Mr. Grow referred to “quote mining” by creationists as if they are looking for snippets to prove their arguments against evolution theory. Sir, not only do I have a huge book of quotes, I have books written to explain what the snippets mean and why they are important in understanding the evolution vs. creation debate.
Grow mentioned Steven J. Gould’s anger over so-called misuse of his “punctuated equilibria” theory. Sure, he would get upset because he was a leading evolution paleontologist who tried to explain why there are few or no transitional forms where they need to be most, that being the species. His theory suggests that change between species had to happen in small parts of one species by a random mutation in a parent that then developed into another species.
That being the case, the new change would happen rapidly in time and not leave vast transitional forms in the fossil that Charles Darwin predicted. It is a roundabout way of admitting that the slow, simple to complex development of different species is not supported by the fossil record. He could get upset all he wanted, but the fact remains that his theory gave support to the creationist’s argument. He stated that there was abundant evidence of transitions in the higher levels, but that is referring to microevolution not Darwinian macroevolution.
The creation model says God created all living things in the last two days of creation week according to their own kind and then all those different kinds were rapidly buried in a worldwide flood that produced the fossil record we now have. The model predicts that you will find billions of different kinds of animals with no transitional forms that were buried rapidly at different levels of strata based on mobility and means of escape for the longest period of time before finally being overcome by the catastrophe.
That is exactly what the fossil record gives as evidence, too. Punctuated equilibrium actually admits there are no transitional forms, which is what creationists have predicted. Gould was upset because the creationists understood the implications of his theory and used it to support their model.
—Steve Kern
Oklahoma City
Kern, husband of state Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, is pastor of Olivet Baptist Church.
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