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Creation: Facts of Life
What happens when an evolutionary biologist is overwhelmed with scientific evidences of God's plan in nature? After three years of trying to "prove evolution" to skeptical professors in his science department, Gary Parker finally realized that the scientific evidence we see in God's world agrees with what we read in God's Word. In Creation Facts of Life, Dr. Parker respectfully describes the evidences he once used to "preach" evolution--but then he explains how the "rest of the evidence" points away from evolution and toward a perfect world created by God, ruined by man, restored to new life in Christ! In easy-to-follow conversational style, Dr. Parker
- GenresScienceCreation Science
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
18 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Gary Parker
11 books3 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Biologist Dr. Gary Parker, along with his wife, Mary, was with Answers in Genesis as senior lecturer since AiG’s first year (1994, and remained full-time until 1999). Dr. Parker was also the head of the science department at Clearwater Christian College (CCC) in Florida. For twelve years, he served on the science faculty of the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) in the San Diego area.
Dr. Parker began his teaching career as a non-Christian and evolutionist. The details of his spiritual and scientific conversion, From Evolution to Creation (available as a booklet and DVD), include comic incidents. For example, he was a participant in a debate where his science department, defending the Bible, debated the Bible department, which was defending evolution!
En route to his B.A. in Biology/Chemistry, M.S. in Biology/Physiology, and Ed.D. in Biology/Geology from Ball State, Dr. Parker earned several academic awards, including admission to Phi Beta Kappa (the national scholastic honorary), election to the American Society of Zoologists (for his research on tadpoles), and a fifteen-month fellowship award from the National Science Foundation.
He has published five programmed textbooks in biology and six books in creation science (the latter translated into a total of eight languages), has appeared in numerous films and television programs, and has lectured worldwide on creation.
Biologist Dr. Gary Parker, along with his wife, Mary, was with Answers in Genesis as senior lecturer since AiG’s first year (1994, and remained full-time until 1999). Dr. Parker was also the head of the science department at Clearwater Christian College (CCC) in Florida. For twelve years, he served on the science faculty of the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) in the San Diego area.
Dr. Parker began his teaching career as a non-Christian and evolutionist. The details of his spiritual and scientific conversion, From Evolution to Creation (available as a booklet and DVD), include comic incidents. For example, he was a participant in a debate where his science department, defending the Bible, debated the Bible department, which was defending evolution!
En route to his B.A. in Biology/Chemistry, M.S. in Biology/Physiology, and Ed.D. in Biology/Geology from Ball State, Dr. Parker earned several academic awards, including admission to Phi Beta Kappa (the national scholastic honorary), election to the American Society of Zoologists (for his research on tadpoles), and a fifteen-month fellowship award from the National Science Foundation.
He has published five programmed textbooks in biology and six books in creation science (the latter translated into a total of eight languages), has appeared in numerous films and television programs, and has lectured worldwide on creation.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 12, 2009
The first chapter focuses on the idea that the irreducible proprieties of organization in the biological world (namely in DNA and proteins) demonstrate plan, purpose and special acts of Creation. You do not need to see an engineer and the way he work to realize that an engine was not randomly produced by chance. Likewise, you do not have to see the Creator and the moment of creation to see that features of life indicate His works. The homology of organs in the natural world, the embryonic development and the great power of adaptation of organism all point to an Intelligent Creator.
The next chapter investigates some of the examples of evolution and tries to show that some features of organism cannot be explained by the incremental slow pace of mutation and natural selection and that the usual examples for macro-evolution are only micro-evolution that cannot be extrapolated to account for ameoba-to-man evolution.
The third chapter deals with fossils and show that usually fossils appear suddenly in the fossil record and they remain the same all trough geological history, if they do not disappear just as suddenly as they appeared. The great explosions of species are interpreted as events of creation. The author shows that the few examples of so called transitional fossils are debatable and that the punctuated equilibrium theory cannot be a sound science theory. The author held responsible for the fossil layers a great catastrophic event that has occurred in the past which he identifies as the Great Biblical Flood of Noah. The great lakes that were formed after this catastrophe carved out some magnificent structures on Earth's crust, like the Grand Canyon.
