of Darwinism for Devaluing Human Life a 45-minute lecture given at U. Cal Santa Barbara by Richard Weikart, Associate Professor of History at California State University, Stanislaus, CA. I watched this entire video and found it compelling.