Jonathan Sarfati

{{bronze}}[[File:Jonathan Sarfati playing chess.jpg|thumb|165px|Sarfati (right) playing chess against multiple players. This chess match has been going on for 13.5 days, but he ''insists'' it was really just 6.000 minutes and holds up a broken sundial as evidence, in spite of several large working clocks in the room.]]{{crenav|1}}
'''Jonathan Sarfati''' {{lived|1 October 1964}}, a dual citizen of [[New Zealand]] and [[Australia]], is an angry man and vocal proponent of [[Young Earth Creationism]]. Despite his own insistence on using [[logic]], he often resorts to emotional appeals and [[Ad hominem|name calling]]. Sarfati writes articles for [[Creation Ministries International]], the estranged cousin of [[Ken Ham]]'s infamous [[Answers in Genesis]] (AiG).

He is also startlingly ignorant of what the [[Theory of Evolution]] is. In ''Refuting Evolution'' published in 2002, he describes the theory as being "not just about ape-like creatures turning into humans [...] [but] a philosophy trying to explain everything without God."<ref>Jonathan Sarfati, [https://creation.com/refuting-evolution-chapter-7-astronomy Refuting Evolution—Chapter 7]. creation.com.</ref>

==Association with Creation Ministries International==
{{main|Creation Ministries International}}
Sarfati has become an employee of Creation Ministries International (CMI), the [[Australian]] [[creationist]] organisation.

He supported CMI in its internecine schism (1993/2005 onwards) with [[Ken Ham]]'s US-based [[Answers in Genesis]] (AiG). CMI and Sarfati suffered in this conflict, as Ham stole CMI's magazine-subscriber list and substituted his own publication, denying CMI of much of its income. Sarfati showed poor judgement in supporting CMI's CEO, [[Carl Wieland]], as the vendetta was largely between Ham and Wieland, and if Sarfati, as a CMI "luminary", had shown Wieland the door early in the multi-year dispute, CMI's position could have been salvaged. As it is, CMI was dealt a mortal{{cn}} blow.

Detecting an insufficient market in Australian churches, Sarfati found himself forced to try and crack the U.S market with a speaking tour. CMI's website no longer lists him as a member of its Australian staff, but instead as with its "U.S. Office". Some evidence suggests that lingering animosity from Ham's AiG has AiG sabotaging Sarfati's efforts in the U.S.<ref>
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150414023101/http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1657185/replies?c=479 Replies], freerepublic.com, July 2006.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150414023102/http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1657185/posts Evolution's Lonely Battle in a Georgia Classroom (Times cries a river over persecution of evolution)]. Discussion post on freerepublic.com, 2006.</ref>

==Scientific qualifications==
Sarfati has done proper science (i.e. not [[creation science]]) in his career. He is a physical chemist with a B.Sc with third class honours, and a Ph.D.<ref>[https://archive.ph/aKCr3 Dr Jonathan D. Sarfati - Biography]. Archived from the original at creation.com.</ref> He has published several papers in secular scientific journals, including in ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]'', the most cited scientific journal in the world.

Today, even in his work at CMI, Sarfati is a critic of much undoubted [[pseudoscience]], such as [[geocentrism]]<ref>Robert Carter and Jonathan Sarfati, [http://creation.com/refuting-absolute-geocentrism Why the Universe does not revolve around the Earth: Refuting absolute geocentrism], creation.com, 12 February 2015.</ref> and [[flat earth]] nonsense,<ref>Robert Carter and Jonathan Sarfati, [http://creation.com/refuting-flat-earth A flat earth, and other nonsense: Dealing with ideas that would not exist were it not for the Internet], creation.com, 3 September 2016.</ref> while he also supports [[vaccine|vaccination]] and rebuts [[Anti-vaccination movement|anti-vaccination arguments]].<ref>Jonathan Sarfati, [https://creation.com/cmi-vaccination CMI, vaccines, and vaccination], creation.com, 2018.</ref> 

He is also a {{wpl|chess master||,}} was [[New Zealand]]'s national chess champion in 1987–88, and managed to play a draw against Boris Spassky.

===Self-promotion===
Sarfati's ability to sell books or to gain speaking engagements is based on his perceived authority within creationist circles, and his status as a "towering intellect". Thus, much material on CMI's website and in their printed matter is cringe-inducingly laudatory.

One article, ''An Awesome Mind'',<ref>Gary Bates, [http://creation.com/an-awesome-mind-creation-magazine-jonathan-sarfati-interview An awesome mind; A talk with one of Christianity’s foremost defenders, Jonathan Sarfati]. Creation 26(3):36–41, June 2004 (creation.com).</ref>
incorporates hyperbole such as:

* "Very few people interested in creation/evolution issues would not have heard of Jonathan Sarfati. His books have become best-sellers — standard fare for Christians wishing to engage those who hold to evolutionary/[[Deep time|long-age]] ideas. One of the reasons they have become such a powerful tool for Christianity is the amazing flow of his clear, crisp trademark logic, which has 'skewered' and silenced many an evolutionary detractor."
* "Here was someone the Lord had blessed with a brilliant mind like a steel trap"
* "Jonathan's response systematically demolished their arguments."
* "The value of having a formidable talent who can quickly provide such solid answers — especially to Christians who feel intimidated by a barrage of the so-called 'facts' of evolution — cannot be overestimated."

