What do you think?
Rate this book
A Closer Look At The Evidence by RICHARD L. KLEISS
This unique devotional contains 365 pages of evidences for the reality of a biblical creation from over 20 different areas of science and education. The primary purpose of this book is to help people understand what makes Christianity so trustworthy. Many books are available on the scientific evidence for creation, but most are difficult to share due to the technical nature of the subject matter. This book is written to be enjoyed as a daily devotional, but can also serve as an easy-to-read resource on the physical evidence that our Creator exists.God’s desire is that the knowledge of what He has done through both the cross and creation is for everyone. We must not keep this knowledge to ourselves. The evidence that He is our Creator is so overwhelming and encouraging that it desperately needs to be shared in the world today. A Closer Look at the Evidence is designed to be an affordable resource to both reinforce our individual faith and facilitate sharing the reasons for this faith.Each page summarizes interesting facts about God and/or creation. The reader is encouraged to find more extensive and detailed information through the sources listed at the bottom of each page. Occasionally the source is quoted directly, but more often the material is summarized. The book is a great resource for both individuals and classrooms, suitable for elementary through adult.
Paperback
First published June 1, 2003
32 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 13, 2025
I’d like to preface this review by saying that I absolutely don’t recommend this book and feel it to be a waste of time due to the lack of effort in supporting the claims made by the authors. I didn’t finish the book which is quite atypical for me, as I usually read nonfiction books, and I’ve never considered myself finished with a book when I’m barely halfway through. I normally am of the opinion any book can be worth reading but this proved me wrong. I did eventually make it through about 75% of the book before I gave up on it entirely.
The book is written in a devotional style with specific topics dedicated to each page, rather than a coherent text throughout, making it more frustrating to read. Additionally, I’m unsure if this is simply an error with my specific copy, but the print quality is rather poor, with my index tabs lifting some off the pages. Many of the sources cited within this book are summarized rather than quoted directly which can lead to a misrepresentation of claims. There are also a few typos throughout the book.
The creation foundation is mentioned 15 times as a ‘source’ and the bible or ‘prophecy’ is mentioned 17 times as a ‘source’. There are multiple pages citing the “worldwide flood” as a source as well as “common sense” titled pages which amount to the authors’ subjective opinions. In the intro to the book, the authors argue that the root of religious skepticism, or the cultural war in western civilization as they phrase it, is man’s desire to replace god with himself. I would agree that there is a problem with individualism taken to an extreme that presents as narcissism in many western countries. However this isn’t what’s driving religious skepticism.
Moreover the authors making this claim is incredibly ironic given the fact that on the following page they state “The entire universe was created for man’s pleasure in order to reveal god’s glory”. The authors also state that one can never be “good” enough to earn their way into heaven which is by itself self defeating. If admission to heaven isn’t a reflection of behavior, then why is it even there? What’s the purpose of heaven itself if the criteria to be allowed in is entirely arbitrary?
The authors frequently conflate religiosity with morality throughout the book. Throughout the entirety of the book the authors either have a fundamental misunderstanding of evolution as a concept or are being deliberately dishonest in the way they describe it. On the page marked January 13 specifically, the authors remark that if evolution were real you would see examples of half developed organs. This reasoning is flawed because something evolving doesn’t necessitate that its previous iteration has to be half formed. Only that it must be different in some way. Within the book there’s also often a misrepresentation of genetic mutations as all being birth defects.
On the previous page dedicated to January 10, the authors imply that the need of prey animals to escape predators is due to living in a “fallen world” which is a clearly absurd claim that demonstrates no understanding of basic animal behavior. Unless the predator animals didn’t exist before the fallen world, or they were vegan, this makes no sense. On a page dedicated to January 23, the authors present venus fly traps as a plant that is one of a kind and different to other plants. It is true that fly traps have the unique distinction of being carnivorous, but they’re just one of many carnivorous plant species.
Twice in the book the authors claim the eugenic and white supremacist views of the nazis were the logical conclusion of believing in evolution. Authors point out that the bible endorses circumcision as if it’s a positive thing. On the page for March 22, authors complain about schools not introducing the concept of creationism as if it’s unjust. Ignoring that creationism is a religious concept and has no factual basis. Authors equate abortion to human sacrifice and genocide on another page.
