Prove Evolution: Win $250,000!

Creation Science Evangelism ^ | N/A | Dr. Ken Hovind

[handk]

Dr. Hovind's $250,000 Offer
formerly $10,000, offered since 1990

I have a standing offer of $250,000 to anyone who can give any empirical evidence (scientific proof) for evolution.*  My $250,000 offer demonstrates that the hypothesis of evolution is nothing more than a religious belief.

 

Observed phenomena:

Most thinking people will agree that--
1. A highly ordered universe exists.
2. At least one planet in this complex universe contains an amazing variety of life forms.
3. Man appears to be the most advanced form of life on this planet.

Known options:

Choices of how the observed phenomena came into being--
1. The universe was created by God.
2. The universe always existed.
3. The universe came into being by itself by purely natural processes (known as evolution) so that no appeal to the supernatural is needed.

Evolution has been acclaimed as being the only process capable of causing the observed phenomena.

Evolution is presented in our public school textbooks as a process that:

1. Brought time, space, and matter into existence from nothing.
2. Organized that matter into the galaxies, stars, and at least nine planets around the sun. (This process is often referred to as cosmic evolution.)
3. Created the life that exists on at least one of those planets from nonliving matter (chemical evolution).
4. Caused the living creatures to be capable of and interested in reproducing themselves.
5. Caused that first life form to spontaneously diversify into different forms of living things, such as the plants and animals on the earth today (biological evolution).

People believe in evolution; they do not know that it is true. While beliefs are certainly fine to have, it is not fair to force on the students in our public school system the teaching of one belief, at taxpayers’ expense. It is my contention that evolutionism is a religious worldview that is not supported by science, Scripture, popular opinion, or common sense. The exclusive teaching of this dangerous, mind-altering philosophy in tax-supported schools, parks, museums, etc., is also a clear violation of the First Amendment.

 

How to collect the $250,000:

Prove beyond reasonable doubt that the process of evolution (option 3 above, under "known options") is the only possible way the observed phenomena could have come into existence. Only empirical evidence is acceptable. Persons wishing to collect the $250,000 may submit their evidence in writing or schedule time for a public presentation. A committee of trained scientists will provide peer review of the evidence offered and, to the best of their ability, will be fair and honest in their evaluation and judgment as to the validity of the evidence presented.

If you are convinced that evolution is an indisputable fact, may I suggest that you offer $250,000 for any empirical or historical evidence against the general theory of evolution. This might include the following:

1. The earth is not billions of years old (thus destroying the possibility of evolution having happened as it is being taught).
2. No animal has ever been observed changing into any fundamentally different kind of animal.
3. No one has ever observed life spontaneously arising from nonliving matter.
4. Matter cannot make itself out of nothing.

 

My suggestion:

Proponents of the theory of evolution would do well to admit that they believe in evolution, but they do not know that it happened the way they teach. They should call evolution their "faith" or "religion," and stop including it in books of science. Give up faith in the silly religion of evolutionism, and trust the God of the Bible (who is the Creator of this universe and will be your Judge, and mine, one day soon) to forgive you and to save you from the coming judgment on man’s sin.

* NOTE:
When I use the word evolution, I am not referring to the minor variations found in all of the various life forms (microevolution). I am referring to the general theory of evolution which believes these five major events took place without God:

1. Time, space, and matter came into existence by themselves.
2. Planets and stars formed from space dust.
3. Matter created life by itself.
4. Early life-forms learned to reproduce themselves.
5. Major changes occurred between these diverse life forms (i.e., fish changed to amphibians, amphibians changed to reptiles, and reptiles changed to birds or mammals).

[jlogajan]

relative dearth of trasitional fossils

Sheesh. All fossils are transitional.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Your statement would imply that all "theories" are equal. The simple fact that something is not "proven" beyond a doubt by some empirical manner does not level the playing field.

[MissMillie]

Actually, it's not an assumption. It's a FACT. It is also a fact that you managed to start a few sentences shy of the good stuff when you chose your quote.

[foolish-one]

Sheesh. All fossils are transitional.

No they're not. Not unless you assume evolution. Then we're getting circular, aren't we?

[jlogajan]

All fossils are transitional.