The next chapter investigates some of the examples of evolution and tries to show that some features of organism cannot be explained by the incremental slow pace of mutation and natural selection and that the usual examples for macro-evolution are only micro-evolution that cannot be extrapolated to account for ameoba-to-man evolution.
The third chapter deals with fossils and show that usually fossils appear suddenly in the fossil record and they remain the same all trough geological history, if they do not disappear just as suddenly as they appeared. The great explosions of species are interpreted as events of creation. The author shows that the few examples of so called transitional fossils are debatable and that the punctuated equilibrium theory cannot be a sound science theory. The author held responsible for the fossil layers a great catastrophic event that has occurred in the past which he identifies as the Great Biblical Flood of Noah. The great lakes that were formed after this catastrophe carved out some magnificent structures on Earth's crust, like the Grand Canyon.
June 16, 2013
Phenomenal book. Gave me a very good beginner's course in evidence for (or rather against) evolution that has been collected in biology, geology, and archaeology over the lag 150 years. The author who is a biologist and former long time atheist set out to crush the "creationist" approach a number of years ago and ended up becoming overwhelmed by the evidence against evolution, the "molecules to man" theories, and the concept of the earth being millions of years old.
This book goes into a good level of detail (isn't too shallow) but it also doesn't into absurdly detailed scientific discussion that only a biology phd would understand. He does an excellent job of explaining the scientific details in a clear concise manner.
After reading this, I definitely want to dive in much deeper into some that DO go into thorough detail (after having had this solid introduction to the subject)
This book goes into a good level of detail (isn't too shallow) but it also doesn't into absurdly detailed scientific discussion that only a biology phd would understand. He does an excellent job of explaining the scientific details in a clear concise manner.
After reading this, I definitely want to dive in much deeper into some that DO go into thorough detail (after having had this solid introduction to the subject)
September 16, 2018
This is an excellent book that goes straight to the scientific facts that clearly disprove the theory of evolution. It was a refreshing and interesting read that I'd recommend to anyone who is interested in studying the evidence behind Creation and evolution. The author was formerly an evolutionist himself, and I appreciated his candid approach to this plain but often difficult issue.
Overall, I think every Christian should better acquaint himself with the truths of Scripture and how it relates and is proved true by science.
Overall, I think every Christian should better acquaint himself with the truths of Scripture and how it relates and is proved true by science.
February 29, 2012
A great in depth book on topics that impact a Christian's worldview, especially where the Biblical view of Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Christ are the main influences on the Earth and it History. Showing how a Biblical view of Science, fossils, and how the claims of evolution just don't fit the facts. A Great Science book for High School to Adult ages. Read for our Creation Geology class. Found the evidence to be profound, the arguments sound, and the information in support of the Bible.
January 20, 2025
A coworker of mine put their children in a local church school, and was telling me about what they were learning, so I looked up the curriculum. I was moderately amused and equal parts disturbed to see them proclaiming the Loch Ness monster disproves evolution because dinosaurs are still alive. It’s a bit silly when the parents who complain about public schools brainwashing their children send their children to schools utilizing the ACE curriculum making statements like the aforementioned. If the evidence for your evidence has no evidence, you probably need to critically look at the biases you are confirming and question what you are teaching your children. Reading further through their curriculum, I saw a book from Dr. Gary Parker, a local author, called Creation: Facts of Life. Dr. Parker is associated with Answers in Genesis, which I normally avoid because I can only handle so much hypocrisy, but the local connection made me interested enough to read Creation: Facts of Life.
