Origin of Species – Creationist Introduction

Ray Comfort, Christian Evangelist Publishes 50-page Creationist Introduction to Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species.

November 24, 2009 marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s most famous work On the Origin of Species. Around the world, Darwin is being remembered through film, books, events and websites for his work which changed the way we understand life on our planet.

The book pictured above, for all intents and purposes looks like a beautiful, commemorative version of his famous work, yet there is something very different about this particular edition. This 150th Anniversary edition of Origin of Species will include a 50-page preface by Ray Comfort, which specifically ‘attempts’ to discredit Darwin’s work through the use of red herring arguments, incorrect claims, misrepresentations, and which unabashedly promotes the unscientific doctrine of Creationism. You can download and read the entire intro by Ray Comfort here.  (PDF)

Ray Comfort is a Christian minister and evangelist. In late 2001/early 2002, Comfort collaborated with former child actor Kirk Cameron to launch a ministry called The Way of the Master to teach Christians how to promote their faith.  They have worked together on a television series, radio program, website and blog, all of the same name. When Comfort discovered that On the Origin of Species was public domain, he decided to publish it himself with a ’special’ introduction which would promote his own personal religious beliefs. Comfort and Cameron then teamed up to produce a short video (which they posted on the internet) to announced the project and their intentions. This month, they will be giving away more than 100,000 copies of the book at U.S. Universities, in an initiative called the Origin into Schools Project. (The are also putting the book up for sale on their website and are soliciting financial support for the ministry).

You can watch their promo video here:

On Ray Comfort’s official website (Living Waters), a press release for the altered book boasts, “In one day, 170,000 future doctors, lawyers and politicians will freely get information about Intelligent Design (and the gospel) placed directly into their hands.”

Accused of defacing Darwin’s work, Comfort and Cameron defend their actions by arguing that they have published Darwin’s entire book without removing anything. They explain that they have only added an ‘alternate viewpoint’ based on their religious beliefs,  a view they think should be considered academically (although it lacks any basis in science).

Comfort believes that his experience debating with Atheists and writing Christian books (which he sells, along with CDs, DVDs and other items, through his online store called Living Waters ministries) qualifies him to to write an intro to the scientific work On the Origin of Species. However, he reluctantly admits that “he is not an ‘expert’ on the subject of evolution”.

Indeed, there is no scientific basis for Comfort’s arguments. He uses rhetoric and his interpretation of the bible to challenge Darwin’s work. It is almost laughable how a Comfort opens his introduction with quotations, trying to suggest that there should be an academic debate between creationism and evolution, when in fact creationism disregards scientific evidence. Suggesting that academic freedom means allowing science-denying ideas to have a place in academics is ludicrous but nevertheless is one of the many red herring arguments that Comfort employs.

In his introduction, Comfort evokes a fallacious argument about DNA, using the old ‘coming together by sheer chance’ ploy.  (Darwin himself never knew about genetics or DNA during his lifetime, although his theories remain consistent with our understanding of DNA today.) Of course evolution does not endorse such a chance happening, quite the opposite. Natural selection is absolutely not chance. Random genetic mutations are selected or rejected (or ignored) because of their impact on the species’ survival, either positively or negatively. If a random genetic mutation benefits an individual’s odds of reproducing, then naturally that individual will pass that genetic mutation on to its offspring. Then over many generations the genetic mutation will eventually saturate the species’ gene pool, becoming the norm. Conversely, if a negative mutation prevents the individual from reproducing or living to sexual maturity, then that mutation will not be passed on.  If a random genetic mutation is neutral, meaning that it does not impact the individual’s survival or reproductive capabilities at all, then it does not come into the equation of natural selection.  Therefore, one can see that the chance argument reveals Comfort’s lack of understanding of evolutionary science (as he has himself admitted to).

There are many such arguments in Comfort’s introduction, such as incorrect claims regarding the absence of transitional fossil evidence. Not only does he deny the existence of transitional fossils, he also wrongly defines what a transitional fossil would be.

To a person reading this volume, who is unfamiliar with evolutionary science, they would be very much misinformed. Comfort completely misrepresents evolution. Whether it is because of his lack of understanding, or intentionally to push his own agenda, it really makes no difference. Comfort’s creationist introduction is littered with falsehoods, misinformation, fallacies and red herring arguments. The fact that this is being pushed into the hands of students should sound alarm bells. Not only is it biased in promoting an unscientific (and religious) belief, but it directly contradicts the evidence and facts of science.

Reader beware…

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© HumanitarianAtheist.com, 2009

1. 

   makarios says:

   November 4, 2009 at 1:02 pm

   “she dedicates much of her time to the causes of reason”

   I can tell. People from a cult treated me badly. Therefore Creator God does not exist.
2. 

   Moxie says:

   November 4, 2009 at 1:50 pm

   A cult upbringing made me keenly interested in religious belief. It was an education in history and science that caused me to abandon belief in the supernatural. In fact I was still religious and very spiritual for many years after I left the cult. Again it was only after being educated in science that I saw the likelihood of God’s existence to be a very low-probability.
3. 

   rifter says:

   November 4, 2009 at 6:39 pm

   markarios, interesting how you choose to make a ad hominem attack against the author rather than actually addressing any of the material itself. Typical.
4. 

   Electricakes says:

   November 18, 2009 at 1:53 pm

   I had heard about this effort a couple of months ago, and today on campus at the University of Florida I was handed a copy by a man who proceeded to waste 5 minutes of my time rambling about intelligent design. The debate between evolution and intelligent design has always fascinated me. Even when I was spiritual I welcomed and studied science, so the arguments frequently used against evolution are baffling to me. Evolution is a theory– there’s no proof! Evolution is a religion– and so on.

   I was hoping that, considering how pretty and carefully instructed the book is, that Comfort might have brought something new to to the table, but it is indeed the same old song. However, once I finish these fifty pages, I’ll have the chance to read Darwin’s original work, and I am excited about that.

   With any luck, the students who get their hands on the book won’t give up at the preface, and will find Darwin’s work an interesting read. Wouldn’t that be nice?
5. 

   Keith says:

   December 5, 2009 at 10:25 am

   Great website:)
   “Whether it is because of his lack of understanding, or intentionally to push his own agenda, it really makes no difference.”

   Oh he understands aright, but he also understands that the less educated and likely to question people are the more likely they will send him money. He also understands that the less educated somebody is the more lazy they are when it comes to finding out things for themselves. He knows they would much rather somebody just tell them what to believe and he puts himself right into that position. Make no mistake, there is a lot of money to be made from ignorance.

   Perhaps we should publish an origin of species follow up showing the evolution of the money making business called religion and the leaders who don’t actually believe. How it is adversely effecting the well being of the believers and the society and hypocritical the leaders are.