REVIEWS OF VIDEOS ON CREATIONISM AND CATASTROPHISM

Last update: April 1999

A word of explanation

Highly recommended videos:

• Evidences II: The tale of a trilobite
• Evidences: The record and the flood
• Unlocking the Mystery of Life
• Icons of Evolution

Sources of videos

Reviews of videos

A Word of Explanation

Geoscience Research Institute is frequently asked for opinions about videos for use in teaching about creation, or in earth science classes. The following video reviews were written by professional educators, representing both primary and secondary school teachers. Reviewer's names are not given except with their approval. The reviews presented here are intended to assist teachers in locating suitable materials for their classes; however, material deemed suitable for one class may not be suitable for another class, so the reader should take into account their own needs when evaluating the review.

The opinions presented here are the views of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent the views of the Geoscience Research Institute or any of its members. Each review should be interpreted as one person=s opinion and are presented here only as a service. Judging a video as useful does not necessarily mean endorsement of all arguments presented, nor does criticism of a video necessarily mean disagreement with the philosophical position of the producers.

Help. We plan to update and revise this list occasionally. If you know of other videos relating to creation and earth science you would like to see reviewed, send us the titles and where they can be obtained. — GRI@grisda.org

Several sources of creationist videos are listed below. Most creationist videos can be obtained from more than one source. Specific information is lacking for a few videos. Geoscience Research Institute does not distribute these videos.

• Review and Herald Publishing. 1-800-777-9098 (only Video No. 1 and Tale of a Trilobite)
• Institute for Creation Research. 1-800-628-7640
• American Portrait Films. 1-800-736-4567
• Answers in Genesis. 1-800-778-3390
• Eden Communications. 1-800-332-2261
• Creation Research Society. 816-279-2626
• Master Books. 1-800-999-3777
• Moody Video. 820 N. LaSalle Blvd., Chicago, IL 60610

List of videos reviewed
   (topics: creationism, catastrophism)

1. Evidences: The Record and the Flood --- 50 minutes
2. The Grand Canyon: Monument to the Flood --- 55 minutes
3. Raging Waters --- 28 minutes
4. In the Beginning --- 27 minutes
5. Journeys to the Edge of Creation: I. Our Solar System (Moody Films) --- 40 minutes
6. Journeys to the Edge of Creation: II. The Milky Way and Beyond (Moody Films) --- 40 minutes
7. Roaring Waters --- 45 minutes
8. The Great Floods --- 13.5 minutes (non-creationist, catastrophic)
9. The Story of America's Great Volcanoes --- 58 minutes (non-creationist, catastrophic)
10. Mt. Rainier: Fire & Ice --- 20 minutes (non-creationist, catastrophic)
11. Perilous Beauty: The Hidden Dangers of Mt. Rainier --- 29 minutes (non-creationist, catastrophic)
12. Mt St Helens: Explosive Evidence for Catastrophe --- 58 minutes
13. The Eruption of Mt. St. Helens --- 25 minutes (non-creationist, catastrophic)
14. Earthquake --- 55 minutes (non-creationist, catastrophic)
15. Radiocarbon, Creation and the Genesis Flood --- 36 minutes
16. A Geologist Looks at Noah's Flood --- 48 minutes
17. The Wonders of God's Creation: Planet Earth --- 65 minutes
18. The Wonders of God's Creation: Animal Life  --- 62 minutes
19. The Wonders of God's Creation: Human Life --- 62 minutes
20. In the Image of God --- 28 minutes
21. From a Frog to a Prince --- 27 minutes
22. The Genesis Flood --- 50 minutes
23. "Firing Line" Debate on Evolution vs Creation --- 120 minutes (non-creationist)
24. The Age of the Earth: A Geologic Perspective --- 44 minutes
25. The Six Days of Creation --- 30 minutes
26. Natural Selection vs Supernatural Design --- 42 minutes
27. A Walk Through History --- 80 minutes
28. Evidence for a Young Earth --- 51 minutes
29. Fingerprints of Creation --- 31 minutes
30. The Young Age of the Earth --- 75 minutes
31. The Footsteps of Leviathan: Fossil Evidence of Creation
32. Creation and Catastrophe --- 36 minutes [withdrawn from circulation]
33. Panorama of Creation: Part 1 (part of a series including several hours of lectures)
34. Creation or Evolution? Science and Religion: Bridging the Gap --- 57 minutes (non-creationist)
35. When Two World Views Collide --- 26 minutes
36. The Creationist Argument --- 26 minutes
37. Facts and Bias: Creation vs Evolution --- 60 minutes
38. Mysteries of the Bible: Noah & the Flood --- 50 minutes (non-creationist)

1. Evidences: The Record and the Flood --- 50 minutes
        - Produced by Geoscience Research Institute
        - Distributed by Adventist Book Centers, Institute for Creation Research

First Review (1998)

Theme: A worldwide flood can explain major features of the Earth's sediments.

Features:

1. Introduction explains sedimentary rocks and their formation and erosion.
2. Marine sediments on the continents are what we would expect from a worldwide flood.
3. Widespread deposits on the continents are what we would expect from a worldwide flood.
4. Turbidity currents are evidence of water on the continents, as expected during a worldwide flood.
5. Many geologic formations have contacts that show lack of erosion, despite the interpretation they are separated by many millions of years. This indicates rapid sequence of sedimentation, as expected in a worldwide flood, rather than long ages for deposition.
6. Presents a brief model of how the flood might have brought marine sediments to the continents.

Weaknesses:

1. The model presented implies that continental deposits should be at the base of the column, which is not the case.
2. The closing statement implies that we can believe the Bible since it is supported by what we see in the rocks; thus the Bible is judged by geology. But much geology appears to contradict the Bible.

Recommendations: This video should be useful for middle and high school classes. It is arranged in modules that can be used independently.

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Second Review (1998)

Theme: Evidence for a world wide flood

Features:

1. The record of the flood
2. Different Cultures have flood stories
3. The History of the Grand Canyon area
4. Evidence presented:

Marine deposits on land - Fossils
Size of sedimentary deposits - Dakota formation, Morrison formation, Chinle formation
Turbidites (underwater landslide deposits) - Grand Bank historical example
Lack of erosional contacts

Weaknesses: I would like to see more technical data and have it tied into other catastrophic events and evidences. The world is spewing with examples of catastrophes.

Recommendations: The video is very good for both general public 6th grade-adult. I would not show this to a professional geologist without having more facts from other sources.

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Third Review (1998)

Theme: Evidence of Noah's Flood can be found in the rocks

Features: This video presents four main evidences for Noah's flood

1. Marine deposits - there are marine deposits in strata that are thousands of miles from the ocean. An example of the Grand Canyon which has six different layers of marine deposits.
2. Wide spread deposits - just in the western part of the US there are at least 4 major deposits that have similar looking strata and composition. This could be local but it makes more sense for them to be part of a larger global flood because of the uniformity of the strata.
3. Turbidity currents - these are fast moving water currents of silt that lay down a deposit that has coarse material on the bottom and finer material on the top. It is a fast process not slow.
4. Lack of erosion - as comparison of various deposits are made, it appears that some specific materials are missing. It could be that erosion wiped it out and the new layer was deposited. However the evidence seems to support that the sediment was laid down very rapidly and some of the strata are missing because the material was not present at that location. The last portion of the video presents the need of a model to explain what is seen in the strata of places like the Grand Canyon. The model needs to contain such concepts as a large upheaval, ancient underground watering systems, and the laying down of strata.

Weaknesses: The video is very informative and well organized but is quite long for use with students. It could be broken into several parts with discussion and activities in between. Also the documentation is limited to just a few areas such as the Grand Canyon. There must be documented evidence in many parts of the world.

Recommendations: Would recommend for use with grades 7-12 but would break it into 5 part segments with other activities and discussion on the various topics. In other words this should be used as part of multiple activity unit, not the core teacher aid.

2. The Grand Canyon: Monument to the Flood --- 55 minutes
Institute for Creation Research

First review (1998)

Theme: The Grand Canyon and its strata provide evidence of rapid, large-scale geologic activity, best explained by the worldwide flood of the Bible.

