ABC News: Evolution Overwhelming and Compelling

Though the book is really an update of versions published in 1984 and 1999, it now includes coverage of alleged missing link and “walking fish” Tiktaalik.

It now includes coverage of alleged missing link and “walking fish” Tiktaalik.

The purpose of the book, according to the NAS, is to help “students as well as adults who wish to become more familiar with the many strands of evidence supporting evolution”—strands that the book says are “grow[ing] at a rapid pace.”

In addition to covering Tiktaalik, the book argues that without understanding evolution, combating viruses would be impossible, and states that “[e]volution is both a fact and a process that accounts for the diversity of life on Earth.”

As we’ve pointed out previously, there is a growing trend—which this updated book reflects—of scientists treating Darwinian theory as an absolute, indisputable fact central to science rather than as a set of testable scientific hypothesis (tested extensively enough, some would say, to be christened “theory”). Secular scientists are growing more dogmatic about evolution, even while accusing creationists (and others who question evolution) of dogmatically believing in untestable “stories.”

We believe both evolution and creation are frameworks used to interpret the evidence, but at heart, both come down to untestable presuppositions about God, nature, time, and even our ability to observe the world around us.

And, interestingly, although the NAS book pays lip service to religion and science getting along (with “science” being the absolute authority, of course), a survey several years ago showed 93% of NAS members to be atheistic or agnostic. When it comes to worldviews, then, what would we expect the NAS to say?