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Henry Morris’s Death

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It’s with sadness I announce that Henry Morris died Saturday evening (2.25.06). Henry Morris was a great man, and all critics of Darwinian evolution are in his debt for maintaining pressure on this pseudoscience when so much of the Western world capitulated to it. As I wrote last year at this time (go here) in reference to a conversation with Michael Ruse about Henry Morris’s significance:

During our conversation, Ruse commented that for all his disagreements with the young earth creationists, and Henry Morris in particular, he did give them credit for, as he put it, “keeping this issue alive.” The “issue” here was the debate over biological evolution and, in particular, the possibility of design providing a viable alternative to existing materialistic accounts of evolution.

My own experience has abundantly confirmed Ruse’s remark. In traveling outside the United States, I’ve found that evolutionary theory goes largely unchallenged. In the United States, by contrast, there remains widespread skepticism toward evolution. And even though intelligent design has emerged as the most visible banner under which evolution is now being challenged, the challenge would not exist without the efforts of Henry Morris and young earth creationists.

I myself would not be a design theorist today without them. To be sure, I am not a young earth creationist nor do I support their efforts to harmonize science with a particular interpretation of Genesis. Nonetheless, it was their literature that first got me thinking about how improbable it is to generate biological complexity and how this problem might be approached scientifically.

May the work of dismantling Darwinian materialism that Morris began come to completion soon.

Comments
My thoughts go out to his family. I wonder if he's met up with S.J. Gould, or Carl Sagan yet to discuss the latest in the evo/create debate. :)Fross
February 28, 2006
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In 1975, I read a book by Dr. Morris titled, "Scientific Creationism". May I say that until the day I read that book, I thought of everything, including myself, in evolutionary terms. I actually believed that I was on the "pruning edge of the tree of life." When I read Dr. Morris' book, it literally changed my life. Anyone who has read that book know that all but the last chapter examine readily apparant evidence that contradicts evolution. Only the last chapter has anything to do with the Christian faith. I was astounded by what I read. I thought evolution was a fact. I came to believe that I was a "created" being rather than an accident. I owe Dr. Morris a great deal of thanks. I look forward to meeting him one day.Red Reader
February 28, 2006
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"May the work of dismantling Darwinian materialism that Morris began come to completion soon" Amen, Bill.Mats
February 27, 2006
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Yes, I thank God for Henry Morris. What a voice against false dogma. The church was catatonic in the face of so-called "science" until "The Genesis Flood". Now the whole country is pondering the validity of Darwinism. Well done, Dr. Morris.jacktone
February 27, 2006
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I'd like to also pay tribute to Henry Morris for bravely keeping the issues alive. He was a fine professor of engineering at a very fine secular school of engineering, Virginia Tech. He was a gentleman of most excellent character and courage. He fought the good fight against seemingly impossible odds. And today, in the most technlogcially advanced culture in history, over half the nation accepts that the universe and life were the products of intelligent design. Thank you Henry Morris. Salvador Cordovascordova
February 27, 2006
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