Henry M. Morris

Henry M. Morris
Born	(1918-10-06)October 6, 1918 Dallas, Texas, USA
Died	Santee, California
Alma mater	Rice University University of Minnesota
Occupation	President of the Institute for Creation Research
Successor	John D. Morris
Children	John D. Morris, Henry Morris III

Henry Madison Morris (October 6, 1918 – February 25, 2006) was an American young Earth creationist, Christian apologist, and engineer. He was one of the founders of the Creation Research Society and the Institute for Creation Research. He is considered by many to be "the father of modern creation science." He wrote numerous creationist and devotional books, and made regular television and radio appearances.

As Morris believed in the inerrancy of the Bible, he opposed the billions-of-years time scales of evolution, the age of the Earth, and the age of the Universe that he saw as being contrary to it. Morris' influential approach, while adopted widely by the modern creationist movement, continues to be rejected by the scientific community and by old earth creationist.

Early life, education and personal life

Morris grew up in Texas in the 1920s and 1930s, and graduated from Rice University with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1939. He married Mary Louise on January 24, 1940, and they later had six children.

Career

After graduating in 1939, Morris served as an hydraulic engineer working with the International Boundary and Water Commission (1939-1942). He returned to Rice, teaching civil engineering from 1942 until 1946, where he also wrote a short book, That You Might Believe (1946). From 1946-1951, he studied at the University of Minnesota, where he was awarded a master's degree in hydraulics (1948) and a Ph.D. in hydraulic engineering (1950). In 1951, he became a professor and chair of civil engineering at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then served as a professor of applied science at Southern Illinois University from 1956-1957.

Morris moved to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) to serve as Professor of Civil Engineering in the area of hydraulics, and to serve as department chair for civil engineering. There, Morris co-authored an advanced text on engineering hydraulics with J.M. Wiggert that was used "in dozens of universities worldwide", and under a decade of leadership the department "rose to become one of the largest civil engineering programs in the nation". While Morris' religious views and writings were controversial among university biology and geology faculty, and in the broader debate, it has been reported that Morris "kept his own counsel on [them], unless... pressed", such that his university engineering colleagues respected Morris as "a good administrator" and his religious views "because they never influenced his [administration]".

In 1963, while yet at Virginia Tech, Morris and nine others founded the Creation Research Society, and Morris continued his creationist writing and speaking. Morris eventually left his faculty position at Virginia Tech in 1970 to focus on his work in creationism, after university interactions with a new engineering dean who directed Morris not to list creationist works alongside his engineering publications, viewing his non-engineering writings and increasing persona to be "too controversial." Morris is quoted as having said that these directions "seemed like... the handwriting on the wall that they didn't want me to stay..." and that "[Dean Willis] Worchester was happy... when I submitted my resignation".

In 1970, Morris co-founded the Christian Heritage College in Santee, California which led to formation of the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) in 1972. His son, John D. Morris, took over the presidency of ICR when his father retired. On February 1, 2006, Morris suffered a minor stroke and was hospitalized. Morris was moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation facility near his son's home (and ICR) in Santee, California where he died.

Reception

Achievements

Morris created a school of thought that derives its power from belief in biblical inerrancy and a literal interpretation of Genesis. It is a system Morris called "Scientific Creationism" that opposes findings of mainstream science regarding the history of the earth and the universe. Morris found an audience among preachers and home school teachers all over America, where 46% of the public holds some form of creationist belief.

Morris is the primary source for much of the argumentation used by young Earth creationists when rejecting primary ideas in mainstream science, from the expanding universe to plate tectonics to biological evolution to genetics.

• In 1961, Morris and John C. Whitcomb wrote The Genesis Flood, which advocated creationism and flood geology. In it, he cited an influence by George McCready Price, a Seventh-day Adventist schoolteacher and defender of creationism in the early 20th century. This work sold more than 200,000 copies worldwide. While the greater bulk of his published writings address creation science and evolution themes, he had also written Many Infallible Proofs, and The Bible Has The Answer, which are both works of general Christian apologetics.
• He published a free monthly newsletter, Acts and Facts, with articles by various authors providing scientific evidence for young-Earth creation.
• He published Days of Praise, a monthly devotional booklet, for several decades, that contained a devotional Bible commentary for each day, which illustrated his spiritual focus.
• He created creation seminars and weekend conferences, using the family conference traditions and facilities of churches.
• He fathered a family with six children, including Henry Morris III and John D. Morris, who continue to manage operations in support of young-Earth creationism.
• In 1995, Morris completed The Defenders Study Bible which includes his scientific & theological notes accompanying the King James Version. Just prior to his death in 2006 he completed a significant expansion of that work titled The New Defender's Study Bible. In May 2012 The New Defenders Study Bible was updated and released as The Henry Morris Study Bible.

Criticism

Many in the scientific community have said that Morris' representation of evolution as a complete religious system is a straw man. In particular, Massimo Pigliucci criticized Morris' omission of material that interfered with his "mission" and "beliefs". Pigliucci also criticized Morris' interpretation of thermodynamics. Morris' position had also been the subject of debate among Evangelical scholars of the Old Testament and among Evangelicals working in various fields of science. Morris also strongly defended the use of the King James Bible.

In Evolution & the Modern Christian (1967), Morris hoped to "open the minds and hearts of young people to the true Biblical cosmology." T.E. Fenton, Professor of Agronomy at Iowa State University, wrote "scientific value of the book is nil; the author selectively chooses the areas of science that he accepts and rejects other areas of accepted science". David Vogel, Professor of Biology at Creighton University, reviewed the book explaining "his theology is shallow; his exegesis is maddening; his science is wrong; and he tops it off by offending millions of Bible-believing Christians who also accept evolution".

Morris' book Scientific Creationism (1974 and 1984), according to Herman Kirkpatrick, "is not very convincing evidence to support the recent creation of the earth". Thomas Wheeler, Professor of biochemistry at University of Louisville, reviewed the second edition and concluded, "Scientific Creationism cannot be recommended for use in public school classes, or indeed anyone interested in learning science". Wheeler cited what he claimed was Morris' misunderstanding of science, appeals to religious prejudice, misrepresentation of scientific knowledge, omission of opposing science, double standards in evidence, "absurd conclusions," inappropriate and misidentified sources, attacks on scientists, using discredited arguments, and "silly calculations".

Morris' work with John C. Whitcomb, The Genesis Flood, has been criticized for taking quotes out of context and misquoting sources. For example, in one instance, a source which read "the sea which vanished so many million years ago" was quoted as "the sea which vanished so many years ago." Geologist John G. Solum has criticized the work for being inaccurate. Solum said "Whitcomb and Morris are mistaken about the nature of the rocks associated with thrust faults. Their claim about fossils is based on a Young Earth creationist misunderstanding of how rocks are dated relative to each other, and how the geologic column was constructed." Additionally, Solum said "Morris' explanation of relative dating is not 'somewhat oversimplified' it is entirely incorrect."

In The Long War Against God: The History and Impact of the Creation/Evolution Conflict (1989) Morris wrote that "the denial of God – rejecting the reality of supernatural creation and the creator's sovereign rule of the world – has always been the root cause of every human problem." Morris was criticized by Randy Moore, of University of Minnesota, for writing in the book that "evolutionism" is satanic and responsible for racism, abortion, and a decline in morality.

Books

• That You Might Believe, self-published, 1946
• The Bible & Modern Science, Moody Press, Chicago, 1951
• (with co-author John C. Whitcomb) The Genesis Flood: The Biblical Record and Its Scientific Implications, Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing, Philadelphia, 1961. (ISBN 0-8010-6004-4)
• Applied Hydraulics in Engineering, Ronald Press, New York, 1963.
• The Twilight of Evolution, Baker Book House, 1963.
• Biblical Cosmology and Modern Science, Craig Press, Nutley, New Jersey, 1970. (ISBN 0-8010-5906-2)
• The Remarkable Birth of Planet Earth, Dimension Books, Minneapolis, 1972. (ISBN 0-87123-485-8)
• Many Infallible Proofs, Creation-Life Publishers, San Diego, 1974. (ISBN 0-89051-005-9)
• (ed) Scientific Creationism, Creation-Life Publishers, San Diego, 1974. (ISBN 0-89051-003-2)
• The Genesis Record, A scientific and devotional commentary on the book of beginnings, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1976. (ISBN 0-8010-6004-4)
• and Martin E. Clark, The Bible Has The Answer, revised edition, Creation-Life Publishers, San Diego, 1976. (ISBN 0-89051-018-0)
• and Duane Gish (eds) The Battle for Creation, Creation-Life Publishers, San Diego, 1976.
• The Scientific Case for Creation, Creation-Life Publishers, San Diego, 1977. (ISBN 0-89051-037-7)
• Men of Science, Men of God: Great Scientists of the Past who Believed the Bible, Master Books, San Diego, 1982, revised 1988. (ISBN 0-89051-080-6)
• The Troubled Waters of Evolution, Creation-Life Publishers, San Diego, 1982. (ISBN 0-89051-087-3)
• and Gary E. Parker, What is Creation Science?, Creation-Life Publishers, San Diego, 1982. (ISBN 0-89051-081-4)
• and Donald H. Rohrer (eds) Creation, the cutting edge, Creation Life Publishers, San Diego, 1982.
• History of Modern Creationism, Master Books, San Diego, 1984. (ISBN 0-89051-102-0)
• The Long War Against God: the history and impact of the creation/evolution conflict, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1989. (ISBN 0-89051-291-4)
• Biblical Creationism, Master Books, Green forest, 2003. (ISBN 0-89051-293-0)
• God and the Nations, Master Books, Green Forest, 2002. (ISBN 0-89051-389-9)
• The Biblical Basis for Modern Science, Master Books, Green Forest, 2002. (ISBN 0-89051-369-4)
• The Remarkable Record of Job Baker Book House (ISBN 0-8010-6238-1)
• The Remarkable Wisdom of Solomon Master Books (ISBN 0890513562)

Further reading

• Ken Campbell, "Some Problems with Creation Science," St. Mark's Review 137 (Autumn 1989) pp. 12–19.
• Livingstone, David N., Darwin's Forgotten Defenders: The Encounter Between Evangelical Theology and Evolutionary Thought, William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1987.
• Moore, James R., The Post-Darwinian Controversies: A Study of the Protestant Struggle to Come to Terms with Darwin in Great Britain and America 1870-1900, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1979.
• Numbers, Ronald L., The Creationists: The Evolution of Scientific Creationism, University of California Press, Berkeley, 1993.
• Numbers, Ronald L., Darwinism Comes To America, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1998.
• Sarfati, Jonathan, "Refuting Evolution" CMI Australia.
• Strahler, Arthur, Science and Earth History: The Evolution/Creation Controversy, John Wiley, New York, 1987.
• Van de Fliert, J. R., "Fundamentalism and Fundamentals of Geology," International Reformed Review 32/33 (April 1968), pp. 5–27.
• Youngblood, Ronald F. (ed) The Genesis Debate: Persistent Questions about Creation and the Flood, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1990.