What is the Greatest Hoax on Earth? What has been the most devastating deception foisted upon mankind? What is the most exasperating doctrine being taught to our kids in the classrooms, with blatant censorship of any opposing voices?

What philosophy is being taught dogmatically in our schools as science, when most Americans believe there is room for other viewpoints? What belief system tries to knock down the foundational nature of God and makes a giant path for atheism to thrive? Have you guessed yet?

Evolution! Yes, evolution is the greatest hoax on earth. Yet Richard Dawkins, an outspoken atheist, evolutionary theoretical biologist, and bestselling author, calls it the “Greatest Show on Earth.”

The mission of his new book, The Greatest Show on Earth; The Evidence for Evolution — in his words — is “to get rid of the ignorance, particularly in America.” You see, while most of “progressive thinking” Europe is already sold on evolution, Dawkins loves to ridicule the fact that America still has so many “stupid” people (as he's described us in interviews) who still believe in such “primitive superstitions” as a Creator God.

“Sane” people, according to Dawkins, will realize we humans are cousins of bananas and turnips. He states in the preface, with a subtle arrogance, that “this book is my personal summary of the evidence that the theory of evolution is actually a fact — as incontrovertible a fact as any in science.” He goes on to say that “no unbiased reader will close the book doubting it.” However, those of us who truly know Jesus Christ as our Creator, Lord, and Savior do not need to be unbiased readers. Our bias should unashamedly be the Word of God. Sadly, however, Dawkins so easily captivates the average reader with his easy-to-understand and pleasant writing style that he makes his ideology of evolution both witty and creatively interesting. Supposedly, this book would convert the Creationists/Intelligent Design enthusiasts if they read it with an open mind. How about you? Is your knowledge of the scientific case for creation solid enough that you could read Dawkins' latest book without being led astray by its deviously constructed arguments? Could you demolish its claims if a friend or neighbor presented them to you as a challenge to your faith? If you can answer “yes,” then you are to be commended. If you're not too sure, you need to keep on reading this important letter. A long line of previous books by Dawkins — all espousing the theory of evolution — have caught the attention of millions of readers over the years and have been heavily promoted by the evolutionary and atheistic communities at large. One such reader was Microsoft billionaire Charles Simonyi, who endowed Oxford University with the Simonyi Professor of Public Understanding Chair in 1995 — created explicitly for Dawkins, who recently resigned the post in 2008. Simonyi has given Dawkins the distinction of being “Darwin’s Rottweiler,” a reputation he bears well. With a passion for vilifying people of faith and describing the God of the Old Testament in the most damnable and despicable terms, Dawkins asserts that “religion is like smallpox, but harder to get rid of.” In his bestselling book, The God Delusion (2006), that sold 1.5 million copies, he claimed that parents who teach their children about God and creation are mental child abusers. In his latest book, you are labeled a “history-denier” if you believe in divine creation.

Dawkins believes passionately in Darwinian evolution and persuasively makes the case that atheism is the only logical conclusion. In giving his motivation for writing The Greatest Show on Earth, Dawkins states: “Looking back on those books, I realized that the evidence for evolution itself was nowhere explicitly set out. And this was a serious gap that I need to close.” I have to wonder how he managed to write 9 other lengthy books on evolution before coming to this realization! This statement speaks volumes about the elusive nature of this so-called evidence.

So . . . did Dawkins succeed? Well, the casual reader may well come to that conclusion, but the arguments presented in his book are merely a repeat of the famous masquerade of supposedly scientific evidences that give substance to an evolution ideology. It follows the same fallacious rhetoric that is being taught to our kids in our tax-supported and private educational institutions. Dawkins' tedious task of putting evolution on the highest pedestal of science may fool some, but when one opens his/her eyes and mind and starts to ask intelligent questions, the “straw-man” nature of his arguments will become apparent.

Dawkins is much like his hero, Charles Darwin, who embellishes scientific observations with curious speculation to fit his own atheistic worldview. It is comparable to science fiction, where the hook is real, such as an interesting recent scientific discovery, but the author then spins a tale leading our imaginations on a fantasy ride. Dawkins is a master in spinning a web filled with speculation and dressed in fancy metaphors. It engulfs the innocent and — like the black widow — injects its poison upon its prey, encouraging behavior that denounces the Creator of the Universe, the Savior and Judge of mankind, and the world. Dawkins, Greatest Show on Earth is the greatest fiction show on earth, but Dawkins thinks it is reality, and so do many others — particularly in our universities and colleges.

What Do the People Say?
Evolution has found its way into our public and private classrooms, but why? It is not based on what the majority of people want, according to numerous polls taken over the decades, but on the dictates of prestigious scientific associations, like the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society, and the National Academy of Sciences (established in 1863 as overseer of our federal government in the area of science and technological matters). These and other organizations have bullied their secular beliefs on the teaching of evolution into our state government educational policies, filtering down even to our local school boards and affecting every level of curriculum, from kindergarten all the way up to higher education.

The National Academy of Sciences even changed the very definition of “science” to encompass only natural phenomena. Science has thus been subjugated to the boundaries of naturalism and secularism, creating a comfortable pretext in our national schools for the teaching of atheistic evolution. This materialistic “box” has been quietly erected around “science” by the real history-deniers, who ignore the theological beliefs espoused by the greatest scientific minds of our past, and shutting out any alternative expressions that might point to a Creator or an Intelligent Designer. Using the fallacious battle-cry of “separation of church and state” (a notion that's nowhere to be found in our Constitution), the inaptly-named “American Civil Liberties Union” has crushed school boards who attempt to bring alternative views regarding the origin of life and the universe. (This organization seems to be obsessed with trying to litigate against the civil liberties of Christians.) Survey after survey shows that the public attitude conflicts sharply with the institutional and school board mandates. This is most recently revealed in a comprehensive study by the Pew Research Center, on the attitudes of the public towards scientific accomplishment and towards scientists themselves, published on June 9, 2009. The study surveyed 2,533 members of AAAS and 2,001 members of the general public and made comparisons in different areas.

There is a marked gap between scientists affiliated with this academy and the population at large:

Nearly all scientists (97%) say humans and other living things have evolved over time —87% say evolution is due to natural processes, such as natural selection. The dominant position among scientists — that living things have evolved due to natural processes — is shared by only about one-third (32%) of the public.

This survey also highlighted extreme differences in a belief in God. Most scientists have atheistic and agnostic tendencies and just 33% of those surveyed believe in God. Contrast this with the American way of life, where most of the general populace profess a belief in God (83%) and 82% are affiliated with religious tradition. There is a direct correlation between evolution and atheism and, unfortunately, both come to us framed as “science.” This has taken its toll, not only in our science books, but in every academic discipline. By asking the tricky question “Are science and religion in conflict?,” even the Pew survey was worded in such a way as to suggest that evolution is science. Of course, true and correct science is never in conflict with the always-true Word of God, but it depends on whom you are allowing to dictate your understanding of “science”.

In another survey — a recent Gallup poll taken on Darwin’s birthday, February 12, 2009 — only 39% of Americans believed that evolution is true. Another 2008 Gallup poll showed that 44% of Americans believed God had created man in his present form less than 10,000 years ago. The Pew forum poll from the same year revealed that 42% believed that all life on earth has existed in the present form since the beginning of time. The underlying message is that Americans have difficult time accepting evolution and, even more so, its application into their lives. Those who believe in pure, undirected evolution are in the minority. Americans overwhelmingly believe in God and favor a more open forum for exchange of ideas that should incorporate Creation and Intelligent Design. This has caused great concern in the evolutionary and atheistic camps who believe earnestly that evolution is a foundational science that all need to embrace without question. Richard Dawkins is on the warpath against God and all religion. He is a true “apostle” of atheistic evolution ideology and his desire is to spread it all over the world. A sincere effort must be made to discredit him and cause his potential followers to think twice. Dawkins has dropped the gauntlet. Is anybody going to accept the challenge?

The Challenger
Fortunately, the challenge has already been taken up by Dr. Jonathan Sarfati, author of the Refuting Evolution series of books. Aside from his numerous academic credentials, Dr. Sarfati is known for being able to successfully play 12 (sighted) chess champions, all at once, while blindfolded. Trust me when I tell you that Richard Dawkins, with all due respect, is no match for the depth of intellect and subject matter expertise that characterize Dr. Sarfati. There is probably no better qualified person to write our featured book-of-the-month “The Greatest Hoax on Earth? Refuting Dawkins on Evolution.” Although written to refute Dawkins' Greatest Show on Earth book, The Greatest Hoax on Earth is a wonderful “stand-alone” book in its own right. It eloquently covers many of the most contentious points of debate between creationists and evolutionists. Sarfati includes excerpts of text from Dawkins' book, so it is not necessary to buy Dawkins' book in order to follow Sarfati's counterpoints (and your doing so would only help to support Dawkins' malevolent cause).

Here's a quick test to see if you're a candidate for studying Sarfati's The Greatest Hoax on Earth. Do you understand the difference between a biological species and a created “kind”? (This is crucial for understanding how the animals could fit on the ark, and why do we see so many millions of species today). How would you answer Dawkins' claim that natural selection “proves” evolution? What about the charge that we see evolution in action today in mutating bacteria, or in embryology?

How would you reason that common features (homology) are not evidence of common ancestry?
Do you know enough about Archaeopteryx or Tiktaalik or the various “ape-men,” to argue that they are not transitional forms? Can you explain how animals came to inhabit remote islands under the creation/flood model? Do you know the specific flaws in radiometric dating techniques? How do you explain lost structures and vestigial organs? Are human eyes an example of “bad” design? Can you answer how God's “very good” creation led to “nature red in tooth and claw?”

If you struggled with any of the foregoing questions, this book is for you. Dr. Sarfati very capably covers all of these topics and more. If you are a practicing Christian, then skeptics (or perhaps your own children) will throw these types of questions at you. You'll either sit there red-faced, not knowing how to respond, or you can be ready to give an answer, as we are exhorted in 1 Peter 3:15.