What do you say when your child or a student asks you where birds and other animals came from? If you are educating and teaching them on a Vedic basis, you might quote to them Bhagavad-gita 10.6, where Krishna answers thus: “The seven great sages and before them the four other great sages and the Manus [progenitors of mankind] come from Me, born from My mind, and all the living beings populating the various planets descend from them.”

Perhaps you will also show interested young people the related chapters of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, which, uniquely among the scriptures of the world, show in detail the method God and His helpers employ in the repeated manifestation of the species in the ages of the world.

A difficulty, however, is that ISKCON members often live in a cultural context where schools and media, in turn, promote a modern version of Darwinian theory. According to this theory, plants, animals, and human beings evolved from common ancestors over a long period of time as a result of a series of small changes. The contradiction between the Vedic and evolutionary explanations can cause confusion in the mind. How can we dispel this confusion?

We are fortunate that in recent decades there has been a library of literature showing that even modern versions of evolutionary theory have shortcomings that call into question the validity of the whole theory.

What is more, there are already hundreds of pages of quotations from prominent representatives of various fields of biology, pointing out the inherent contradictions and hypothetical nature of evolutionary theory.

So, there is no need to fear that by doubting evolution, we will be seen as unscientific; rather, it is science and logic that provide strong arguments against gradual evolution and for a higher origin of species. Some of the books presented below were written by ISKCON authors, and others were written by experts in the field of science.

A theory that has never been proven
Biologist Jonathan Wells, in his book Icons of Evolution and Zombie Science, reveals that the arguments and examples used in biology textbooks to “prove” evolution are logically and scientifically fallacious and do not at all imply that living things are descended from common ancestors. These arguments and images continue to circulate in textbooks, even though they are often admittedly ineffective by the proponents of evolutionary theory themselves.

Explore Evolution, an alternative textbook, finally takes the long-awaited approach: it presents not only the scientific arguments for neo-Darwinism but also the scientific arguments against it so that the reader can decide for himself who to believe.

Discovering Intelligent Design is a textbook for high school students in private schools or at home. Still, it also provides adults with an enlightening presentation of the evidence for a higher origin of life. The textbook includes a workbook and video clips for each topic. A separate module explains, for example, the logical inferences that can be drawn from biological complexity or why fossils in the earth’s layers do not support the idea of common descent.

The fossils are evidence against Darwin
Stephen Meyer’s book Darwin’s Doubt, which was a New York Times y Los Angeles Times bestseller, reveals that paleontological research shows that in the ancient era known as the Cambrian, a wide variety of animal body types appeared at an explosive rate, apparently without any “ancestors.” This contradicts the supposed gradual evolution. Moreover, recent decades have revealed the important role of biological information stored in DNA. There is a complete lack of clarity as to the origin of this astonishing amount of data flowing in an organized way. The conscious design of living organisms is a far more logical explanation than any unguided natural process.

However, the remains of past creatures are not only evidence of the sudden appearance of species but also that there may be a problem with evolutionists’ understanding of time. Michael Cremo’s (Drutakarma Dasa) book Forbidden Archeology documents that numerous traces of human presence (bones, skeletons, man-made tools, and building remains) have been discovered over time, which provide evidence for the existence of Homo sapiens on Earth for tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of years. Meanwhile, official science still thinks (although it sometimes pushes back the time limit) that humans like us have only existed for 300,000 years. An abridged version of this book, Hidden History of the Human Race, and a new book by Drutakarma Dasa, which is about to be published, confirm the extreme human antiquity, as reported in the Vedic writings.

God’s method is not evolution
A popular view, especially in Christian circles, is that of “theistic evolution,” according to which God created species through evolution. However, many educated Christians today question this view. On the one hand, for scientific reasons, since, for example, the fossils of plant and animal species suddenly appear in the earth’s layers and show no signs of transformation. Moreover, the process of mutation and selection, which evolutionary theory would hold to be responsible for transformation, has been shown to be incapable of producing significant biological novelty. That is why more than a thousand researchers and educators with doctorates are calling for their fellow scientists to reassess the theory.

And a demanding volume containing a Christian critique of the theistic view of evolution includes essays by scientists and theologians who are experts on the subject. Their critiques are formulated from scientific, logical, and theological perspectives. If the imagined evolution has no accepted, workable mechanism, why would this inefficient process be “God’s method”?

And the Vedic explanation of creation is completely incompatible with the theistic idea of evolution since the Puranic accounts show that human beings have lived on Earth in all the vast manvantara y yuga periods.

ISKCON authors on the true origin of species
Rethinking Darwin is published by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and edited by Leif A. Jensen (Lalitanatha Dasa). In addition to his writings, prominent contributors to the intelligent design movement present the shortcomings of the Darwinian paradigm and modern scientific arguments for design in nature – in the fields of biochemistry, archaeology, cosmology, and consciousness research. Finally, the ancient Indian worldview is presented, which provides a succinct answer to many questions that science has not yet answered.

In addition to Drutakarma Dasa’s aforementioned books, Human Devolution presents the scientific facts that support the Vedic worldview: observational evidence for the existence of mind and soul. He also summarizes the Vedic explanation of creation as found in the Srimad Bhagavatam: species came to Earth following a divine plan with the help of superhuman beings from higher levels of the universe.

Nature’s IQ was written by two Hungarian Vaishnava authors. They present the unfathomable mysteries of animal instincts with spectacular illustrations. For it is not only the physical structure of living creatures but the complex instinctual programs built into their minds that reveal the design and creative activity of a supreme being.

Never has it been so easy to understand and explain to others why the theory of evolution is unproven as it is today. We just need to be informed by the right sources and use our brains. The devotees of Krishna can confidently stand by their Lord’s eternally true and perfect explanation of origins.

About the author
Isvara Krishna Dasa (Istvan Tasi, PhD) is a cultural anthropologist and Vaishnava theologian. He is a college professor and the head of the Vedic Science Research Center at Bhaktivedanta College Budapest, Hungary.

Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of ISKCON or ISKCON News. Photo courtesy of Envato.com.