Episode 24 – Dismantling the Straw Ball’s Core

Introduction: the myth of evolution and the straw ball

Peace be upon you. A large ball began as a small core, then rolled through a field of straw until it grew. Anyone looking at it might think it substantial, while in reality it is only straw, debris, dry leaves and dust. This is the myth of evolution: the claim that living beings appeared through a collection of accidents, without intention or prior design.

Mythical assumptions that contradict reason and science joined forces with invalid methods of argument. From this pair came a core that rolled for a century and a half through the field of observations about the universe, producing a huge ball. When the supporters of the myth speak of a fossil here or a supposedly useless organ there, all of these are merely pieces of straw. We will not focus on them before taking the core apart.

Dismantling the core: foundations and methods of reasoning

In the episode (Darwin’s theory examined fairly), and then in the episode (A goat, even if it flies), we dismantled the mythical foundations and explained why they are mythical. We still need to dismantle the deceptive methods of reasoning that gathered biological and fossil observations and attached them to those foundations.

We must also show how the priests of false science turned the realities of creation — realities that shatter their myth — into evidence that, in the eyes of some people, supports it.

The Importance of Learning to Think Soundly

We will set out ordered headings and rules for thinking: foundations on which to build. You may listen to me and become convinced, then listen to a follower of the myth or someone trying to make it acceptable to Islam and become convinced again. You may then be frustrated: one statement takes you in one direction and another takes you away, leaving you unable to distinguish truth from falsehood or build a firm conviction.

When we learn the rules of sound thinking together, however, you will be able to distinguish the person whose words move in the right direction. Your conviction will grow — in the light — each time you hear him, and you will gain guidance and peace, God willing. You will also see speech that misleads and corrupts the mind while pretending to address and respect it, until you learn that not every claimed proof is truly a proof. “Say, ‘Not equal are the evil and the good, although the abundance of evil might impress you.’ So fear Allah, O you of understanding, that you may be successful.” [Al-Ma’idah 5:100]

You will see people trying to pass off logical fallacies and psychological tricks. The more you hear them, the more certain you will become that their product is counterfeit, or that they themselves are deceived by myths without realizing it. I invite you, my brother and sister, to judge not only the words of the myth’s followers, but also my words and those of its critics, against these episodes — if you accept them — so that you may see who is reasoning correctly and who is mistaken.

The series method: dismantling false arguments

There is an enormous amount of discussion and rebuttal in books and online. Speakers have made great efforts to criticize the myth of evolution; some criticisms have weaknesses, while others are valuable, yet they remain scattered pieces of gold. In this section, “Dismantling the Straw Ball’s Core,” we seek to establish a theoretical framework and a logical order for discussing the subject.

We want to identify false methods of reasoning and arrange them under a limited set of headings. Then, when you hear anyone, you can ask yourself: is this reasoning sound or false? If false, under which heading of fallacious reasoning does it belong? You may listen for a long time to someone piling up supposed evidence for the myth, only to discover on careful examination that all of it consists of examples of one type of invalid reasoning.

The Quran could have presented the proofs of God’s existence and attributes and stopped there. Yet it also details the methods of those who follow falsehood and their tricks for promoting it “And thus do We detail the verses, and thus the way of the criminals will become evident.” [Al-An’am 6:55]. Come and see the ways in which the crime of corrupting the mind is carried out.

We could show a two-minute video about the design of a mosquito, or about anything in this universe, and then reflect. A person with a sound mind and heart would find this sufficient evidence of deliberate divine creation. How did this great, clear and self-evident cosmic truth become a matter of doubt? What misinformation and ignorance did the followers of the myth spread — in the name of science — to blind minds to it? How did they convince some young people of history’s most absurd idea: that living beings came from a sum of accidents, without intention, knowledge or will?

How is reason executed in the name of reason, and science falsified in the name of science? How does brainwashing generally work? We will see this in our coming episodes, God willing. You will see that anyone wanting to give a course on logical fallacies and psychological tricks need only choose the myth of evolution and what its priests did to promote it: every fallacy and trick will be present in this subject.

To combine simplicity with precision, we will begin our episodes on false reasoning with gentle symbolic scenes that convey the idea. These episodes will complete the dismantling of the inflated straw ball’s core and establish the methodological framework for our study of the myth. We will then continue our journey after setting up the balance, returning to the foundations and evidence one by one: the origin of life, mutations, natural selection, fossils, molecular biology and more… without unnecessary boredom or length. Only as much as serves the goal of forming true conviction and revealing the secrets of false science, so that you acquire the skill of critical thinking and begin applying it to everything you encounter.

Conclusion: a journey to build conviction and faith

Throughout this, we will carefully answer the most common questions, God willing: why do most Western scientists accept the myth? Do they truly accept it out of conviction? What about attempts to reconcile evolution with Islam? And many other questions… It will be an enjoyable journey full of examples, surprises and lessons, developing deep critical thought and grounding faith in knowledge and insight, by God’s permission. Join us, dear friends. Peace be upon you. And God’s mercy be upon you.