If such fanfare fails to drive home the point, the article goes on with a section titled ''Audiences in awe'', describing Sarfati's unsurpassed abilities. In relation to an exhibition of his chess skills,

* an observer 
conveniently
 stated "This is astounding. World-class. The world's media should be here."
* "It is truly astonishing to watch. [...] For most 'mere mortals' like me, this kind of 'brain power' is an almost unimaginable gift."

The article concludes that Sarfati is a "privilege to know".

Interestingly, Sarfati is himself the chief editor of the ''Ex Nihilo'' magazine in which this piece appeared. This piece (one example of many) carries the byline of Gary Bates, Sarfati's colleague, who works "one desk over" from Sarfati. Sarfati's self promotion has reached such giddy heights it would make [[Kim family|a North Korean dictator]] blush.

== Partner in crime ==

One of Sarfati's staunchest allies is Gary Bates, author of ''Alien Intrusion: UFOs and the Evolution Connection''.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=SVh0noGKbhYC&dq=alien+intrusion&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=mMjxS9LZIpq0MeTs4d8P&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result#v=onepage&q&f=false “Alien Intrusion: UFOs and the Evolution Connection"]</ref> Bates is a fervent supporter of the Christian UFO movement<ref>[http://www.logoschristian.org/ufo.html UFOs, Aliens, & Abductions]. [[Haig's Law|Brain-crushing kookpage]] at logoschristian.org.</ref> along with [[Hugh Ross]]. As with all things creationist, the true account of UFO-related phenomena is found in the Bible (demons and angels), but this true account is covered up by the liberal, atheistic government conspiracy.<ref>Mike Matthews, [http://creation.com/aliens-in-your-bedroom Aliens in your bedroom?] Creation 27(2):36–41, March 2005 (creation.com).</ref>

==Personal abuse in arguments==
Sarfati's debating technique is infamous for a "take no prisoners" approach that is so offensive that it regularly brings reproach from other, more irenically-minded Christians. A Christian review of Sarfati's ''Refuting Compromise''<ref>Ed Morris, [http://www.noble-minded.org/sarfati_review.html A Nonexpert Review of the Book "Refuting Compromise" by Jonathan Sarfati]. noble-minded.org, January 2005.</ref> states that Sarfati is "blinded by his own ideology and has probably never honestly and open-mindedly faced the main issue about which he writes", noting that Sarfati attacks [[Old earth creationism |Old-earth creationist]] [[Hugh Ross]] as a false teacher in need of Biblical rebuke. This is typical. Sarfati frequently retreats to claims of the form: "''X'' calls himself a Christian, ''but''...", succumbing to the classic "[[No True Scotsman]]" logical fallacy. Sarfati repeatedly and clearly implies non-Young Earth Creationists are barely saved, and are otherwise misguided, [[apostasy| apostate]], ineffective, or tools of [[Satan]] for failing to take a literalist, presuppositionalist approach to scripture.

This approach is typical of the more histrionic creationist organisations, but Sarfati is its exemplar: giving lip-service to the idea that other Christians can sincerely disagree about doctrine without heresy, but taking the gloves off in personal argument, conducting desperate ''[[ad hominem]]'' rejoinders, and casting aspersion on any adversary's potential salvation prospects or presumed motivations.

Comments on fora where Sarfati has editorial control reveal repeated instances of Sarfati removing comments from those who rebut him and then crowing over his "speechless" opponents. Sarfati also regularly retreats to name-calling, referring to "celebutards" or to "Commissar Obamov".

==Sock-rates==
Sarfati allegedly employs the ''nom-de-guerre'' "''Socrates''" in online forums,<ref>Dave Moore, [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/supernova/sarfati.html Reply to Jonathan Sarfati]. talkorigins.org, 2003.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100806220119/http://www.christianforums.com/t7471805-3/ Jonathan Sarfati's "The Greatest Hoax on Earth"]. christianforums.com, 2010.</ref> even when commenting on himself. This is sufficiently well known that it is unlikely he still uses it when aiming for anonymity.

==Publications==
*''The Answers Book: The 20 Most-Asked Questions About Creation, Evolution & the Book of Genesis Answered!'' (with Don Batten, Ken Ham, and Carl Wieland) (1990)
*''Refuting Evolution'' (1999)
*''Refuting Compromise: A Biblical and Scientific Refutation of "Progressive Creationism" (Billions of Years) As Popularized by Astronomer Hugh Ross'' (2004)
*''15 Reasons to Take Genesis as History'' (with Don Batten) (2006)
*''By Design: Evidence for nature’s Intelligent Designer—the God of the Bible'' (2008)
*''The Greatest Hoax on Earth? Refuting Dawkins on Evolution'' (2010)
*''Refuting Evolution 2'' (2011)
*''The Genesis Account: A theological, historical, and scientific commentary on Genesis 1-11'' (2015)

==Seminars==
Sarfati gave two at the 2007 Seattle Creation Conference:
*''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWO-OmwqyQM Designed for Life]''
*''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh0KkbQPO5g Refuting Compromise]''

==See also==
{{cw}}
*[[Logic and Creation]]
*[[Not Circular Reasoning]]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{crebox|1}}
{{Down Under}}
[[ru:Джонатан Сарфати]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sarfati, Jonathan}}

[[Category:Christian apologists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australians]]

Categories: Christian apologists, Living people, Australians