Features:

1. Discusses how one's framework influences one's interpretations.
2. First point: Oceans over the continents. John Morris shows marine fossils in Kaibab Limestone, and Steve Austin discusses lack of evidence for river erosion.
3. Second point: Rapid burial. Kurt Wise discusses marine fossils in Redwall and vertebrate footprints in the Coconino and Esplanade Sandstones.
4. Third point: Widespread strata. Steve Austin describes the Supai Formation, with individual thin layers 200 miles long, lacking evidence of rivers.
5. Fourth point: Short time between strata. Steve Austin describes lack of erosion evidence between Toroweap and Kaibab, and between Supai and Hermit. Kurt Wise describes the "Great Unconformity" between the Dox and Tapeats Formations, with evidence of physical but not chemical erosion.
6. Fifth point: Massive tectonic upheaval. Kurt Wise discusses Chuar Group and Sixty-mile Formation, with evidence for down-faulting, rapid erosion, and rapid deposition. Andrew Snelling discusses the contact between the Hakatai Shale and Shinamu Quartzite, with boulder of Shinamu incorporated in Tapeats. Steve Austin discusses the upwarp zone on the eastern side of the Kaibab Plateau.
7. Sixth point: Rapid erosion. George Van Burbach discusses erosion of the Canyon, and three theories to explain it. He favors the breached dam theory. Andrew Snelling points out small size of river, lack of active talus in side canyons. Steve Austin describes rapid erosion of sediments around Mt St Helens.
8. Seventh point: Doubtful dating methods. The Precambrian Cardenas Basalt gave ages ranging from 0.7 to 1.7 billion years. Steve Austin discusses Vulcan's Throne, a volcanic vent on North Rim, which produced lava flow into the Grand Canyon. That lava was dates at 1.2 billion years, a preposterous age.
9. Each of the five scientists makes an ending statement emphasizing faith in the biblical flood, and God's goodness.

Weaknesses:

1. The seventh point, doubtful dating methods, is not an evidence for rapid formation of the Canyon, and would be better as a separate topic, or omitted.
2. In the discussion of radiometric dating, no diagrams of explanation were used. Instead, the camera focused on rock outcrops.
3. The video may seem too long for some audiences.

Recommendations: A generally well-presented video, with useful arguments and credible presenters. Should be useful for earth science classes, or units on catastrophism and the flood in middle or high school levels.

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Second review (1998)

Theme: Evidences of a flood in the creation of Grand Canyon

Features: Evidences were presented which give strong indication of major flood activity. Some of these evidences were as follows:

1. Nautiloids - oriented N-S direction by strong current.
2. Footprints in sandstone - showing animal struggling against current.
3. Layers showing no erosion and quick deposition.
4. "Great Unconformity" - 2 billion years missing between Dox and Sandstone layer above. No evidence of chemical erosion.
5. Massive tectonic upheaval - faults, tilted strata and 3000-foot vertical upheaval of Kaibab.
6. Rapid erosion - incredible amounts of material rapidly worn away.
7. Doubtful dating methods - three different methods using radioactive isotopes were used to date basalt layers, and came up with 1.7, 1.1 and .07 million years.

Weaknesses: No mention of turbidities, flat contact points indicating lack of erosion, and no reason given for volcanoes being younger than the Grand Canyon itself — just stated that it was.

Recommendations: The film has enough useful material that we plan to use it at our school. It is weak on a few explanations and does have a strong evangelistic approach on the part of Creationists at the end, but this can be terminated at the discretion of the teacher because it is at the end. Overall, the film is worth looking at.

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Third review (1998)

Theme: Origin and History of Grand Canyon

Features:

1. No erosion between some layers that are supposed to be millions of years apart. Some physical erosion in other places but not chemical suggesting short time span.
2. Cross bedding sandstone implies rapid deposition
3. Imbricated breccia implies rapid motion of water
4. Upheaval and rapid erosion
5. Breached-dam theory, post-Flood situation
6. Radiometric decay - 0.7 billion Ar/K, 1.1 billion Rb/Sr Basalt

Weaknesses:

1. Boring for Jr High students
2. Not good explanation of radioactive decay problems

Recommendations: I wouldn't show the whole thing at one time. Students would get disinterested. It could have told more of the other view points and not make them appear so stupid.

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Fourth Review (1998)

Theme: The Grand Canyon provides evidence of the Biblical Flood.

Features:

1. Trackways
2. Evidence for rapid burial
3. Widespread deposits
4. Rapid erosion
5. Evidence of conformity between formations
6. Erosion of Colorado Plateau: Theories

   a. Ancestral River - much evidence against this
   b. Runaway Gully - world's most amazing natural accidents
   c. Breached Dam - Grand Canyon gigantic spillway

7. Cliffs without active talus
8. Mt. St. Helens mud flow
9. Doubtful dating methods
10. Volcanic activity

Weaknesses: The point on chemical weathering of Dox Limestone at Great Unconformity was not clear. No references given to original work done by Brand.

Recommendations: A geologist watched with us, and felt that it was quite well done. At the end all the scientists each give a personal testimony which was excellent. The length (55 min) is awkward for most classroom use. I don't know if I could use it at high school sophomore level. It might be hard to keep the attention going, but maybe with a good reaction sheet it could be done.

3. Raging Waters --- 28 minutes
        Produced by Keziah / Distributed by Institute for Creation Research

First review (1998)

Theme: Presents evidence of catastrophic water activity in Australia.

Features:

1. Aboriginal flood legend dance
2. Uluru (Ayers Rock) made of arkose, should rapidly decompose to clays; sand grains not rounded or sorted; Olgas are also pictured
3. MacDonnell Ranges show fossil ripple marks; folded sediments interpreted as done when sediment was soft, the later lithified
4. Flinders Ranges have abundant archaeocyathads, indicate sea floor burial
5. Opals were thought to require long ages for formation, but can be made in 3 months
6. Mt Isa metal mines formed by undersea volcanic activity, supposedly at rate of 2 m per hour, entire thickness in 20 days; ocean floor algae, hot volcanic waters
7. Coal up to 164 m thick; coal seams over clay, not roots; coal in layers; coal can form in weeks; coal near Newcastle with broken roots on top of coal
8. Fossiliferous cliff in northern Tasmania has fossil graveyard, with many marine fossils, and a whale and a terrestrial possum, with car-sized boulders

Weaknesses:

1. Some features are subject to alternative interpretations, but the video makes clear that the Bible was assumed in this video, not proved
2. Narration is sometimes a bit muffled and not sharp

Recommendations: Useful for showing middle and high school classes that many geologic features can be interpreted as the result of the Flood. Can be used in short segments.

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Second review (1998)

Theme: Evidences of a recent major flood in Australia

Features:

1. Aboriginal flood myths
2. Andrew Snelling (geologist) - water-deposited sand (long ages can't explain)
3. Philip Hohnen - rapid flood formation & erosion
4. Large water-moved boulders present
5. McDonald Mountains - Flood model explains
6. Presence of dinosaurs
7. Deals with opal formation - rapidly
8. Shows evidence of wide spread water action, and information on Australia's terrestrial features.

Weaknesses: Needs to be shown in 8-10 minute segments for 6-10th graders

Recommendations: OK for use with 6-10th grade; limitations above.

4. In the Beginning --- 27 minutes
        Institute for Creation Research

First review (1998)

Theme: Plate movements and other large-scale geologic features are evidence of catastrophic conditions, explained by the Flood.

Features:

1. Interviews with five creation scientists: Andrew Snelling, John Baumgardner, Steve Austin, Larry Vardiman, and Russ Humphries.
2. Uses National Geographic and Time-Life animation scenes for plate movements, subduction, sea-floor spreading, Grand Canyon.
3. Gives very brief description of catastrophic plate tectonics, runaway thermal subduction.
4. Illustrates rapid formation of laminae in sand grains.
5. Mentions rapid Ice Age formation, linking it with warm oceans post-Flood.
6. Discusses rapid geomagnetic reversals.
7. Upholds reliability of scripture, but does not claim a specific date for creation or the Flood — only less than 10,000 years ago.
8. Notes that their views are minority views, not accepted by most scientists.
9. At the end, Andrew Snelling states he believes in creation because of his Christian faith; then he relates that faith to what he sees in nature.

Weaknesses:

1. Does not present an analytical, well-supported argument for its views, but merely a rather superficial description of the theories of the group.
2. Illustrates fossils on Mt. Everest with fish resembling those from Green River Formation.

Recommendations: Useful for a general overview of the catastrophic view of the "Gang of Six". Probably better for high school, depending on the background of the teacher.

5-6. Journeys to the Edge of Creation --- 2 videos: 40 minutes each [see below for individual reviews]
        Produced by Moody Films / Distributed by Institute for Creation Research

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7. Roaring Waters --- 45 minutes
        Produced by Moody Films / Distributed by Institute for Creation Research

First review (1998)

Theme: Water plays a vital part in our planet's ecology, and is evidence of God's power and wisdom.

Features:

1. Shows examples of water action, as in ocean waves, "north-easter" and other coastal storms, flash floods, tsunamis, seasonal floods, and hydrothermal vents.
2. Shows sequence of movement of Columbia Glacier.
3. Presents animated explanation of physical activity along weather fronts.
4. Discussion of El Niño phenomenon.
5. Describes benefits of water cycle in moving nutrients, cleansing the land, and renewing the land; identifies these as evidence of God's power and wisdom.

Weaknesses:

1. Covers too much ground, almost becoming superficial in places, although the weather front sequence is presented well.
2. Advocates design in general, but does not address creation issues.

Recommendations: This video could be useful for classes studying weather.

8. The Great Floods --- 13.5 minutes
        Northwest Interp. Assoc., Lake Roosevelt Nat. Rec., 1008 Crest Dr., Coulee Dam, WA   (not a creationist video)

First review (1998)

Theme: Description of the Missoula Floods that formed the channeled scablands in Washington.

Features: It starts with the Columbia flood basalt volcanism and shows the areas covered by lava. Then it moves into the period of time when the continental ice sheets were enlarging to the point of making an ice dam on the Clark Fork River in Montana, causing Lake Missoula to form. Five hundred cubic miles of water created enough pressure to break the ice dam and drain the lake in as little as 48 hours. The movement of the water at approximately 60 mph carved out 50 cubic miles of earth. The floods plucked out and transported basalt blocks, forming a 100-mile-wide braided stream. It created the Grand Coulee that carried most of the water, Dry Falls, huge gravel bars and giant ripple marks. G. Harlan Bretz described these features, and his hypothesis was finally accepted as correct primarily because of the giant ripple marks discovered with aerial photography.

Weaknesses: Annoying cutoffs in background music.

Recommendations: I used it in my earth science classes this past spring. It gave concise descriptions and diagrams showing the movement of flood waters and resulting erosional and depositional land forms. I especially like the quote by Bretz at the end of the video. "The majestic (Grand) Coulee tells a heroic tale."

9. The Story of America's Great Volcanoes --- 58 minutes
        (not a creationist video)

First review (1998)

Theme: A panoramic look at volcanoes from Vesuvius through Mt. St. Helens. Discusses causes, the kinds, and impressions of volcanoes from past and present.

Features:

1. Introduction to volcanoes generally as well as a specific tour of 17 specific volcanoes located in Washington, Oregon or California. Includes discussion of traditional viewpoints about volcanoes: devil or holy mountain?
2. Understandable example of earth and tectonic plates.
3. Three types of volcanoes — a. Cinder cone; b. Shield; c. Composite
4. Yellowstone has more geothermal activity than any place on earth.
5. Introduces and pictures the ring of fire.

Weaknesses: I gave it high marks all around.

Recommendations: Exceptional photography and discussions. Moves well without excessive repetition. I would recommend this video for classroom use with preparation of the students for the dating in multi-millions of years.

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Second review (1998)

Theme: The history, creation and eruptions of America's volcanoes

Features:

1. Volcanoes are due to the movement of the plates (Pacific in this case)
2. Volcanoes are constantly reshaping the earth.
3. The awesomeness of the volcano's power:

   a. in the blast itself
   b. in the volume of ash
   c. in the lava flows
   d. in the heat released

4. How surprised the scientists were in the speedy recovery of nature following such a cataclysm as was seen at Mt. St. Helens and Spirit Lake.

Weaknesses: The ease with which the narrator switches from the concept of natural process over millions and billions of years to quoting Scripture and talking of the Creator.

Recommendations: I highly recommend this video. The photography is excellent with good footage of many volcanoes. I see possibilities of this video lending itself to a good discussion of philosophies of origin and how we often say conflicting things without realizing their lack of compatibility.

10. Mt. Rainier: Fire & Ice --- 20 minutes
        (not a creationist video)

First review (1998)

Theme: Mt. Rainier's history illustrates the geological effects of volcanoes and glaciers.

Features:

1. Mount Rainier is an active volcano- just temporarily dormant.
2. The mountain is constantly eroding away through rock slides, glaciation and snow and ice avalanches.
3. Up to 90 feet of annual snowfall keeps the glaciers fed and moving. Rainwater helps speed up the glacial flow to as much as 10 to 20 feet a day on steep slops or 1 to 2 feet a day on valley glaciers.
4. A volcano is a living (in a sense) landform.
5. Good time lapse showing how a glacier is like an actual river flow, showing it in motion.

Weaknesses: I do not like or feel that a theory on ages that are speculative should be treated in such a factual and matter-of-fact way. But this seems to be quite consistent with media presentations of an evolutionary nature.

Recommendations: I would recommend this as an introductory film for glaciation to Junior/Senior high school students. It lets them see glaciation on a volcano and how it is actually changing the face of the volcano, and how lahars can pose a very real threat to people living in the area.

11. Perilous Beauty: The Hidden Dangers of Mt. Rainier --- 29 minutes
        Northwest Interp. Assoc., Lake Roosevelt Nat Rec., 1008 Crest Dr., Coulee Dam, WA

First review (1998)

Theme: The current danger to the areas surrounding Mt. Rainier

Features:

1. Many dangers exist to the areas surrounding Mt. Rainier. Most of these have to do with landslides and mudflows. These could be triggered in several ways.
2. First, an earthquake could trigger an landslide starting with the release of the thin layers of lava at the tip of the mountain which have been chemically changed into clay minerals.
3. Another way landslide or mudflow could be triggered is through an avalanche. The melting of glacial ice could release an enormous amount of snow, ice and water which would pick up debris as it came down.
4. Pyroclastic flows also present a danger. These however are not a constant threat as geologists constantly monitor the geologic changes inside the mountain.

Weaknesses: No comments.

Recommendations: Very interesting video. The Mt. St. Helens eruption sequence was effective in showing the destructive nature of pyroclastic flows. Recommended for upper middle school and high school students

12. Mt. St. Helens: Explosive Evidence for Catastrophe --- 58 minutes
        Institute for Creation Research

First review (1998)

Theme: Mt. St. Helens

Features:

1. An eruption does not produce one homogeneous layer of deposits but many small different layers, probably because of Pulsing.
2. Dam breach cut a canyon that resembled the Grand Canyon in miniature. The stream in the canyon now did not form the canyon.
3. Upright floating logs in Spirit Lake settle out and stick in the mud vertically and are then filled in around with mud, validating Harold Coffin's theory on the Fossil Forests of Yellowstone.
4. The dam breach cut through not only new soft deposits but old solid rock as well.
5. Floating mat theory for coal formation.

Weaknesses:

1. The presentation is to church groups and not to scientists.
2. They only give Coffin credit in the credits.
3. The dam breech 2 years after the eruption seems not to be considered important by anyone else?

Recommendations: I recommend this for use in the classroom. It makes several points that support Noah's flood very well.

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Second review (1998)

Theme: Geological formations that suddenly occurred after the eruption of Mt. St. Helens support the concept of a young earth.

Features:

1. Reviewed geological events that occurred during the 1980 eruption.
2. The floating log mass on Spirit Lake illustrates how vertical fossil trees were buried and coal beds formed.
3. The 600 ft of layered deposits formed since 1980 when studied give the impression of great age.
4. A canyon that was quickly formed when a lake drained has led to the idea that the Grand Canyon could have been formed in months rather than millions of years.

Weaknesses: The video was very redundant, thus too boring for most students.

Recommendations: It should be used as a background resource for teachers rather than a video for the classroom.

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Third review (1998)

Theme: Explosive evidence for catastrophism is shown by studying Mt. St. Helens catastrophe.

Features:

1. Mt. St. Helens provides an analogy of Noah's flood on a smaller scale
2. If the flood happened according to the Bible, we should find evidence in the earth's crust
3. Designed to show an incredible series of events that formed in the area of Mt. St. Helens after the explosion and show these particular geological features can happen rapidly, example- canyons formed by erosion.
4. Layering of deposits with mud and pyroclastic rock and ash which happened in a very short time by catastrophic agents.
5. Canyons also formed by a massive mud flow, and streams followed as a result of the canyon.
6. Upright transported logs in Spirit Lake at positions of different deposited layers.

Weaknesses:

1. Talks as if he is the only authority on the subject
2. Steve Austin claims this single event blows evolutionary theories away and supports creation. Well, I have a funny feeling it's not that simple.
3. Gives his interpretation of other topics than those occurring at Mt St Helens - for example Darwin and finches of Galapagos Islands

Recommendations: Steve Austin does an excellent description with slides to explain the events that day and it's a good video in this respect. The underlying theme "this disproves evolution and proves creation" would be a good introduction for students to understand what "prove" means in terms of science and the Scriptures and discuss the complexity of these issues.

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Fourth review (1998)

Theme: Explosive Evidence for Catastrophe

Features:

1. Noah's flood is a very important part of the creation/evolution question that scientists face when considering the history of the earth. The events that happened are recorded in the rock layers and fossils that we study.
2. Mt. St. Helens is a small-scale catastrophe that has changed the way some people think in relation to the amount of time it takes for geologic record to be laid down and eroded away.
3. Rapid catastrophic events is a concept becoming more popular in geology and it gives the Bible record validity.
4. Spirit Lake shows how trees can petrify in an upright position in a very short time. This explains how the fossil trees at Specimen Ridge in Yellowstone Park could have been formed.

Weaknesses: I was impressed by the information and felt it was very factual with interesting implications. I have heard some of this said in other places and it does sound as if Steve Austin is the only one. Only 8 years had gone by when the film was made.

Recommendations: I would recommend the use of this video for 7th grade and up. It is excellent for supporting the Bible record of the flood.

13. The Eruption of Mt. St. Helens --- 25 minutes
        Mt. St. Helens CineDome, 1239 Mt. St. Helens Way, Castle Rock, WA 98611
        (not a creationist video; may be available only to educational institutions)

First review (1998)

Theme: Eruption and consequences of the Mt. St. Helens Volcano

Features:

1. Volcanoes seem to lie dormant but they aren't
2. Pacific Northwest is a volcano zone
3. Force of eruption = 27,000 atom bombs
4. Effects of ash spread
5. Subsequent earthquakes and eruptions- when and why?
6. Effects of past eruptions on Pacific Northwest
7. Dangers of living in the mud flow valleys
8. What a mud flow is and how it originates
9. Glaciers' part in the mud flow
10. Pyroclastic flows and what they do
11. Ancient volcanoes of the past
12. Danger for Seattle
13. Devastation of the 240 square miles
14. Military involvement in the rescue

Weaknesses:

1. More on Volcano mechanics
2. More on the "bulge" that occurred
3. More about the loss of life and why
4. More about the "Lava Building" dome

Recommendations: Recommended. I will use it as evidence of volcano power and as an introduction to the ring of fire and its dangers.

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Second review (1998)

Theme: History and affects of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens at 8:22 am May 18, 1980

Features:

1. Mt. St. Helens is one of a chain of volcanoes along the Cascade range which extends from British Columbia to Mt. Lassen in CA. Many of these have been active in the past including the explosion of Mt. Mazama which formed Crater Lake in Oregon.
2. The eruption was triggered by a landslide on the north face which released an explosion equal to 27 Atomic bombs. The top 1300 feet of the mountain was blown away during the explosion.
3. Ash fallout disabled Yakima and other cities on eastern WA. Twenty-seven persons were killed during the eruption and 30 more are missing and presumed dead, for a total of 57 lives.
4. A landslide filled the Toutle River to a depth of 600 feet and trees were knocked over by the blast for 8 to 10 miles from the crater. The hot gases seared and killed trees up to 15 miles from the crater.
5. The first blast formed a crater 1 mile wide, and during the first year a lava dome over 800 feet high formed in the crater. It was destroyed by some of the later eruptions.
6. One week after the first blast, the second eruption sent ash fallout to the west, and during the first year there were a total of 10 eruptions.
7. It is estimated that the mountain will reach its pre-eruption height within 200 years at the present rate of activity.

Weaknesses: Needs to be updated since the film was produced about 1990. Should include some data about the erosion studies done and the studies done on succession of the living ecosystem of the mountain.

Recommendations:

1. Excellent for showing the multiple affects of a small eruption. The specific data about the devastation done and the areas affected can be used as a scale to help students understand the greater catastrophic effects of larger or multiple eruptions which probably occurred during and after the great flood.
2. The video would be useful for any age group, but may be a little too graphic for grades 1-4. In my opinion it can be adapted for all other grades from 5 thru college.
3. I would definitely use this video as part of a teaching unit on volcanism and catastrophes.

14. Earthquake --- 55 minutes
        Nova. Veston Video (not a creationist video)

First review (1998)

Theme: Earthquake prediction is not yet possible, but if we apply the knowledge we do have, we can save many lives and dollars.

Features:

1. Shows live footage of 1989 Loma Prieta (Santa Cruz, CA) earthquake.
2. Includes comments by several seismologists: Allan Lindh, Lynn Sykes, George Plafker, Tom McEvilly, Lucy Jones.
3. Reviews 1755 Lisbon earthquake.
4. Describes p-waves and s-waves, their differences and how they are interpreted.
5. Reviews 1906 San Francisco quake, with photos.
6. Describes relationship of quakes to plate tectonic theory.
7. Shows some live footage of 1964 Alaska quake.
8. Reviews efforts at quake prediction, especially in China.
9. Shows efforts to monitor quakes at Parkfield, CA.
10. Shows efforts by seismologist to study paleoquakes to assist in predicting strain rates and earthquake probabilities.

Weaknesses:

1. Rather long, although not boring. Some material could be cut without reducing the usefulness of the video.
2. More animation of earthquake mechanism might be interesting, but also might be found later to be incorrect.
3. There is one place in the video where the tenor Caruso, who happened to be in San Francisco during the great earthquake, is quoted as saying it was "a hell of a place."

Recommendation: A useful video, but probably too long for a class period. Suggest selecting desirable segments ahead of time to show the class. Segments should be suitable for all ages studying the topic.

15. Radiocarbon, Creation and the Genesis Flood --- 36 minutes
        Creation Science Foundation

First review (1998)

Theme: Radiocarbon ages must be corrected for the effects of the Genesis Flood.

Features:

1. Lecture by Dr. Russell Humphries, using overheads.
2. Explanation of carbon-14 production by cosmic rays and the present rate of production and total mass of carbon-14.
3. Explanation of the theory of carbon-14 dating, including its present concentration, post-death decline, and assumptions of the method.
4. Description of changes in rate of production of carbon-14, and its atmospheric concentration after the Flood.
5. Explanation of why evolutionists overestimate radiocarbon ages.
6. Explicit scriptural basis for interpretation.

Weaknesses:

1. Lecture format is not as fast-moving as some other formats.
2. Uses several graphs that require some mathematical background.
3. Makes statement that, since creationists can provide an interpretation of carbon-14 dates, then we can trust the Bible. Implies the Bible is to be judged by science.

Recommendation: The amount of material may overwhelm a student. A useful presentation, relatively well done, and suitable for audiences with at least one course in algebra. Two years of algebra would be helpful. Teacher should be prepared to assist students in interpreting graphs. I have not seen a better video presentation of this technical subject, but students my consider it quite boring.

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Second review (1998)

Theme: Carbon-14 radiometric dating

Features:

1. The Flood changed the percentage of carbon-14 in living creatures.
2. Half life of carbon-14 is 5700 years. Cosmic rays make carbon-14 (otherwise we might not have any C-14).
3. We have 8 kg of C-14 produced each year with a total amount of about 62 tons. We are gaining more and more C-14 but because 1/100% decays every year we will reach a plateau of 75 tons where as much will decay as is produced.
4. One out of every trillion atoms in the body is C-14.
5. The Genesis flood removed much carbon from the biosphere.
6. After the Flood, carbon in the air decreased for several years.
7. The earth's magnetic field prior to the flood may be much stronger than now.
8. Carbon-14 dating seems to be good back to about Moses' time.
9. 2 Peter 3:3-4 All things continue as they were.

Weaknesses:

1. There is perhaps too much information to cause information overload.
2. The level may be too high for many high school students.

Recommendations: I could use this in nuclear chemistry unit of my high school chemistry course.

16. A Geologist Looks at Noah's Flood --- 48 minutes
        Institute for Creation Research

First review (1998)

Theme: Geologic evidence supports the reality of Noah's flood.

Features:

1. Lecture by John Morris, Director of ICR
2. Discussion of the Principle of Uniformity
3. Discussion of where the flood water came from and where it went.
4. Evidence of catastrophic deposition fulfills a prediction of the flood. Includes discussions of mass graveyards, turbidites; boulder-sized clasts imply large-scale activity of water.
5. Evidence of regional (large-scale) stratigraphy fulfills a prediction of the flood. Examples of a coal bed extending over many states; St Peter's Sandstone and correlates; Tapeats Sandstone and correlates, with basal conglomerate.
6. Evidence of large-scale erosion fulfills a flood prediction. Discussions of underfed rivers, incised meanders.
7. Evidence of intense volcanism fulfills a flood prediction.
8. Evidence of an Ice Age is best explained as a result of the flood, with warm oceans and cool continents.

Weaknesses: Lecture format is less interesting

Recommendations: Could be useful for middle and secondary school classes, but more interesting videos on the topic are available.

17-19. The Wonders of God's Creation --- 3 videos; about 60 minutes each [see below for individual reviews]
        Produced by Moody Films / Distributed by Institute for Creation Research

First review (1998)

Theme: 1. Wonders of Planet Earth, 2. Animal Kingdom, 3. Human Life

Features:

1. The planet Earth is unique among the other planets in our solar system, let alone the rest of the universe. The video discusses those features that make life possible on this planet and yet improbable elsewhere in the universe. Water, clouds and seed distribution are 3 main things discussed.
2. The story of the Pacific salmon, the migration path and life history of the monarch butterfly and the unique language of the honeybee are 3 fascinating features of this second video. Some other organism featured are bats and their use of sonar, and spiders whose webs are strong as steel.
3. The mysteries of the human body are featured in this video. The complexity of the various body systems are discussed and the narrator brings out the fact that there must have been a master creator.

Weaknesses: Some may feel the information is a little simplistic. I feel the information is a little simplistic. I feel that they are very well done for the general public, including high school students.

Recommendations: Highly recommended for use. These videos are suggested to be used in the new 7th and 8th grade science books. I use them in my biology class when dealing with the evolution and creation unit.

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17. The Wonders of God's Creation: Planet Earth --- 65 minutes

Second review (1998)

Theme: The Earth is uniquely designed for life.