Dr. Parker, a professor at Christian colleges for decades, claims to have started his teaching career as an atheist with evolution being his “religion.” I’m always skeptical of statements like this because people who understand science know it is not a dogmatic practice. Christians claiming to be former atheists like to conflate science with religion. It’s a rhetorical device to even the playing field knowing their audience does not understand the scientific process. They say things like “my religion is based on faith, well their religion of science is all faith as well!” That’s not how science works though. Science is based upon evidence and testing. If human knowledge was wiped out tomorrow, and the laws of the universe remained constant, science would be on course to reach the same conclusions we have now. Religions forming from this hypothetical knowledge wipe would be completely unrecognizable. Science has a beautiful phrase that goes “I don’t know.” This leads to “Let’s do some experiments and find out.” The author of this book went from “I don’t know” to “therefore the only possibility is the God of the church I was raised in.” Science starts with a question, Parker starts with an answer and then makes up the rest to fit his answer.
I don’t have the energy to go through and debunk all of the claims made in this book, but Dr. Parker uses the same repetitious cascade of bad faith arguments for every chapter. His formula is to first misrepresent an aspect of evolution or science, claim creationism doesn’t have any flaws, use out of context quotes from scientists, and then state how any logical person would clearly see creationism as the only possibility making sense. He uses bad argument after bad argument sprinkled with poor understanding of science and huge jumps in logic. In particular, Dr. Parker loves faulty analogies and the flawed watchmaker’s argument. A few times he claimed the entire Bible was scientifically accurate because of the vaguest of Biblical quotes. He doesn’t mention parts of the Bible that claim no divine influence and are still scientifically ridiculous such as Jacob causing the birth of more striped goats by having his goats look at striped tree branches or people living to nearly 1000 years old. Dr. Parker in no way gives evidence towards creationism, rather, he intends to cast doubt in the theory of evolution while using bad analogies to make creationism seem like the obvious answer.
The first argument in the book is all about abiogenesis, starting with a bad understanding or intentional misrepresentation of the Miller-Urey experiment. It relies on the reader having as little knowledge as possible on the subject. I’ll take a page out of Dr. Parker’s book and use an analogy as his argument is essentially “apples can’t exist in a world with oxygen because apples turn brown when exposed to oxygen. However, let’s just say apples did exist, well then peaches would exist too and you can’t make apple pie when peaches are around. It’d be apple peach pie, and that’s impossible.” Replace apples with left-handed amino acids and peaches with right-hand amino acids, and that’s his starting argument for why creationism is the only “logical” answer. I’m reading an updated version of the text from 2006, so it’s even worse that the author ignores countless other experiments on abiogenesis. Dr. Parker also seems to think that every person who recognizes the theory of evolution sees abiogenesis as fact. Abiogenesis has nothing to do with the theory of evolution, so just like science and religion, he’s conflating two entirely different things. Abiogenesis is a claim to how life came to be, evolution is a theory on how life changes. It doesn’t help that he frequently refers to anything contradicting creationism as evolutionist.
I know a review on a website won’t change anybody’s mind, but you’re doing your children a great disservice putting them in any program that uses a book like this. I hope it works out for them in the end, I hope they have good lives, I hope they don’t feel lost and left behind as an adult. But most importantly, I hope you as a parent listen if they start to see the faults in their education. Have open and honest discussions with them. Be prepared to be challenged; do not turn everything into a fight. It’s okay to admit you were wrong and made mistakes. And if you can’t stand your Christian worldview being challenged, be ready for one day when they resent you.
Dr. Parker, a professor at Christian colleges for decades, claims to have started his teaching career as an atheist with evolution being his “religion.” I’m always skeptical of statements like this because people who understand science know it is not a dogmatic practice. Christians claiming to be former atheists like to conflate science with religion. It’s a rhetorical device to even the playing field knowing their audience does not understand the scientific process. They say things like “my religion is based on faith, well their religion of science is all faith as well!” That’s not how science works though. Science is based upon evidence and testing. If human knowledge was wiped out tomorrow, and the laws of the universe remained constant, science would be on course to reach the same conclusions we have now. Religions forming from this hypothetical knowledge wipe would be completely unrecognizable. Science has a beautiful phrase that goes “I don’t know.” This leads to “Let’s do some experiments and find out.” The author of this book went from “I don’t know” to “therefore the only possibility is the God of the church I was raised in.” Science starts with a question, Parker starts with an answer and then makes up the rest to fit his answer.