No they're not. Not unless you assume evolution.

Then if you ask an evolutionist for a "transitional" fossil, and he hands you any old one -- how do you tell whether it is transitional or not?

[xzins]

I could use the 250 grand.

I'd put a new wing on our church with it.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!!!

[RightWhale]

In a distantly related news item, Lindberg [grandson of] has just landed in France having flown his single seater solo across the Atlantic. The feat is still the Everest of amateur aviation. He is promoting the X-Prize, which is a cash prize for the first to send men into space with certain conditions. It is about $10 million and probably easier to achieve than proving or disproving evolution.

[Phaedrus]

Evolution does not exclude purpose.

Just flat wrong, JediGirl. It does exclude purpose.

[RoughDobermann]

You want proof! You can't handle the proof!

[foolish-one]

That's up to him (evolutionist)to suggest and debate. A fossil of an existing species is not transitional. Even assuming evolution, a fossil of a dead-end species is not transitional. A fossil of a species that links two other species (or genus or families)is, by definition, transitional. That's what evolutionists need to show and what would interest (and maybe sway) me.

[handk]

Oh, sure it has. In fact, I have seen it myself in some of the labs where I work. Those bacterial cultures are easy to manipulate.

Are you referring to intelligent intervention? Hmmm?

[JediGirl]

Just flat wrong, JediGirl. It does exclude purpose.

It no more excludes purpose than does any other scientific process. Purpose falls outside the realm of evolution.

[jlogajan]

A fossil of a species that links two other species (or genus or families)is, by definition, transitional. That's what evolutionists need to show and what would interest (and maybe sway) me.

All morphologically unique fossils are transitional.

There is no special category in evolution called the "transitional species." All species are transitional.

[jlogajan]

Are you referring to intelligent intervention?

If "intelligent" intervention is required to construct highly complex systems -- what "intelligent" intervention created God?

[jlogajan]

Evolution does not exclude purpose.

Just flat wrong, JediGirl. It does exclude purpose.

Interesting. You are saying that your all powerful all knowing God is incapable of creating a universe with purpose that utilizes evolutionary mechanisms.

I guess your God has his limits, ehy?

[f.Christian]

Evolution is just a wardrobe...you dress up and go clubbing---your posts have said as much--so often!

[Hunble]

A fossil of a species that links two other species (or genus or families)is, by definition, transitional. That's what evolutionists need to show and what would interest (and maybe sway) me.

If I show you a Trilobite example, will that meet your requirements?

Trilobites are similar to Lobsters. As they grow, they must expel their outer shells. Because of this aspect of their natural life, those outer shells are very well preserved in the fossil record.

Not all animals have a hard outer shell that can be preserved and later fossilized. However, the Trilobites are an outstanding example of evolution in progress since they lived for so long and their history is very well documented.

[longshadow]

fresh meat and "wildly elliptical planetary orbits"-free zone

[foolish-one]

Fact? Really?

Before we proceed, it is essential that we set a few ground rules and delimit exactly to what we are referring when we speak of evolution in the context of the evolution\creation conflict

Fair enough, but still starting out with assumptions. Right?

Although already there may be some dissenters bristling over the relative merits of biological 'simplicity' or 'complexity'; I maintain that, in however a general or specific sense, a multicellular organism (say, a human, a blue whale, or a Velociraptor mongoliensis) is relatively more complex (systemically) than a unicellular blue-green alga; although I will concede that complexity is not a measure of a population of organisms success (viz.: bacteria and alga are much more voluminous and have been extant far longer than Homo sapiens), but is used here solely for purposes of differentiation between the neontological and paleontological concept of evolution.

Assume that the existance of simple organisms, complex organisms and still more complex organisms is proof of a progression and, further, is proof of evolution. Assume that the existance of mud huts (with foundations, walls, windows, roofs) and skyscrapers (with foundations, walls, windows, roofs) is proof that skyscrapers evolved from mud huts.

It is a FACT that all living forms come from previous living forms.

Only if you assume the above assumptions. But, wait...

Maybe this whole agrument is in vain. Let's go back to the beginning before any more intellectual energy on either side of this debate is wasted on this particular argument. Give, please, for all now to see your definition of a "fact".