The Case for a Creator Paperback – January 1, 2004

Reading "The Case for a Creator" re-ignited the joy and excitement that I felt when I was lucky enough to be growing up next to a big swath of woods. It brought back the sensations I felt when I lay on my back and gazed up at the night sky or observed the intricacy of a feather held in my hands. It reminded me of my older brothers showing me how to strike a spark from quartz, or find fossils, or differentiate between a harmless garter snake and a venomous copperhead.If "The Case for a Creator," were, like the writings of Aldo Leopold, "just" another book that heightens appreciation of the natural world, it would have been enough for me. The book, though, offers more: an enjoyable and accessible look at the Intelligent Design movement.Lee Strobel acts as the reader's surrogate. Strobel visits several scientists and quizzes them, in laymen's language, about their work. This rather gimmicky format works wonderfully for the busy, non-scientist reader plunging into weighty matters.I am not embroiled in the Evolution v. Intelligent Design debate. I find both sides absurd in their priorities.International Sex Slavery, World Hunger, Global Warming: aren't there many more serious issues that would better be served with infusions of funds, lawyers, and op ed volleys in the New York Times? Why focus on brief sentences in high school textbooks? We live in the information age; no matter the latest court decision, the teens who want to learn about Evolution, or Intelligent Design, will do so. In any case, most teenagers are focused on very different matters, and anyone with any respect for biology must acknowledge that.I learned evolution in Catholic school. I've never had a problem reconciling my Christianity with acceptance of evolution. I'm not at all on the same page as atheists or theists who see either Darwin or Intelligent Design as key supports for their respective positions. The God of my understanding is a God that transcends matter.But I saw this book on the new bookshelf at the local library, and I read it, and was thrilled by it.I read the New York Times; I listen to NPR; I watch PBS, especially programs like "Nature" and "Nova." All have covered debates over evolution. From none have I received the fascinating information about Intelligent Design that I acquired from this book.The image of those involved in Intelligent Design that I had acquired from popular media, one I hadn't seriously questioned until I read "The Case for a Creator," was the image of one of America's remaining politically correct stereotypes: the image of "white trash rednecks" from the 1960 Stanley Kramer movie "Inherit the Wind." (Ever notice how people who fulminate against stereotyping think it's okay to stereotype poor Southern Christians as ignorant, violent, white supremacists?)"The Case for a Creator" introduced me to thinkers who are just as smart, just as well-educated, just as enviably published, as the Darwinists who *are* welcome on NPR or PBS to denounce any questioning of evolution as medieval obscurantism. The one difference is that the thinkers in "The Case for a Creator" look at various data from astronomy, biology, and physics and conclude that a creator, rather than chance, is responsible for all the phenomena they study.Their logic is comparable to the logic of a detective who arrives at a crime scene, sees a given pattern of footprints and fingerprints, and concludes that a potentially identifiable criminal, and not mere chance, is the most likely cause of a given crime.I'm not a cellular biologist, an astronomer, a geologist, or a physicist; I can't comment definitively on the merit of the scientific arguments in this book, though I can say that I found them compelling.I sought reviews by opponents of Intelligent Design, in the hope that these reviews would inform me of the book's weaknesses.I found reviews that labeled all Christians "stupid," "ignorant," "liars," and I found reviews that recommended, in a rather Stalinist way, that readers not even read Strobel's book. It is rather sad that these gentlemen don't recognize that if the mechanism used to measure phenomena is flawed, no true measure can be taken; if hearts and minds are clouded by hate of Christians and Christianity, or even of the concept of God, no truth can be seen, any more than the brightest heavenly body might be accurately gauged from a smudged telescope.I did dislike one aspect of this book so strongly that, were I the book's publisher, I would have demanded its removal. Strobel concludes with an appeal for the reader to become a Christian. That was a mistake. Proselytizing has its place, but not as a coda to a book that purports to be all about that glorious mission, following evidence to its logical conclusion, no matter where that evidence might lead.

compelling writing

This is a great book. Strobel provides scientific evidence for Intelligent Design. The book is laid out well. It begins with evidence refuting Darwinian evolution and naturalism, showing how and why what we were taught in school was wrong. And he does so from a scientific standpoint. In my opinion, Darwinian evolution is fundamentally and obviously flawed so that most people with an open mind would refute it. For those who aren't sure, Strobel provides the answers in his chapter, "Doubts about Darwinism."The book then shows why Design is the best scientific option. Strobel includes chapters on cosmology, physics, astronomy, bio-chemistry, biology, consciousness, so the evidence is well-rounded and from a broad spectrum of sources. The book ends with a cumulative look at all of these factors and what the data imply.This book is a must for those interested in the evolution vs. Design debate. Folks who have a high regard for science should definitely check it out. People who are interested in the intersection of faith and science should also read it. Even those who are not particularly interested in science for its own sake should read it if they think they will encounter scientifically-minded people in the course of evangelism/apologetics (and they will meet this type of person).Strobel not only has the information, he packages it well. The book is laid out in an investigative journalistic style that is interesting to read. Books about science tend to be boring, but this is not a fault of this text. I got slightly bogged down once or twice, but it was a passing twinge. Because the book is rather like a survey, it never really bogged down as a new topic is always on the horizon. Also, survey-style material does not go massively in-depth, so the reader, if he finds a section he doesn't like or in which he is not interested, can move on to a fresh segment. Strobel uses headings and sub-headings that allow the reader to find information readily.Strobel is not overly auto-biographic, but he does include a brief description of his journey from acidic atheism to Christianity. This serves to make the book more approachable as the reader has a better feel for the author and his purposes.Some Christians fault the book for not being sufficiently evangelical, meaning it does not proclaim the gospel adequately. I would argue that this is not the purpose of such a book. Proving Intelligent Design indicates there is a Creator but does not identify that Creator specifically. Strobel believes it is the Christian God, and I agree with him. This book is a stepping stone toward God, but is not meant to positively identify God as the Creator. There is an appendix, though, that does identify God and even Jesus Christ as the Messiah.I think pretty much everyone should read this book. Westerners, especially, are regularly subjected to scientific thought. Wherever the individual falls in regard to faith and science, this book is going to address questions and concerns pertaining to that position. Strobel has sold me in regard to both his arguments and his methodology. I look forward to reading his other books.

Glad to add this to my collection.

The subtitle of this book is: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God. Lee Strobel writes about his interviews with leading scientists in several science disciplines; cosmology, physics, astronomy, biochemistry and biology. He finishes with an interview with J. P. Moreland, who received a degree in chemistry, and was awarded the top fellowship for a doctorate in nuclear chemistry at the University of Colorado, but declined the honor to pursue a different career path. He then earned a master's degree in theology at Dallas Theological Seminary and a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Southern California. Strobel interviews him regarding the consciousness of the mind and how the brain and the mind work together.The book also looks at the problems with Darwinism in the light of the advances made in the last 2 decades in the studies of the sciencesmentioned above. Just the explanation of how the cell is composed absolutely boggled my mind! Strobel interviews the scientists about the "big bang" and the Cambrian explosion, all in incredible, scientific detail that points toward a Creator. It became clear to me that the only option for the source of all that has come to be on planet earth and in the universe, is a Creator Who is intelligent and powerful beyond anything that we can imagine. The evidence for intelligent design is everywhere, in all things. The conclusion that a seeking, open mind comes to upon reading this book is that it obviously takes more faith to believe that everything "evolved" out of nothing and continued to improve through natural selection than it does to believe that immortal God created the universe and the perfect environment here on earth for life to exist.I highly recommend this book to all who desire to know the truth as to the origin of the universe and life here on earth. Not an easy read, but well worth the effort to explore the amazing, scientific evidence for a Creator.

Lee Strobel uses the same approach here as he did in Case for Christ. In The Case for a Creator Strobel gathers scientific evidence and arguments supporting the hypothesis that God created the universe and "fine-tuned" conditions to render a fertile, nourishing and ideal enough climate to give rise to life on Earth.The book is divided into chapters, each presenting Strobel's interviews with different scientists. Each scientist represents a field of science in which recent and current discoveries seem to support the hypothesis that the origin of life was designed and brought into being by a creator: cosmology, physics, astronomy, biochemistry, microbiology, cognitive science.The selected scientists are all pro intelligent design and, at times, one wonders if the whole investigation is a little biased with favour towards the intelligent design theory.Generally the evidence and findings they discuss logically suggest that life and its origin were designed and made possible by a creator, although some of their arguments seem stretched. For example, an interviewee argues that the complexity of molecular "micromachines" and the idea that it is an "irreducibly complex" system suggest that it had been designed and couldn't have evolved into being. He uses a simple mousetrap to demonstrate his theory of "irreducible complexity." I found his argument weakened by an analogy that seems irrelevant and without basis, between two entities that lack semantic similarity (a mousetrap versus an "irreducibly complex system" versus molecular "micromachine").In most of the chapters the concepts are of an intricateness and specificity that I think are difficult to summarize eloquently and persuasively in one book or collection of interviews. Some chapters are more convincing in which the hypothesis is more substantially argued than in others, depending on the scientist's findings, reasoning, logic and eloquence, which cumulatively contribute to their overall argument.All in all, I think the collection can be an introduction to the search for an explanation of life origins. It delineates an overview of findings, reasoning and theorizing made within important scientific disciplines that all logically argue for the "case of a creator."

Convincing!

Lee strobels 'sequel' to case for christ. If you have read the case for christ the style is similar. Taking on the most difficult concepts and topics but putting them in an essay to read fashion within a story like set of interviews.In this book he tackles the touch topics of creation and the creator. Touching on the origin of the world on simple easy to understand terms. Tough topics on physics and philosophy together. For example the multiverse theory explored, the big bag and how this all fits in the Christian faith.Lee strobel is a fantastic author and would encourge anyone, Christian or non Christian to pick up his books and read the thoughts and facts.A must read for anyone