The Dawkins Deficiency

Evolutionist Richard Dawkins set out his evidence claiming that evolution was a fact and that his book would demonstrate it. He assured the reader that he offered proof beyond reasonable doubt, with evidence more convincing, more incontrovertible, than any ever used. Dawkins even went as far as to say, "...no unbiased reader will close the book doubting it." In reply, Wayne Talbot shows that Dawkins' science is often faulty with essential proof points ignored. Talbot reveals how Dawkins' evidence is largely circumstantial or correlating rather than substantive, and how his argument style suffers from the same logical fallacies of which he accuses others. Talbot continues by pointing out how much of Dawkins' case is based on a materialistic philosophy rather than scientific fact. Examining the evidence in Richard Dawkin's book The Greatest Show on Earth, Wayne Talbot demonstrates the weakness of the arguments and how Dawkins' scientific hypotheses and inferences have been discredited by later research. He challenges you to consider the question, "If the evolution theory has been proven, then shouldn't we reasonably ask, "What specifically has been proven, and what is the evidence?" In failing to define what he is attempting to prove, we clearly see The Dawkins Deficiency, and why his proof of evolution does NOT evidence "The Greatest Show on Earth."

Science need not be dull and bogged down by jargon, as Richard Dawkins proves in this entertaining look at evolution. The themes he takes up are the concepts of altruistic and selfish behaviour; the genetical definition of selfish interest; the evolution of aggressive behaviour; kinshiptheory; sex ratio theory; reciprocal altruism; deceit; and the natural selection of sex differences. 'Should be read, can be read by almost anyone. It describes with great skill a new face of the theory of evolution.' W.D. Hamilton, Science

Is there evidence for the existence of God, defined as the transcendent entity responsible for all material existence? The author believes that there is, albeit such evidence is not necessarily proof for everyone. In this two-part study, Wayne Talbot firstly presents the evidence that has convinced him that God is the most plausible explanation. With a limited but sufficient understanding of the nature of existence, in terms of energy, matter, space, and time, he demonstrates his primary axiom: that nothing can explain itself. The natural corollary of this is that scientists will never be able to explain the origins of material existence by examining the material itself. An explanation of origins must always lie outside the entity being examined. This is why scientists cannot explain the origin of the proposed singularity and why some scientists seek an alternative to the Big Bang model of our universe, even resorting to logical absurdities such as the universe creating itself out of nothing while in the presence of something. With the reality of God being his presupposition for what follows, the author examines the case for monotheistic religions versus polytheistic, concluding that the latter are antithetical to a God who is one. Left with a choice between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, he concludes that if God has communicated his guidance for living to any, it is most likely Judaism as recorded in the Hebrew scriptures. The question becomes, Which parts of those scriptures were intended for the children of Israel alone, and which were for all people for all time? Researching ever deeper, he reveals what he has come to believe about how God wants us to relate to him and the specific guidance that should be reworded for contemporary times. The spirit of Torah is so much more than the mere words.

Alister McGrath and Joanna Collicutt McGrath present a reliable assessment of The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, famed atheist and scientist, and the many questions this book raises--including, above all, the relevance of faith and the quest for meaning.

Richard Dawkins, biologist and best-selling author, claims that belief in God is a "delusion" and that "religion" harms society. Dawkins contends that he has reason and evidence on his side, and he dismisses faith as unfounded, even irrational. Dominican Thomas Crean tackles Dawkins' claims head-on. He presents straightforward arguments for God's existence, and he uses reason and evidence to defend such things as miracles and the authority of the Bible. He also shows how God is important for a coherent understanding of morality, and why Dawkins' approach winds up reducing morality to the individual's subjective likes and dislikes. By demonstrating how Dawkins' criticisms rest on misunderstandings, superficial readings, poor argumentation, a lack of historical awareness, and not a little prejudice, Crean reveals Dawkins to be out of his philosophical and theological depth, and his case against God to be fundamentally flawed.