Authors display an interesting view on dinosaurs, believing they existed alongside early man. Atypical for creationists because they usually seem to claim that dinosaurs never existed at all. On the April 15 page, they attempt to support this claim by citing a quote from the book of Job. However, if the original text had any basis in reality, it’s likely the animal being referenced was a crocodile. There’s specific mention of its tail “swaying like a great cedar”. Depending on physical perspective it’s possible for the tails of crocodiles to look like the leaves of a cedar tree. The plates on a crocodile's tail in particular create a similar shape when the tail is swaying. As for other stories or drawings that reference dinosaur like creatures, it’s possible these were a combination of creative works with some factual texts likely referencing large reptiles like crocodiles or large monitor lizards like the komodo dragon. On page May 21, authors make the claim that the extinction of the dinosaurs was caused by a worldwide flood, but this wouldn’t explain why aquatic dinosaurs also went extinct.
Authors’ answer to the question of who adam & eve’s children married is that they married their siblings. They claim, rather flippantly, the defects created by incest are simply a result of “mankind’s disobedience”. I’ll end this review on the note that the misrepresentation of evolution present throughout this book is odd given that Richard & Tina Kleiss both claim to have been science teachers.
The book is written in a devotional style with specific topics dedicated to each page, rather than a coherent text throughout, making it more frustrating to read. Additionally, I’m unsure if this is simply an error with my specific copy, but the print quality is rather poor, with my index tabs lifting some off the pages. Many of the sources cited within this book are summarized rather than quoted directly which can lead to a misrepresentation of claims. There are also a few typos throughout the book.
The creation foundation is mentioned 15 times as a ‘source’ and the bible or ‘prophecy’ is mentioned 17 times as a ‘source’. There are multiple pages citing the “worldwide flood” as a source as well as “common sense” titled pages which amount to the authors’ subjective opinions. In the intro to the book, the authors argue that the root of religious skepticism, or the cultural war in western civilization as they phrase it, is man’s desire to replace god with himself. I would agree that there is a problem with individualism taken to an extreme that presents as narcissism in many western countries. However this isn’t what’s driving religious skepticism.
Moreover the authors making this claim is incredibly ironic given the fact that on the following page they state “The entire universe was created for man’s pleasure in order to reveal god’s glory”. The authors also state that one can never be “good” enough to earn their way into heaven which is by itself self defeating. If admission to heaven isn’t a reflection of behavior, then why is it even there? What’s the purpose of heaven itself if the criteria to be allowed in is entirely arbitrary?
The authors frequently conflate religiosity with morality throughout the book. Throughout the entirety of the book the authors either have a fundamental misunderstanding of evolution as a concept or are being deliberately dishonest in the way they describe it. On the page marked January 13 specifically, the authors remark that if evolution were real you would see examples of half developed organs. This reasoning is flawed because something evolving doesn’t necessitate that its previous iteration has to be half formed. Only that it must be different in some way. Within the book there’s also often a misrepresentation of genetic mutations as all being birth defects.
On the previous page dedicated to January 10, the authors imply that the need of prey animals to escape predators is due to living in a “fallen world” which is a clearly absurd claim that demonstrates no understanding of basic animal behavior. Unless the predator animals didn’t exist before the fallen world, or they were vegan, this makes no sense. On a page dedicated to January 23, the authors present venus fly traps as a plant that is one of a kind and different to other plants. It is true that fly traps have the unique distinction of being carnivorous, but they’re just one of many carnivorous plant species.
Twice in the book the authors claim the eugenic and white supremacist views of the nazis were the logical conclusion of believing in evolution. Authors point out that the bible endorses circumcision as if it’s a positive thing. On the page for March 22, authors complain about schools not introducing the concept of creationism as if it’s unjust. Ignoring that creationism is a religious concept and has no factual basis. Authors equate abortion to human sacrifice and genocide on another page.
Authors display an interesting view on dinosaurs, believing they existed alongside early man. Atypical for creationists because they usually seem to claim that dinosaurs never existed at all. On the April 15 page, they attempt to support this claim by citing a quote from the book of Job. However, if the original text had any basis in reality, it’s likely the animal being referenced was a crocodile. There’s specific mention of its tail “swaying like a great cedar”. Depending on physical perspective it’s possible for the tails of crocodiles to look like the leaves of a cedar tree. The plates on a crocodile's tail in particular create a similar shape when the tail is swaying. As for other stories or drawings that reference dinosaur like creatures, it’s possible these were a combination of creative works with some factual texts likely referencing large reptiles like crocodiles or large monitor lizards like the komodo dragon. On page May 21, authors make the claim that the extinction of the dinosaurs was caused by a worldwide flood, but this wouldn’t explain why aquatic dinosaurs also went extinct.
Authors’ answer to the question of who adam & eve’s children married is that they married their siblings. They claim, rather flippantly, the defects created by incest are simply a result of “mankind’s disobedience”. I’ll end this review on the note that the misrepresentation of evolution present throughout this book is odd given that Richard & Tina Kleiss both claim to have been science teachers.
August 2, 2024
I like to think I went into this book with an open mind, but I feel like the book presents little, if any, verifiable or observable scientific facts.
December 31, 2022
I love starting the day with this book!
This series of devotionals (this one, along with “Inspired Evidence” and “Have You Considered”), have bolstered my faith. My wife and I read one of them each year, and it’s a great faith booster in the morning (along with reading the Bible), before I head out into the world, which seems to be dominated by a secular viewpoint.
I was raised in the public school system, subtly teaching me that science contradicts God and the Bible… which always created a speed bump for my faith. Around 3 years ago, however, my wife came across this devotional series (through a homeschool speaker), and shared it with me… And the speed bump has been removed! I now understand the truth, that science proves the existence of God and the Bible! And our kids are learning the truth!
This devotional has been such a blessing to me and my family. I am so grateful for the authors. I pray this information will be shared with the world.
This series of devotionals (this one, along with “Inspired Evidence” and “Have You Considered”), have bolstered my faith. My wife and I read one of them each year, and it’s a great faith booster in the morning (along with reading the Bible), before I head out into the world, which seems to be dominated by a secular viewpoint.
I was raised in the public school system, subtly teaching me that science contradicts God and the Bible… which always created a speed bump for my faith. Around 3 years ago, however, my wife came across this devotional series (through a homeschool speaker), and shared it with me… And the speed bump has been removed! I now understand the truth, that science proves the existence of God and the Bible! And our kids are learning the truth!
This devotional has been such a blessing to me and my family. I am so grateful for the authors. I pray this information will be shared with the world.
February 21, 2022
This book is fabulous in defending creation and introducing loop-holes in evolution. Each page give
strong argument in the way of a devotion. Starting with January 1 and ending with December 31. The
Many areas covered are: Creation; Biology; Prophecy; Botany; Chemistry; Human Anatomy; Astronomy; and may other areas. It shows how great the Bible is and how great God is.
strong argument in the way of a devotion. Starting with January 1 and ending with December 31. The
Many areas covered are: Creation; Biology; Prophecy; Botany; Chemistry; Human Anatomy; Astronomy; and may other areas. It shows how great the Bible is and how great God is.
October 7, 2016
Great Teacher
This book is an absolute blessing and should be read by every Christian. The shame is, it needs to be taught in government schools, but I doubt it will.
Yours in Christ,
Alex
This book is an absolute blessing and should be read by every Christian. The shame is, it needs to be taught in government schools, but I doubt it will.
Yours in Christ,
Alex
January 1, 2011
A Closer Look at the Evidence is a collection of facts that support the truth and accuracy of the the Bible from different branches of science. "The primary purpose of this book is to help people understand what makes Christianity so trustworthy." This book is formatted as a devotional with one page for each day covering one shred of evidence in support of a creator and the accuracy and authority of the Bible. It has a verse and references the source of the information shared for that day. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in science, evolution, or curious about God, creation or the Bible.
Subjects include: Anatomy, Anthropology, Archaeology, Astronomy, Biblical Accuracy, Biblical Uniqueness, Biology, Botany, Changed Nature, Chemistry, Common Sense, Comparing Religions, Creation Foundation, Earth's Ecology, Fossil Record, Genetics, Geology, Great Scientists, History, Language, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics, Prophecy, Psychology, and Worldwide Flood.
Subjects include: Anatomy, Anthropology, Archaeology, Astronomy, Biblical Accuracy, Biblical Uniqueness, Biology, Botany, Changed Nature, Chemistry, Common Sense, Comparing Religions, Creation Foundation, Earth's Ecology, Fossil Record, Genetics, Geology, Great Scientists, History, Language, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics, Prophecy, Psychology, and Worldwide Flood.
June 21, 2013
Many interesting facts and good information, but it was clearly written from a viewpoint to discredit evolution. Why do we as Christians need to compare ourselves to the world? I definitely could have gone without the many comments of, "How many creatures had to go stumbling blind before evolution gave them eyes?" and the like.
July 22, 2012
A Closer Look at the Evidence is written like a daily devotional with one page for each day covering evidence in support of a creator. Subjects including: Anatomy, Archaeology, Astronomy, Biblical Accuracy, Biology, Botany, Common Sense and many, many more.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews