Below is the online edition of In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood,
by Dr. Walt Brown. Copyright © Center for Scientific Creation. All rights reserved.
Click here to order the hardbound 8th edition (2008) and other materials.
What Is the Written Debate Offer?
The following is intended to provide the public with a clear, balanced, and fair comparison of the two main explanations for how everything began. The debate topic will be:
Does the Scientific Evidence Favor Creation or Evolution?
Although this highly controversial issue has raged for over 200 years, no comprehensive creation-evolution debate has ever been published. Scientific disagreements can and should be examined openly, rationally, and without acrimony.
A $10,000 finder’s fee, held by an escrow agent, will be given to the first person who finds an evolutionist with an earned doctoral degree in an applied or basic science who
These submissions, in the opinion of the independent escrow agent, must (1) be cordial, (2) consistent with the written debate’s intent as stated in the first paragraph above, (3) have about as much clarity, organization, and detail as my case for creation and point-by-point rebuttal of the evolutionist’s case, and (4) involve only scientific evidence and the logical inferences from that evidence. Religious ideas and beliefs, while possibly correct, will not be allowed.
The “no religion” rule would be violated by:
My case is laid out in Parts I and II (pages 3–441) and related technical notes (pages 590–626). It is also free online at www.creationscience.com. The finder will send the name, address, and phone number of the evolutionist to:
feedback@creationscience.com
and mail this agreement, signed by the evolutionist (who may also be the finder), along with one paper and one digital copy of his or her scientific case for evolution and rebuttal of my case for creation to:
Center for Scientific Creation (CSC)
5612 N. 20th Place
Phoenix, Arizona 85016
I will immediately send both the finder and evolutionist a paper and PDF (portable digital format) copy of my case. Within the following six months, I will submit my rebuttal to the evolutionist case. Then the side with the least total number of words in his or her opening case and rebuttal may have 30 days to add to that rebuttal, so the total word count equals that of the opponent.
So you can be assured of receiving the $10,000 finder’s fee if you persuade a qualified evolutionist to complete the written debate, the $10,000 will be placed in an escrow account acceptable to you. You may select any escrow agent who is a regular (bonded) member of the American Escrow Association, or you may select an escrow agent jointly with CSC. Then CSC will send that agent the $10,000 and his standard fee. At the same time, you will deliver both debater’s cases and rebuttals to the escrow agent for evaluation, as described in the italicized paragraph above. If the debate is completed and you are the finder, you may share the $10,000 with anyone, including the evolutionist.
Finally, during the next 30 days, either debater may remove any of his earlier arguments or evidences that he no longer feels are valid. If one debater retracts an argument, the other debater may remove his corresponding rebuttal to that argument and replace it with a like number of words in his rebuttal. This will complete the debate. Each debater must allow the other debater to publish both cases and rebuttals side-by-side, if unaltered, except for editorial changes.
An evolutionist who wishes to debate but does not have an earned doctor’s degree in an applied or basic science should recruit and offer to assist such a person. A lack of recognized qualifications does not mean a person has nothing to contribute. However, without scientific credentials, readers may dismiss that side’s case or blame a weak case, not on poor science, but on the debater’s lack of scientific qualifications.
This offer ends when someone collects the finder’s fee or when our website (www.creationscience.com) provides a verifiable reason why I will no longer be able to participate.
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I agree to participate as described above, have an earned doctoral degree in an applied or basic science, and own the copyright for my case that I will submit within 1 month. All figures and photos will be mine, have been purchased by me, or can be used under the fair-use provision. My 100–200 word biographical sketch and a color photograph of myself are attached. All my submissions will be in publishable, computer-readable form. Both Walt Brown and I will each have the right to publish the completed debate in book form. Later, we may agree to do it jointly.
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Evolutionist Date