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This article is from
Creation 8(3):4–5, June 1986

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Focus: News of interest about creation and evolution

Huxley Memorial Lecture

In a historic lecture that would have had evolutionist Thomas Huxley roll in his grave, well-respected creationist Professor Arthur Wilder-Smith presented this year’s T.H. Huxley Memorial Lecture at the University of Oxford on February 14. Professor Wilder-Smith is one of the few scientists in the world to have earned three doctorates in science. His being invited to present the Huxley lecture was seen as a huge breakthrough for creation science even before it began. But before the hallowed walls of Oxford even had time to cool from a creationist’s presentation on an evolutionist’s platform, an organised debate took place. Professor Wilder-Smith’s presentation during the lecture and three-hour debate was described as ‘brilliant’.

Professor Wilder-Smith has also accepted an invitation to be a guest speaker at the 1987 Creation Science Foundation’s Summer Institute in Australia.

From correspondents in the U.K.

Skeptics Fall Flat

According to Dr Michael Archer, leading Skeptic and associate professor of zoology at the University of New South Wales, creationists believe that the universe has the earth at its centre, the earth is a flat plane supported by a series of pillars, and there is a hard dome over the earth called the firmament. If Dr Archer can come to such totally wrong conclusions about creation science, it is little wonder the Skeptics’ investigations into evolution are going so wrong.

The Weekend Australian,
January 11–12, 1986.

Creation ‘Hocus Pocus’

The Minister for Education in New South Wales, Mr Rodney Cavalier, has condemned creation science and said children in government schools in his State must only be taught evolution in school science classes. Sounding as though he was addressing the issue of witchcraft instead of creation, Mr Cavalier said: ‘there will be no more hocus pocus taught under the guise of science in our State schools . ’ Mr Cavalier added that just as sun spots are not taught as an explanation for the French Revolution, ‘it will be unacceptable to teach creationism as an explanation for biology.’ Mr Cavalier now joins the line of atheists, Skeptics, humanists and theistic evolutionists who are intent on suppressing any view of science except evolution being taught to our children.

The Sydney Morning Herald,
February 15, 1986, (p. 3).

‘Rooasaurus’ at South Pole?

Excavations at Dinosaur Cove, on Victoria’s chilly south coast in Australia, have turned up evidence that the area was once a sub-tropical zone. Researchers claim this area of Australia was once part of the Antarctic Circle, and only a few kilometres from the then South Pole. They believe two species of small plant-eating dinosaurs, built like kangaroos, once made this area their home. Fossils of crocodiles, turtles, lungfish, a plesiosaur, an aquatic reptile and flying reptile—the pterosaur—have also been found.

Researcher Elizabeth Thompson, from the Museum of Victoria, said that because of the habitat of the animals, the area must once have had a sub-tropical climate, even though it was near the South Pole. This was something which amazed scientists, she said.

The new discovery only adds weight to the Biblical picture that all the world once had a far more luxurious and even temperature before the time of Noah’s Flood.

The Courier-Mail,
February 24,1986 (p. 8).

No Adam, No Jesus

Those who deny evolution to explain the origin of higher animals and man are perpetuating ‘a creation myth’, according to former director of Sydney’s Taronga Park Zoo, Mr Ronald Strahan. ‘As with all creation myths that I have read, it relies upon readily imaginable beings, supermen or super-animals, performing prodigious tasks by unimaginable powers,’ Mr Strahan said.

Mr Strahan was addressing a symposium on February 23, 1986 convened by the New South Wales Humanist Society on creation science and education. Strahan believes there are two conflicting accounts of creation in the Book of Genesis, and that the Bible indicates the earth is flat. However, he did get one fact right that theistic evolutionists would be wise to note: ‘Deny the absolute story of Adam and Eve and you remove the necessity for Jesus,’ he said.

The Sydney Morning Herald,
February 24, 1986 (p. 3).

Liberals Support Creation

Creationism should be given the same status as evolution in New South Wales schools, according to that State’s Liberal Opposition spokesman on education, Mr Neil Pickard.

Mr Pickard, a former Minister for Education, said the ‘belligerent stance’ of the current Labor Party’s Minister for Education, Mr Rodney Cavalier, amounted to censorship. It ignored the fact that many scientists of repute support creation as the scientific origin of the universe. Mr Pickard added that if the Liberal Party were elected to government in New South Wales he would like to see creationism put on equal footing with evolution.

The Sydney Morning Herald,

April 9, 1986 (p. 27)

Flipper’s Dad

Fossil skull bones of a dolphin-like creature have been found in Antarctica, for the second time in a year. Dr Patrick Quilty, assistant science director of the Antarctic Division of the Department of Science, found a complete skull almost year ago at Marine Plain, south-east of Davis Base. The fossil was said to be an extinct Pliocene dolphin-like marine mammal, of a species and genus not known. The latest find is thought to be of the same species. Dr Quilty says Marine Plain is now one of the most significant vertebrate fossil sites in the southern hemisphere. Dr Quilty hopes his discoveries will lead to finding more marine vertebrates from the time, ‘when the valley floor lay 20 metres beneath sea much warmer than today’s icy Southern Ocean.’ Note again that this provides more evidence there was a much warmer climate world-wide before Noah’s Flood.

The Sydney Morning Herald,
January 24,1986 (p. 3).
The Weekend Australian,
January 25-26, 1986 (p. 4).

Defective Perspective

An anti-creation book edited by two Australian university lecturers and published by the Australian Skeptics contains glaring errors and misrepresentations. Titled ‘Creationism An Australian Perspective’, the book, edited by Dr Martin Bridgstock and Dr Ken Smith, included the following gaffe about the Creation Science Foundation in the first edition. An article on dinosaur and human footprints was illustrated by a drawing taken from a Creation Science Foundation wooden ruler. However, in the author’s haste to discredit creation science he missed the fact that the Creation Science Foundation ruler had nothing to do with dinosaurs. The ruler shows human and ape footprints, not human and dinosaur prints. The rest of the book is of similar calibre.

Creationism An Australian Perspective,
First edition, 1986.