Wise Words From Richard Dawkins

Many who hear the evolution debate often hear scientific phrases, yet they are never told what these mean. So, in an effort to broaden our understanding of the issues, here is a short lesson for those who don’t know the basics. A “transitional form” is something that shows one form of life evolving (or changing) into another. Darwinian evolution (as proposed by Charles Darwin) said that mankind and primates (the monkey family) have a common ancestor. However, the contemporary theory of evolution teaches that man came directly from apes, and they even have full-color graphics of bent apes growing taller over millions of years, and standing upright, to back up the theory. To be a little simplistic--there was what is called the “Big bang,” and from there water formed, primitive life appeared in the water, it came up on land, became male and female primates, then evolved into modern man. In other words, Mankind “transitioned” from one species into another. Apes became men and women. However, there is a big problem for those that believe this theory. They can’t find the “missing link” between man and apes in “the fossil record.” The fossil record is the historical “record” of human and animal bones that lie beneath the soil or in the rocks.

Here now is a believer of the theory, who, when pressed to produce evidence of even one species to species transitional form in the fossil record, falls back on the predictable tactic of evolutionists by saying that he’s not an expert, “ I am not a paleontologist, so take this post with a grain of salt. I recommend that you contact a paleontologist who can explain to you what a transitional form actually is, and how many of them we actually have. I might remind you that the overwhelming consensus is that we have quite a few.”

No, we don’t have overwhelming evidence for transitional forms. Look at this quote from Science Digest: “The fossils that decorate our family tree are so scarce that there are still more scientists than specimens. The remarkable fact is that all the physical evidence we have for human evolution can still be placed, with room to spare, inside a single coffin .” That’s not true either. They have no “physical evidence” for human evolution. None. After searching and studying quotes from paleontologists, I am convinced that those who spout evolution are guilty of paleontological quackery. Most of them would put Disney imagineers out of work. They have built a lucrative industry out of their imaginations that rivals televangelism. What’s more, their wide-eyed supporters have the same simpleminded mentality that keeps money-hungry preachers in business. For years I have listened to the poker-faced evolutionists’ bluffing that they had a “few” transitional forms or “inside a single coffin.” But after research for Evolution, the Fairytale for Grownups I know that they have nothing in their hand. They are bankrupt. There are no species to species transitional forms in the fossil record. None. The following quote is from Indiana University’s website (italics added): “According to the theory of evolution, the descent with modification road to humans (or any other group, for that matter) is paved with a sequence of transitional fossils . . . fortunately, some members of some of those groups were fossilized, and a few of those are found from time to time, giving us the hit-or-miss, very spotty record of fossils which has led us to hypothesize [imagine] that picture of a branched tree of being which we call evolution .”

The problem is that the species to species transitional forms in the fossil record aren’t “few,” “hit or miss,” or “very spotty.” They don’t exist. There aren’t any, except in the imaginations of those who represent this pseudoscience called “Evolution.” Here is another sincere believer providing me with “evidence”: “The fact remains that at least evolution HAS physical evidence (and reams of it) to debate over . . . Whether you're willing to accept the evidence we're able to produce in copious amounts is irrelevant in light of the fact that it does exists here and now and we can all see and argue over it. And there's not just one piece of evidence... there's millions of years worth buried under our feet. ‘Cambrian Explosion’ period in prehistory that was found in British Columbia in the early 1900's has surely got to be enough to convince anyone (Google it if you're curious). Read that book Wonderful Life by Stephen Jay Gould that I mentioned in another post for all the evidence you could ever want . . . then you can visit any number of natural history museums to see it with your own eyes. What religious apologist could ever offer that kind of varied and immediate evidence? Happy hunting!”

All the Cambrian Explosion [a specific time in history] does is prove that creation came into being as though Someone suddenly created it. It disproves evolution: “And we find many of them [Cambrian fossils] already in an advanced state of evolution, the very first time they appear. It is as though they were just planted there, without any evolutionary history. Needless to say, this appearance of sudden planting has delighted creationists.” (Richard Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker London: W.W. Norton & Company, 1987, p. 229).

I asked for one piece of evidence of a species to species transitional form in the fossil record, and the best I was given was advice to visit museums and wished “happy hunting.” Why should I have to do the hunting? All I want is one example. That will shut my mouth.

Charles Darwin said, “But, as by this theory innumerable transitional forms must have existed, why do we not find them embedded in countless numbers in the crust of the earth? ” Well, have they found them? David M. Raup, Curator of Geology. Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago said, “... by the fossil record and we are now about 120-years after Darwin and the knowledge of the fossil record has been greatly expanded. We now have a quarter of a million fossil species but the situation hasn't changed much ." Newsweek magazine said, “The more scientists have searched for the transitional forms between species, the more they have been frustrated .” Evolutionist, Stephen Jay Gould admitted, “The extreme rarity of transitional forms in the fossil record persists as the trade secret of paleontology .” Lord Solly Zuckerman, MA, MD, DSc (Anatomy) added, “If man evolved from an apelike creature he did so without leaving a trace of that evolution in the fossil record.” Here are some more experts on the subject of evolution: “I would rather believe in fairy tales than in such wild speculation.” Nobel Prize-winner Sir Ernst Chain. “Evolutionism is a fairy tale for grown-ups. This theory has helped nothing in the progress of science. It is useless.” Professor Louis Bounoure . “I have asked myself whether I may not have devoted my life to a fantasy.” Charles Darwin. “Darwinists are afraid. They are hiding something.” Ben Stein, Actor. “Scientists who go about teaching that evolution is a fact of life are great con-men, and the story they are telling may be the greatest hoax ever.” Dr. T. N. Tahmisian (Atomic Energy Commission). “Ultimately, the Darwinian theory of evolution is no more nor less than the great cosmogenic myth of the twentieth century.” Michael J. Denton, Molecular Biologist. “I myself am convinced that the theory of evolution, especially the extent to which it's been applied, will be one of the great jokes in the history books of the future. Posterity will marvel that so very flimsy and dubious an hypothesis could be accepted with the incredible credulity that it has.” Malcolm Muggeridge, Journalist and philosopher Pascal Lectures, University of Waterloo Research The Advocate, March 8, 1984, p. 17

Again, there is no “extreme rarity” of species to species transitional forms. They don’t exist. I think that believers in the theory of evolution should take notice of the wise words of well-known evolutionist, Richard Dawkins: “And, next time somebody tells you that something is true, why not say to them: ‘What kind of evidence is there for that?’ And if they can't give you a good answer, I hope you'll think very carefully before you believe a word they say.”

From, Evolution . . . the Fairytale For Grown Ups (due to be published Feb. 2008).

PLEASE NOTE: We will be giving the subject of evolution a break for a while. So, please don't spend time writing long emails (blogs) to try and justify why you believe in the theory, because they will not be posted. Don't take it personally, it's just that the subject becomes tiresome after a while. Thanks for your understanding, and for all your interesting thoughts.