I don’t have the energy to go through and debunk all of the claims made in this book, but Dr. Parker uses the same repetitious cascade of bad faith arguments for every chapter. His formula is to first misrepresent an aspect of evolution or science, claim creationism doesn’t have any flaws, use out of context quotes from scientists, and then state how any logical person would clearly see creationism as the only possibility making sense. He uses bad argument after bad argument sprinkled with poor understanding of science and huge jumps in logic. In particular, Dr. Parker loves faulty analogies and the flawed watchmaker’s argument. A few times he claimed the entire Bible was scientifically accurate because of the vaguest of Biblical quotes. He doesn’t mention parts of the Bible that claim no divine influence and are still scientifically ridiculous such as Jacob causing the birth of more striped goats by having his goats look at striped tree branches or people living to nearly 1000 years old. Dr. Parker in no way gives evidence towards creationism, rather, he intends to cast doubt in the theory of evolution while using bad analogies to make creationism seem like the obvious answer.
The first argument in the book is all about abiogenesis, starting with a bad understanding or intentional misrepresentation of the Miller-Urey experiment. It relies on the reader having as little knowledge as possible on the subject. I’ll take a page out of Dr. Parker’s book and use an analogy as his argument is essentially “apples can’t exist in a world with oxygen because apples turn brown when exposed to oxygen. However, let’s just say apples did exist, well then peaches would exist too and you can’t make apple pie when peaches are around. It’d be apple peach pie, and that’s impossible.” Replace apples with left-handed amino acids and peaches with right-hand amino acids, and that’s his starting argument for why creationism is the only “logical” answer. I’m reading an updated version of the text from 2006, so it’s even worse that the author ignores countless other experiments on abiogenesis. Dr. Parker also seems to think that every person who recognizes the theory of evolution sees abiogenesis as fact. Abiogenesis has nothing to do with the theory of evolution, so just like science and religion, he’s conflating two entirely different things. Abiogenesis is a claim to how life came to be, evolution is a theory on how life changes. It doesn’t help that he frequently refers to anything contradicting creationism as evolutionist.
I know a review on a website won’t change anybody’s mind, but you’re doing your children a great disservice putting them in any program that uses a book like this. I hope it works out for them in the end, I hope they have good lives, I hope they don’t feel lost and left behind as an adult. But most importantly, I hope you as a parent listen if they start to see the faults in their education. Have open and honest discussions with them. Be prepared to be challenged; do not turn everything into a fight. It’s okay to admit you were wrong and made mistakes. And if you can’t stand your Christian worldview being challenged, be ready for one day when they resent you.
May 6, 2012
While my copy of the book is pretty dated (I believe), I found this book to be very informative. Dr. Parker had some very good arguments, and I would recommend this book to believer and non-believer alike.
April 23, 2019
It took me nine months to read this. The truth is I burnt myself out on creation science at the time and only today did I pick up the book again. I started around page 80 and devoured the rest of the book today. For those who decry the "fake" science of Creationism, here is the book that will answer your concerns. Gary Parker is a real life PhD whose doctoral minor is in geology. His explanations can sometimes be technical but they are always logical. He repeatedly shows the weaknesses in evolutionary theory and yet uses much of the same evidence to support the more logical arguments of creation.
October 19, 2017
Very educational book. Some of it was above my head but if I really applied myself to every sentence I could get most of it.
I never knew that so many of the 'facts' still taught in history books as proof of evolution have been debunked years ago.
Loved learning about the many wonderful ways God created the world, and about the fact that there is so much evidence of the flood.
In the end, both evolution and creation are a belief in something that you can't prove a 100% . For me, the evidence points in the direction of creation and a Creator.
I never knew that so many of the 'facts' still taught in history books as proof of evolution have been debunked years ago.
Loved learning about the many wonderful ways God created the world, and about the fact that there is so much evidence of the flood.
In the end, both evolution and creation are a belief in something that you can't prove a 100% . For me, the evidence points in the direction of creation and a Creator.
December 4, 2019
A patently open attempt to convert the non-believer. Yet, a wonderfully logical walk through the evidence that is available. As a believer and an English/History teacher I know this book can be a help to the believe who is not a practicing scientist. I would only recommend this book to those who are already believers and are seeking ways to strength their belief through what theologians call "general revelation." The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 NIV.
October 25, 2023
I actually read this on line at answersingenesis.com (no edition correlates to this). As is the case for all AiG-affiliated or -endorsed materials, it does a great job explaining and examining the relevant issues, arguments, and presuppositions and accurately applying logic, while expositing God's word with sound hermeneutics. (It's been seven years since I read this, so my memory is weak on the specifics.)
September 28, 2017
Great resource for Christian apologetics regarding the ontological argument. Not perfect in its use of sources or examples, but helpful in getting started. Gary Parker is a credible source and the layout of the book is much less jumbled than the others in this field.
June 28, 2022
The author delves deep into the evidence and shows why it points to creation v evolution. Most of it can be understood by someone with basic scientific knowledge.
Want to read
October 15, 2022ICR conference
June 10, 2024
There are a lot of questions that strict evolutionists don't know how to answer, even by 2007 and, however, they are absolutely obstinate about being right. "In evolutionary thinking, chance and struggle produce 'new and improved' forms of life. In biblical thinking, chance and struggle produce disease, decline and death."
The author himself was an evolutionist before he decided to check the facts from a biblical perspective. It took him three years to change his mind and fully believe that the Bible is the best guide to understanding God's world. This book is written by a scientist who became a Christian. It is written in an easy to understand language, full of facts, quotes from other leading scientists, and lots of investigation on fields like biology, genetics to paleontology.
Evolutionists don't even explain why horses, dogs or fish have stopped evolving, if they ever evolved -which they haven't, otherwise why have they stopped?-. Evolution does not trespass barriers between species. There are different "varieties" of dogs, but they are still dogs. Animals just become more adapted and fitted to their particular environment. The change is only within kind, not from one kind to others. "Natural selection does not explain the origin of species or traits, but only their preservation. Lewontin ... recognizes that 'natural selection operates essentially to enable the organisms to maintain their state rather than to improve it'. "
There is the false idea that mutations in the genes are the motor of transformation, but: "mutations presuppose creation. After all, mutations are only changes in genes that already exist."
There's a warning in this book against trying to become a peacemaker between evolutionists and creationists while being a Christian. The author himself had been through that stage. He tried to convince himself that evolution told us how God did it. The reason for the warning: "Darwin described the evolutionary process (as) ... the 'war of nature, famine, and death'. Evolution is a gruesome cycle of struggle-and-death." But "God even tells us that He was 'grieved to His heart by the violence and corruption' that filled the earth after people turned away from Him (Genesis 6:5-6). If God was grieved by violence and corruption, how could He use it as His means of creation? ... Evolution is the opposite of the whole Gospel message."
"great variation within kind ("micro-evolution") by itself could never, even in infinite time, lead to macro-evolution." That is, small changes don't just add up continuously.
The chapter about fossils is very relevant. The Neanderthals, who were supposed to be our ancestors, are now considered to be -even by evolutionists- no more different from people living today (and I think I´ve seen more than one in the street). Somebody owes an apology to Mr Neanderthal. But these nice Neanderthals were not the only ones so ill-treated by our racists of laboratory: The Tasmanian aborigines were once considered also as a subhuman evolutionary link. Then there's the Piltdown hoax. Why did that happen? " ... people (just) wanted to believe in evolution". Kind of what happened with the infamous Da Vinci Code: people just want to believe it. Then the author discusses the Lucy bones, and the Austrolopitecus (forgive my spelling) and that definitely convinces me.
The author himself was an evolutionist before he decided to check the facts from a biblical perspective. It took him three years to change his mind and fully believe that the Bible is the best guide to understanding God's world. This book is written by a scientist who became a Christian. It is written in an easy to understand language, full of facts, quotes from other leading scientists, and lots of investigation on fields like biology, genetics to paleontology.
Evolutionists don't even explain why horses, dogs or fish have stopped evolving, if they ever evolved -which they haven't, otherwise why have they stopped?-. Evolution does not trespass barriers between species. There are different "varieties" of dogs, but they are still dogs. Animals just become more adapted and fitted to their particular environment. The change is only within kind, not from one kind to others. "Natural selection does not explain the origin of species or traits, but only their preservation. Lewontin ... recognizes that 'natural selection operates essentially to enable the organisms to maintain their state rather than to improve it'. "
There is the false idea that mutations in the genes are the motor of transformation, but: "mutations presuppose creation. After all, mutations are only changes in genes that already exist."
There's a warning in this book against trying to become a peacemaker between evolutionists and creationists while being a Christian. The author himself had been through that stage. He tried to convince himself that evolution told us how God did it. The reason for the warning: "Darwin described the evolutionary process (as) ... the 'war of nature, famine, and death'. Evolution is a gruesome cycle of struggle-and-death." But "God even tells us that He was 'grieved to His heart by the violence and corruption' that filled the earth after people turned away from Him (Genesis 6:5-6). If God was grieved by violence and corruption, how could He use it as His means of creation? ... Evolution is the opposite of the whole Gospel message."
"great variation within kind ("micro-evolution") by itself could never, even in infinite time, lead to macro-evolution." That is, small changes don't just add up continuously.
The chapter about fossils is very relevant. The Neanderthals, who were supposed to be our ancestors, are now considered to be -even by evolutionists- no more different from people living today (and I think I´ve seen more than one in the street). Somebody owes an apology to Mr Neanderthal. But these nice Neanderthals were not the only ones so ill-treated by our racists of laboratory: The Tasmanian aborigines were once considered also as a subhuman evolutionary link. Then there's the Piltdown hoax. Why did that happen? " ... people (just) wanted to believe in evolution". Kind of what happened with the infamous Da Vinci Code: people just want to believe it. Then the author discusses the Lucy bones, and the Austrolopitecus (forgive my spelling) and that definitely convinces me.
June 29, 2021
Are you a Christian who struggles with the creation versus evolution debate? Not sure where to turn for clarity? This book is a great place to start!!!
August 3, 2023
Consider that most reviewers are bible literalists who want their bias confirmed. I’m all for challenging the status quo and hearing an opposing viewpoint, but the author ignoring the subject of radiometric dating and dismissing the existence of the Chixulub asteroid crater - as if scientists don’t regularly access it for research - is preposterous. He also writes about evolution being taught in schools like it’s a conspiracy theory; well, guess what Dr. Parker? You’re in a lonely camp, as fewer than 1% of scientists agree with you. This book is nonsense, and anything but “real science” as it proclaims itself to be.
January 7, 2011
Pretty good, but a bit basic sometimes.
However, it was too technical for some other people that read it.
Good high school-level book.
However, it was too technical for some other people that read it.
Good high school-level book.
Read
July 24, 2011Well some of his conclusions are not very sound (especially re: Grand Canyon) and his evidence is sketchy (?Neanderthals were just humans with health problems?), there is some stuff to think about.
May 24, 2012
Very good scientific basis for creation, I like his testimony in the beginning kind of reminiscent of Apostle Paul's story of being fervently against Christianity then persuaded by evidence
August 31, 2016
Read this creationist book many years ago. It was interesting at the time but I now find these kinds of works unconvincing.
February 15, 2015
About what I expected, the usual problems with creationism.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews