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Lightner, Jean K. (2019) Dubious Claims About Natural Selection. Answers Research Journal, 12: 3. pp. 41-43. ISSN 1937-9056
In December of 2018 a paper by astrophysicist Jason Lisle appeared in the Answers Research Journal entitled, "Refuting Dubious Claims Regarding Natural Selection." I am confident that the intent of the author was to promote the best, most logical arguments within the creation community. Unfortunately, the article puts forth a number of dubious and misleading claims of its own, a few of which are addressed here. Lisle's article targets the writing of a single creationist, Randy Guliuzza, and misses the logical inconsistency in a paper he cites favorably, which also targets Guliuzza. Guliuzza and Gaskill's (2018) recent peer-reviewed ICC article was not cited, though it profoundly affects a number of the comments and conclusions Lisle makes. Lisle inadvertently misrepresents the concept of natural selection by implying that it is a simple concept most scientists agree on, yet his "biblical examples" and other comments show he himself misunderstands this topic. Lisle misunderstands Guliuzza's views, claiming they are Lamarkian, when they have far more in common with eminent field biologists such as Erich Wasmann and L. S. Berg. In conclusion, this brief examination of Lisle's paper highlights that misunderstanding about natural selection is more prevalent among creationists than he suggests. It is time for all of us, as creationists, to humble ourselves, study observational evidence in more depth, and critique our own views by considering the comments of others before publicly targeting someone who offends our current, perhaps ill-informed, understanding of the topic. In doing so we can work together to honor God and present a more realistic view of the creation that bears testimony to its Creator.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | Q Science (General) > QH Natural History. Biology > QH359 Biological Evolution > QH359.3 Natural Selection |
| Depositing User: | Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 04 Sep 2026 23:44 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Sep 2026 23:44 |
| URI: | https://crsq.creationresearch.org/id/eprint/1687 |