Features:

1. Quotes from famous scientists, from Aristotle to Werner von Braun.
2. Narration by Colonel Guy Garden, U.S. astronaut.
3. Description of beneficial properties of water, including solvent; surface tension; expansion of ice; hydrologic cycle.
4. Proper temperature range for life due to distance from sun, rotational period.
5. Atmosphere supports life, protects against sun's radiation.
6. Presence of moon provides tidal force to cleanse seashores without flooding continents.
7. Beauty and design in nature, such as snowflakes, speak of God's plan.
8. Time-lapse sequences of plant pollination, seed dispersal.
9. Explicit religious theme, with biblical quotes.

Weaknesses:

1. Too long.
2. Combines two topics: design of earth, and wonders of plants.

Recommendations: Should be useful for classes in earth science (first part) or biology (second part). Select appropriate segments ahead of time, don't try to show the entire video in one sitting.

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18. The Wonders of God's Creation: Animal Life --- 62 minutes

Second review (1998)

Theme: Animal life shows evidence of design by God.

Features:

1. Excellent photography of various interesting creatures.
2. Sequence of salmon life cycle
3. Various types of food acquisition, including bats, sea otters
4. Various types of animal communication, with sequence of "honeybee language."
5. Description of design of birds for flight.
6. Sequence on monarch migration
7. Influence of animal design on human invention, as in dams, airplanes, submarines.
8. Explicit religious context, including ending "sermonette."

Weaknesses:

1. Too long.
2. Theme is easy to miss because the segments are not tied together closely.

Recommendation: Useful segments on salmon life cycle, honeybee language, and bird flight could be used in life science classes. Don't try to show entire video at one sitting.

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19. The Wonders of God's Creation: Human Life --- 62 minutes

Second review (1998)

Theme: Humans are a special creation.

Features:

1. Begins with the creation events of Genesis 1, then focuses on man.
2. Sequence of human development, starting with zygote. Includes an actual birth scene.
3. Shows x-rays of foot, hand, and chewing movements.
4. Shows blood cells flowing through capillaries, circulatory system.
5. Sequence on the brain, featuring Mary Lou Redden in the 1984 Olympic gymnastics.
6. Examples of human art in music of Beethoven, painting of Michelangelo.
7. Uniqueness of human speech.

Weaknesses:

1. Too long.
2. Lacks thematic clarity; perhaps too much topical diversity.

Recommendations: I would probably not use it for academy biology class, but it could be quite interesting to elementary level students.

20. In the Image of God --- 28 minutes
        Produced by Keziah 1997

First review (1998)

Theme: Man is unique, not descended from apes

Features:

1. Interview with evolutionist Chris Stringer of British Museum (Natural History)
2. Interviews with creationists Sigrid Hartwig-Scherer, Marvin Lubenow, Richard Milton
3. Shows actual specimens (probably casts?) of hominids.
4. Argues Australopithecus was an ape; Homo erectus a human

Weaknesses:

1. The awkward pause after the question to Dawkins could have been omitted.
2. Otherwise, the film was generally satisfactory, given the length and audience.

Recommendations: Recommended for secondary biology classes. Probably too advanced for younger grades.

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Second review (1998)

Theme:

1. New evidence supports the idea that man was created in the image of God.
2. Fossil evidence supports the Genesis model of repopulation after a flood.

Features:

1. Careful restudy and new discoveries about evidence (fossil skulls) exposes misapplication and even fraud in interpretation of their origin. The four fossil skulls are taken one at a time and interpreted to be

   a. Truly ape or
   b. Mixed species (mixture of bones from two or more species) or
   c. Truly human

2. The theme of migrations after the Flood is covered showing plausibility of such waves.

Weaknesses: The British accents were a bit hard to follow.

Recommendations:

1. This has some interesting ideas on previously used skull evidence. It is a well-organized, interview type script contrasting creationist scientists with evolutionary scientists. The arguments seemed valid against the evolutionary evidence at my level of understanding.
2. Maximum benefit would be achieved after some background information because of the vocabulary used.
3. Possibly too advanced for my 7th and 8th graders.

21. From a Frog to a Prince --- 27 minutes
        Produced by Keziah

First review (1998)

Theme: Focuses on the problem of the source of biological information.

Features:

1. Interviews with Richard Dawkins, Lee Spetner, Michael Denton, Werner Gitt, and Don Batten.
2. Information is a measure of complexity (Dawkins)
3. Claims all mutations, including the rare beneficial mutations, involve loss of information

Weaknesses:

1. Uses a tortoise and a cockatoo to illustrate the evolutionary theory that birds evolved from reptiles; it would have been better to use a dinosaur, and not as bad to use an alligator, or even a lizard.
2. It implies that loss of alleles is loss of information, but does not accept new alleles as new information; actually, gain or loss of alleles should not necessarily be considered a gain or loss of information, but merely carriers of equivalent information
3. Narration seems a bit wooden at times, but not too bad.
4. The amount of information may be too much for one sitting.

Recommendations: Recommended for secondary biology classes. Study heredity first.

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Second review (1998)

Theme: The need for new genetic information required for major biological change makes evolution difficult to accept.

Features:

1. Richard Dawkins (Oxford) - Evolution supporter
2. Michael Denton (New Zealand)

   a. Arguments for Evolution weak
   b. Not enough genetic information
   c. Vast differences between birds & reptiles - all parts needed

3. Werner Gitt (Germany) - information can't come from random changes
4. Don Batten (Australia) - mutation provides no new genetic information
5. Lee Spetner (Israel)

   a. mathematical improbability of macro evolution
   b. mutations cause loss of information

6. Evolution needs ancestors
7. New information can only come from an intelligent source

Weakness: Probably too much for one sitting (High School); suggest 2-3 10 or 15 minute presentations

Recommendations: Useful 2nd sem. of biology (High School) after certain aspects of heredity are understood

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Third review (1998)

Theme: Discusses the problems of major changes in form and function as being unlikely because of lack of new genetic information.

Features:

1. Interviews with Richard Dawkins - defends the neodarwinian principles of genetic mutations working with natural selection to give new forms and added complexity.
2. Interview with Michael Denton - Biochemist who stresses unique chemical composition of genetic information and stresses the physiological differences between birds and reptiles.
3. Interviews with Lee Spetner and Werner Gitt - stresses the fact that mutations are almost always a loss of information and changes in form and function require new information which mutations can not provide.
4. Interview with Don Batten - Uses the great variety in size of horses to demonstrate that each basic kind of organism has great variability in the genetic code they carry, but they do not change from one form to another.

Weakness:

1. Stresses the fact that all mutations are lost information, which is too much of an absolute. The rare beneficial mutation may just be a rearrangement of the information that already exists.
2. The editing of the film makes Dawkins look unsure of his answers when he is asked questions which are complex. Seemed like they were editing in a way to make him look like he was desperately looking for answers.

Recommendations: Film would be useful for secondary or above, since it requires a basic understanding of gene structure and function. I plan to buy the film and use it for my Biology and Anatomy classes.

22. The Genesis Flood --- 50 minutes
        Institute for Creation Research

First review (1998)

Theme: That the worldwide flood story in the Bible is believable and consistent with scientific observation.

Features:

1. The Genesis flood story is important - Dr. Henry Morris, Ph.D. believes that the flood story is the part of the Bible "under greatest attack". He uses the familiar verses of 2 Peter 3:3,4 to remind us that the idea that "all things continue as they were from the beginning" was predicted for the last days and that here (2 Peter 3:5,6) we see a New Testament validation of the flood story.
2. The Genesis Flood story makes good sense - Here he first points out that early geologists accepted the flood story and it worked well for them. He then defends the capacity of Noah's ark as being adequate for all the terrestrial "kinds" and defends the stability, etc. of the ark.
3. The Geological evidence - Dr. Morris spends some time defending the statement that there are "no transitional forms in the geologic record". He defends the classification of Archaeopteryx as a mosaic form rather than a transitional form (e.g. claws and teeth are fully developed). He then spends time on the geologic column being a mental construct rather than something that one can actually find in its entirety anywhere. He points out that if the entire column did exist in any one place, it would be 100 miles thick! The existence and nature of the supposed geologic column is usually based on the principles of superposition, lithologic identification, recognition of unconformities, and reference to fossil successions. He proceeds to argue that none of this really is valid. He concludes with evidences of cataclysm in the rocks and the need to have rapid deposition to get the vast numbers of fossils in a particular area.

Weaknesses: The main weakness is the fact that the presentation is strictly in lecture format with a very limited quantity of poor quality black and white graphics.

Recommendations:

1. I would not recommend this video for use in the high school level classroom as it is too technical, strictly lecture, and with little visual appeal.
2. I would not recommend it for use with an adult who is just getting into creationism unless they were fairly scientifically literate.
3. I do recommend it for the more scientifically literate and/or serious creation student.

23. "Firing Line" Debate on Evolution vs Creation --- 120 minutes
        (not a creationist video)

First review (1998)

Theme: A formal debate on the validity and believability of evolution and creation theories, with two teams of four scientists or notables, one team defending evolution and the other defending creationism.

Features:

1. The moderator posed specific questions on the origins of life with respect to both theories, how they influence the public, how they should be presented in school. Each team had an allotted time to respond, and then the opposing team had a timed rebuttal. Also, each team had a chance to ask questions of the other team. The topics ranged from the scientific to political impacts to personal philosophies.
2. The evolutionists claimed that theirs was the only logical position from a scientific standpoint and maintained that attitude throughout the debate, yet the supposedly clean evidences they presented were very few and weak. For example, the creationist side pointed out a weakness of evolution is the lack of transitional forms in the fossil record, but cellular biologist Ken Miller claimed that lots of transitional forms have clearly documented and that was no longer in question. For "proof" he produced a poster with a drawing of five animals supposedly showing transition from one to the next, and acted as if anyone with any sense would have to agree - no fossils, no description or classification of this supposed group, just drawings!
3. Unfortunately, the creationist team didn't have a lot of evidence for Creation, either, but was very effective in pointing out many weaknesses of evolution theory, especially Michael Behe's explanation of biomolecular problems with evolution. And despite William F. Buckley's areas of expertise being more in the arena of politics, he was able to present some clear arguments in favor of creationism from a lay person's point of view, and made some logical, strong statements for the creationist team.

Weaknesses: Rather than presenting a lot of strong scientific evidences and arguments, the debaters tended to make arguments that were more of philosophy and logic.

Recommendations: Very interesting! Both teams were very articulate and passionate about their views, making this a debate which held my attention. It may be a little bit long and formal for classroom use, at least in its entirety. The second hour was perhaps the most significant and therefore would be of greater use in teaching.

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Second review (1998)

Theme: Creation-Evolution controversy and debate

Features:

1. Participants in a debate

   - Creationists or Non-evolutionists — Wm. F. Buckley, Jr., Michael Behe, Philip Johnson, David Berlinski
   - Evolutionists — Ken Miller, E. Scott, M. Delose, Barry Lynn (GM Prs.)

2. From my viewpoint, scientifically and logically, Behe & Co. made the other group look bad. Buckley accused them of not being open-minded, but dogmatic toward highly intelligent people who do not believe the case they make for Evolution. Arrogance was rampant among the evolutionists.

Weaknesses: You have to patiently wait for disproof that you know can be very logically given. The Evolutionists tried to discredit the others, in a friendly way, and pat themselves on the back.

Recommendations: Excellent for teaching modern up-to-date beliefs and the non-evolutionist team was probably the best representation. I liked having an agnostic show the flaws in evolution and I'm a strong Behe, Johnson, Buckley fan.

24. The Age of the Earth: A Geologic Perspective --- 44 minutes
        Institute for Creation Research

First review (1998)

Theme: Radioisotope dating is flawed because of its reliance on uniformity. Application of uniformity to other processes indicate an earth much younger than 4.5 billion years.

Features:

1. Lecture by Dr. John Morris, Director of Institute for Creation Research.
2. Discussion of assumptions of dating methods.
3. Discussion of principles of radioisotope dating, with conclusion that most radioisotope dates are useless.
4. Discussion of deficiency of helium in atmosphere; age of atmosphere less than 2 million years.
5. Discussion of sea salinity; age of sea less than about 62 million years.
6. Soft-sediment deformation indicates short time between deposition of layers conventionally dated as millions of years different in age. Examples of clastic dikes in Colorado Plateau monocline, near Garden of the Gods in the Rockies.

Weaknesses:

1. Does not provide a fair picture of the large numbers of radioisotope dates that provide a consistent picture of the passage of long ages of time.
2. Understates the difficulty of the problem for creationists.

Recommendation: Most teachers will probably find this video not useful. However, teachers who are well-acquainted with the data may be able to use portions of the video, or provide a balance to the presentation.

25. The Six Days of Creation --- 30 minutes

First review (1998)

Theme: General meditative mood video

Features:

1. Mostly nature scenes, considerable repetition, accompanied by theme music
2. Occasional Bible readings: Gen 1 (days not in order); Psalm 46, 23, 19, etc

Weaknesses:

1. No real educational content discernable
2. Days of creation are out of order, not accurately reported

Recommendation: This video does not have enough substance to be recommended. It might be useful for personal meditation, but there should be better material available.

26. Natural Selection vs Supernatural Design --- 42 minutes
        Institute for Creation Research

First review (1998)

Theme: Life is supernaturally designed.

Features:

1. Lecture by John Morris, Director of ICR.
2. Notes that natural selection theory makes a designer unnecessary.
3. Many variations of a kind can be produced, but not a new kind.
4. The problem of pain is probably the main reason people turn to evolution.

Weaknesses:

1. Judgmental: quotes Bible verses to claim that people choose evolution because their deeds are evil.
2. Doesn't develop a good argument for design.

Recommendation: This video does not have enough substance to be recommended.

27. A Walk Through History --- 80 minutes
        Institute for Creation Research

First review (1998)

Theme: A tour of ICR's creation museum

Features:

1. Narrated by John Morris, ICR Director
2. Points out how assumptions affect interpretations
3. Reviews days of creation, with discussion of each day
4. Includes entire universe in Creation Day 1
5. Emphasize "water vapor canopy" on Creation Day 2
6. Genesis "kinds" discussed on Creation Day 3
7. Contrasts differences in sequence between Bible and evolutionary interpretation, in discussion on Creation Day 4
8. Claims dinosaurs are mentioned in the Bible, in Creation Days 5, 6
9. Uses functional maturity argument, in Creation Day 7
10. Displays on the Fall and Curse, decay
11. Displays on the Flood; reports claims of ark sighting
12. Rapid formation of fossils
13. Features of Grand Canyon: Complex fossils at bottom of column; Widespread strata; Erosion; top layers date 1 billion years, bottom layers much younger
14. Mt. St. Helens: rapidly formed laminae
15. Yellowstone Fossil Forest
16. Ice Age post-Flood, from warm ocean water
17. Tower of Babel: pagan religions, cultural artifacts
18. Reformation history and modern culture; shows artifacts
19. Illustrates the influence of Christianity on the development of science in the West

Weaknesses:

1. Narrator talks too fast, seems superficial
2. Covers too much material, attempts to repeat the message of the entire museum
3. Too long
4. Mixes bad arguments with good; the worst: claims of ark sighting, and biblical references to dinosaurs
5. Features pagan religious artifacts; unhelpful
6. Assumes creation of entire universe in Genesis 1

Recommendations: Not recommended for schools. Could be useful for those who are curious about what is in ICR's museum

28. Evidence for a Young Earth --- 51 minutes
        Creation Science Foundation

First review (1998)

Theme: The majority of data points to an age for the earth of less than billions of years.

Features:

1. Lecture in Australia by Russ Humphries, physicist.
2. Provides a list of physical processes that set limits on the age of the world; claims that more than 90% of these give an age less than billions of years.
3. Claims that spiral galaxies wind themselves up too fast; spiral pattern would be lost in about 200 million years. Called "winding-up dilemma."
4. Claims comets lose material with each pass around sun, could not survive for billions of years. Some comets could not be older than 10,000 years.
5. Claims that continents would erode completely in 15 million years; they could not be billions of years old.
6. Claims that the salt content of the ocean would require at most 62 million years to accumulate, could accumulate in much less time with a worldwide flood.
7. Claims human population is too low for such a long time; present population size could easily be achieved in 4,000 or 5,000 years. A "stone age" of 100,000 years should have involved 4 billion persons, but only a couple of thousand skeletons have been found.
8. The arguments are presented semi-quantitatively using graphs and charts.

Weaknesses:

1. The film is too long, and gets boring in places.
2. There is a tendency to make too much of the claims. Although some of them may point to lower ages than the conventional figures, they point to some figure much greater than 6,000 years, and they are subject to other interpretations.
3. The human population argument is particularly weak, and invalid, because population size is limited by the environment, and theoretical calculations of potential growth are irrelevant.
4. The film concludes that much scientific data is consistent with a young earth, therefore, "you can trust the Bible." This implies that we cannot trust the Bible if we cannot see how science supports it. This places science as the test of the Bible, instead of the other way around.

Recommendations: This film is not particularly useful. The arguments are weak, with many qualifiers needed and alternative interpretations are possible. Students with the mathematical tools to follow the charts and graphs are likely to know enough to have doubts about the arguments.

29. Fingerprints of Creation --- 31 minutes
        Adventist Media Center

First review (1998)

Theme: Radiohalos in granites require a supernatural explanation and are evidence of instantaneous creation of granites by God.

Features:

1. Robert and David Gentry present the argument that radiohalos in granites are evidence of instantaneous creation of granites.
2. Shows process of collecting and examining radiohalos, with a good animation sequence showing how radiohalos are formed.
3. Analogy of alka-selzer bubbles in water, dissipating in a few minutes.
4. Shows and discusses uranium radioactive decay series.
5. Analogy of water dripping in bucket to illustrate the effects of the presupposition of initial conditions.
6. Claims polonium-218 halos should not exist in the absence of uranium. Claims isolated Po-218 halos show supernatural activity in their creation.
7. Polonium atoms last for a very short time, far less than the time required for granite to cool. Claims the presence of polonium halos in granites shows the granites were created instantaneously.
8. Shows rhyolite with small crystals, supposedly from slow cooling.
9. Andrew Snelling discusses southern California granites having different materials apparently unmixed, indicating rapid formation.

Weaknesses:

1. An alternative possible explanation for the radiohalos has been suggested, despite Gentry's assertions otherwise. Fluids under high pressure may have moved through the rocks, carrying uranium atoms or various decay products between the layers of mica-like minerals. Atoms of a particular element might accumulate where chemical conditions favored their precipitation, forming a polonium center.
2. The precursor of Po-218 is the gas, radon-222. Gas molecules could move through the rocks under pressure. In this case, Po-218 would be the first radiohalo produced at that site, followed later by Po-214 and Po-210.
3. The last two precursors of Po-214 are beta-particle emitters, which leave no radiohalos. If lead-214 were to precipitate out of solution and accumulate, it would first decay to bismuth-214, then to polonium-214. The only halos formed in this situation would be Po-214, followed later by Po-210.
4. In similar fashion, the last two precursors of Po-210 are lead-210 and bismuth-210. Po-210 could produce isolated halos.
5. A second alternative explanation for the polonium radiohalos may be that the halos did form rapidly, in dikes which were emplaced in a few hours or days. The exact geological context of most of the halos seems not to have been published, but at least some of the halos are believed to have come from dikes, and dikes are thought to have formed very rapidly.
6. Gentry does not discuss the amount of time required for a uranium halo to be produced. It seems unlikely that uranium, with a half-life of hundreds of millions of years, would decay fast enough in 6,000 years to produce a visible halo. This is one reason Gentry must propose a supernatural increase in the rate of decay.
7. Even if Gentry's argument for rapid granite creation is accepted, this tells nothing about whether it was formed recently or billions of years ago.
8. The arguments presented and the evidence necessary to understand the issues are too complex for most non-scientists to adequately grasp.

Recommendations: I felt the Gentrys did a good job of presenting their argument on video. They do not give adequate recognition to alternative explanations, and tend to dismiss, or even deny, contrary arguments. This makes the film less useful than it could be. The video could provide a very interesting topic for classes studying the philosophy of science, if the teacher is thoroughly acquainted with the topics presented. Any use of the material should avoid endorsing the conclusions presented, but simply offer them as one way of interpreting the evidence, and explore the possibility of other interpretations. Probably not suitable for secondary or elementary levels, but could be used at college level.

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Second review (1998)

Theme: God left his fingerprints on earth (in granite) in the form of radiohalos.

Features:

1. The presence of radio halos in granite which supposedly forms over long periods of time shows that the rock must have formed instantly.
2. Shows the work of Robert Gentry and David Gentry in gathering and analyzing radio halos.
3. Uses several concrete examples of complex theories - alka-seltzer in water, etc
4. Discusses the radioactive decay series of uranium.
5. Shows how authorities in Arkansas trial called on Gentry as a witness so present his work on polonium halos. Three-ring primordial polonium exists only for a short time, but is found in rocks assumed to require long periods of time to form by evolutionary standards.

Weaknesses:

1. Leaves no room for alternatives. "It's got to be one or the other. It's just that simple". If he is ever proven wrong, his own words says evolution is correct.
2. "Scientific evidence that earth had to be created by God."
3. Sound was very full of background static - distracting.

Recommendations:

1. Not used for elementary students. Perhaps could use for capable high school students
2. Should not be used without presenting alternative explanations for evidence
3. Younger students will have a great deal of difficulty with sound in the video.

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Third review (1998)

Theme: A discussion of Robert Gentry's research on radiohalos

Features:

1. Dr Gentry claims to have found radiohalos for polonium-218, a halo that "can't" be there, in granites from all over the globe.
2. Since, he says, these halos should have been eliminated in slow evolutionary cooling process, he points to this as evidence that the rock was formed instantly.
3. Gives some explanation of Uniformitarian theory and radiometric dating.
4. Claims his research is an invalidation of the Uniformitarian principle.
5. Claims the scientific community is unwilling to look at this data, although known for 25 years.

Weaknesses: This video would be difficult for my students to understand and follow.

Recommendations: I felt it had value to me in acquainting me with issues and research being done in this area.

30. The Young Age of the Earth --- 75 minutes
        Alpha Productions

First review (1998)

Theme: Compressed radiohalos in coalified wood mean the geologic time scale should be collapsed into a short time.

Features:

1. Claims compressed radiohalos in coalified Eocene, Jurassic and Triassic wood indicate that wood from all three geologic periods was simultaneously infiltrated by uranium-bearing waters and later compressed and coalified. This, plus their similar Pb/U ratios, shows that these geologic layers all have the same, recent age.
2. Shows polystrate fossil wood extending through layers thought to have been deposited over hundreds of thousands of years, in Catherine Hill Bay, Australia.
3. Shows large seams of notably pure coal in Amax Eagle Butte Mine, Wyoming. Cites studies which show that coal and oil can be produced quickly. Claims that coal seams and oil must have been produced rapidly in the flood.
4. Describes destructive power of volcanism, illustrated by Mt. St. Helens eruption. Proposes extensive volcanism during the flood.
5. Dr. Walter Brown outlines his "hydroplate theory" of the flood.
6. Claims lack of erosion between Grand Canyon layers indicates rapid sedimentation. Erosion of Grand Canyon also occurred rapidly.
7. Shows cavitation effects of rapid water flow through Glen Canyon dam.
8. Well-preserved fossils are evidence of rapid burial, illustrated by fish at Fossil Butte Monument in Wyoming.
9. Shows dinosaur tracks and dinosaur fossils. Argues that radiohalos in coalified wood causes "collapse of geologic time" to all dinosaurs lived at the same time.
10. Claim by Russian Dmitri Kousnetkov that isotopic order of carbon atoms in amino acids is evidence of supernatural design.
11. Claims coalified wood studies refute radioisotope dating.
12. Claims excess helium in deep rocks from New Mexico.

Weaknesses:

1. This film is too long, attempts too much, and is not well organized.
2. The video's claim is poor that because coal and oil could form rapidly, therefore they must have formed rapidly.
3. Walter Brown's hydroplate model is largely arm-waving. It is lacking in supporting data, hurriedly presented, and unconvincing.
4. The claims of "isotopic order" by the Russian are probably false.
5. Gentry's analysis of the weaknesses of radiometric dating is poorly done, and focuses on the wrong points.
6. Gentry claims, without evidence, that the granites are "the very rocks the Bible calls the foundation of the Earth."

Recommendations: Certain portions of the video may be useful, for example, the segments on coalified wood, the polystrate tree, the huge coal seam, reports of the rapid formation of coal and oil, and cavitation at Glen Canyon Dam, and possibly the dinosaur tracks in the Utah coal mines. Other portions should not be used, such as the hydroplate theory, the "isotopic order" argument, the supposed production of coal in a heated pipe, and the criticism of radiometric dating. Many conclusions are badly over-stated.

31. The Footsteps of Leviathan: Fossil Evidence of Creation
        Answers in Genesis

First review (1998)

Theme: Dinosaurs are mentioned in the Bible

Features:

1. Includes comments of: Ken Carpenter of Denver Museum of Natural History; Andrew Snelling; the astronomer Shoemaker; Steve Austin; Gary Parker; some unknowns (Phil ?Jacque, Robert Scarborough, consultant geologist for Biosphere; Buddy Davis, CRS)
2. Rapid burial necessary for fossil preservation
3. Claims fossil dating is circular, layers and fossils date each other
4. Claims uniformitarianism is incorrect; so is geology is based on it
5. Yellowstone Fossil Forest is transported
6. Spirit Lake debris (Mt St Helens) may explain coal formation
7. Grand Canyon; laminae may form rapidly
8. Rancho La Brea: challenge gradualistic explanation; local catastrophe
9. Dinosaur extinction unexplained; recent dinosaur existence supported by red cells in dino fossils, unfossilized dino bone in Alaska, mass mortalities, Job's references to leviathan and behemoth

Weaknesses: Assertion that Bible refers to dinosaurs is poorly supported, not worth the effort

Recommendation: Not recommended. Should not be used.

32. Creation and Catastrophe --- 36 minutes [withdrawn from circulation]
        Produced by Genesis Science Research, Australia.

First review (1998)

Theme: Attempts to re-scale geologic time by proposing a change in the speed of light constant, resulting in changes in radioactive decay rates, etc

Features:

1. Lecture by Barry Setterfield, designed to be used with a Wall Chart and Handbook
2. Attempts to correlate "atomic time", "calendar time", and "Bible time"

   Compresses Precambrian from "5+ billion" years to 2256 actual years
   Compresses Paleozoic from 370 million years to 235 actual years
   Compresses Mesozoic from 167 million years to 296 actual years
   Compresses Cenozoic from 63 million years to 205 actual years
   Compresses "Recent" from 1 million years to 4800 actual years

3. Claims moon dust too thin for geologic timescale, should be 2000 ft in 4.6 Ga
4. Claims Saturn's rings would be pulverized by asteroids in 10,000 years
5. Claims human and dinosaur prints together in Turkmenistan, and the Paluxy River of Texas
6. Claims human skeleton found 21 ft deep in Dakota Sandstone, 150 Ma atomic age
7. Claims 40 instances of human activity in fossil column, including:

   - clay doll found 300 ft deep in Pliocene sediments
   - wooden hammer handle in Ordovician sediments
   - trilobite in sandal print in Cambrian sediments of House Range

8. Claims Precambrian pollen in Grand Canyon, CRSQ March 98
9. Claims series of 5 catastrophes, including

   - Water driven out of crust by heat of radioactive decay, contributing half the ocean's volume to Noah's flood, initiating tectonic movements
   - Continued radioactive heating produced end-Paleozoic Siberian flood basalts and other catastrophic activity, at time of Tower of Babel
   - Asteroid impact (Chicxulub, Manson) increased tilt of axis, caused Deccan flood basalts, speeded up plate movements, at time of Peleg
   - Continued volcanism and earthquakes; onset of Ice Age; during time of Job
   - Additional tilt of axis, probably due to meteorite impact; destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

10. Claims dinosaurs could not cope with drop in speed of light, so became extinct

Weaknesses:

1. None of the claims can be verified, most seem pure fantasy
2. The video is so boring I went to sleep
3. It is filled with speculation and inaccurate statements

Recommendation: Not recommended

33. Panorama of Creation: Part 1
        Carl Baugh (part of a series including several hours of lectures)

First review (1998)

Theme: The pre-Flood atmosphere, with twice the present density and 25% oxygen, promoted the growth of giant plants, animals and humans.

Features:

1. Claim that Darwin produced no new scientific data.
2. Claim that human population would reach 10⁸⁹ in 41,000 years, showing humans cannot have been here that long.
3. Claims if australopithicenes were the ancestors of humans 11 million years ago, all the monkeys would be "used up."
4. Claims a model of pre-Flood Earth, with sea interfingering continent, heavy atmosphere, water canopy. In this atmosphere, giants grew, human brains were much better, life-span was much longer, humans could run 200 miles without getting tired.
5. Claims information can be measured in "exponential bits", of which an atom has one, the solar system has 170, the universe (which is beyond our knowledge) has 235, while a protein molecule has 1500 and an E. coli cell has 7 million.

Weaknesses: Every claim listed above is unsubstantiated, and should not be repeated.

Recommendation: This video is not recommended.

34. Creation or Evolution? Science and Religion: Bridging the Gap --- 57 minutes
        Ambassador Television Production. Worldwide Church of God. (theistic evolution)

First review (1998)

Theme: The Bible must be reinterpreted to agree with science; the Bible tells who created and why, science tells how He created and when.

Features:

1. Narrator is John Halford, who identifies himself as a teacher, a minister, and a journalist.
2. Several statements from Nancey Murphy, a leading anti-young earth spokesman.
3. Identifies Greek philosophy as the source of the belief in a geocentric universe, and states that eventually the weight of scientific evidence overcame superstition.
4. Reviews geological column; points out that early 19th century scientists assumed fossils represented successive creations.
5. Shows dinosaur action models to illustrate passage of geologic time.
6. Uses science to judge the reliability of the biblical creation record.
7. Geologist Dick Burkey (sp?) examines evidence in Ridge Basin, Southern California, with 8 miles of depositional sequence including ripple marks made in quiet water, multiple layers of mud cracks, and stromatolites as evidence of extended periods of time.
8. Includes statements from geneticist RJ Barry, astro-theologian John Polkinghorne, and marine biologist Dennis Gordon.
9. Describes variation, as in dogs; examines horse series and notes lack of evidence that variation can produce changes that extensive.
10. Claims evolution is being challenged because it cannot be confirmed when examined by science's own rules.
11. Advocates creative design, against naturalistic evolution.

Weaknesses:

1. Presupposes that science is the judge of the truth of the Bible. This presupposition undermines not only the biblical teachings they are trying to refute, but also the biblical teachings they are trying to preserve.
2. The argument that the earth is old is not well presented, but almost assumed. Much data is overlooked, from both sides of the question.

Recommendations: I would not recommend using this video for use in classes. However, teachers should be aware of the types of arguments presented in the video so they can help their students build a philosophical framework that can meet these challenges.

35. When Two World Views Collide --- 26 minutes
        Institute for Creation Research

First review (1998)

Theme: Dramatization of classroom scenes where Biblical ideas are spoofed

Features:

1. Religion and Science don't mix (public school classroom)
2. Science "search for truth" vs "Naturalism"
3. Scientific method involves observation
4. Stanley Miller experiments - building blocks of life
5. Humanity is nothing 'special'
6. Miller experiments countered
7. Fossil record
8. Implications of recapitulation, vestigial organs
9. Likening animal and human behaviors
10. Strong moral and Biblical principles vs sociobiology
11. Disproved evolutionary ideas still in text books
12. Laws of organization in Nature
13. Evolutionary development negates Christ's death

Weaknesses: Heavy on Christian idea - OK in Christian Schools

Recommendations: Recommended use for 6-10 grade science and Biology classes. Have used at these levels with good acceptance.

36. The Creationist Argument --- 26 minutes

First review (1998)

Theme: Luther Sutherland presents what he considers scientific — rather than philosophical or religious — inconsistencies in Darwin's Theory which provide, he says, the scientific basis for discrediting the theory of evolution.

Features:

1. This was the sixth in a series of 6 videos with the topic being "The Evolution of Darwin"
2. The guest explains very basically 3 main ideas concerning the origin of man:

   - The (naturalistic) Big Bang theory
   - Theistic Evolution - limited involvement by God, but he allows evolution to take place.
   - Sudden appearance or creation theory

3. Time is spent looking at the geologic fossil column and using it to prove scientifically the sudden appearance theory.
4. Another main point brought out was the fairness of educational curriculum treating fairly the creationist viewpoint as well as the evolutionist.

Weaknesses: It was a type of debate. I wish they would have allowed the guest speaker to explain himself fully. Also, not enough time to hear all the guests' views.

Recommendations: The video is older, and dated by the speakers attire, and the message is for high school and up. I found it interesting and will possibly use it next year in my class.

37. Facts and Bias: Creation vs Evolution --- 60 minutes
        Answers in Genesis

First review (1998)

Theme: A main reason evolution is believed by most scientists is because of bias.

Features:

1. Science, especially when it comes to studying "prehistorical" events has limitations. The past can only be indirectly studied.
2. The most scientific statement in the world is "In the beginning, God created."!
3. In this video, Ken Ham deals with a large scope of topics pertaining to the creation/evolution debate and shows how the creation model is superior in these areas.
4. The main stress is how bias or preconceived opinions determines what we believe. For example, the original atmosphere of the Earth was deduced not from samples of the Earth's crust, etc., but it was inferred from Miller's experiment which assumed that's how life began.
5. Other areas covered are genetics, the geological column, living fossils, coral reefs, stalactite formation and the extinction of the dinosaurs.
6. In summary, 2 different presuppositions will result in 2 different interpretations of the same evidence.

Weaknesses: It is a bit derisive of evolutionists, giving the impression that evolutionists are out to fool us.

Strengths: Clear, interesting, easy to understand presentation. Ken Ham's sense of humor is a good plus.

Recommendations: I think this is a very useful video, however I think it would be best to point out that the video is perhaps a bit too derisive of the evolutionary community. This very fact can be used as a springboard to discuss how to relate with the scientific community in a more effective way. Also, students need to be made aware that we (creationists) don't have all the answers and probably have at least as many difficulties as evolutionists do.

38. Mysteries of the Bible: Noah & the Flood --- 50 minutes
        (apparently not a creationist video)

First review (1998)

Theme: Discusses mysteries surrounding Noah and the Flood

Features:

1. The Deluge - gives Biblical account of Flood
2. The undiscovered Ark - discusses the search for the Ark; shows conflict between science and Scripture; discusses questions that challenge Biblical scholars.
3. Two by Two - covers two accounts in Bible, whether the animals came on the ark 2x2 or 7x7; the age of Noah, he was a hero so he lived a long time; Noah becoming drunk; permission to eat meat; related to environmental awareness?; Rainbow.
4. Many peoples, many Floods - brings in millions of years, flood myths, just a regional flood, epic of Gilgamesh, Genesis account taken from older sources.
5. Of Rainbow and Peace - story of interest because of questions it generates, literal facts not important, main point was Noah was righteous.

Weaknesses: Most of the scholars commenting obviously do not believe in a literal interpretation of Scripture. It raises a lot of questions about the validity of the Bible.

Recommendations: It does give one an idea of the types of questions that are being asked. It would be good for an audience mature in their faith. It would stimulate a lot of discussion. The presenter would need to know how he felt about the questions.

© 1999