Page 140 - The Error of the Evolution of Species

The Error of the Evolution
of Species

founders of taxonomy were scientists who believed in God

and creation.
The British scientist and theologian John Ray (1627-
1705) led the way in classifying living things, in the sense
this is understood today. 165 Ray grouped plants, birds, mam-
mals, fish and insects according to systematic criteria. Rather
than classifying plants based on a single feature, he consid-
ered their structures in their entirety. He wrote several

books on the subject, thus laying the foundations of the sci-
ence of taxonomy. In his writings, he also set out his ob-
servations of the magnificent order in nature. 166 Ray, who is
remembered for his enormous contributions to science, stat-
ed that the systems and characteristics in living things were
all marvels of creation, and expressed his views in these
terms:

There is for a free man no occupation more worthy and
delightful than to contemplate the beauteous works of na-
ture and honour the infinite wisdom and goodness of
God. 167

The scientist regarded as the father of the modern bio-
logical classification system is the Swedish naturalist Carl
Linnaeus (1707-1778), 168 who first used the two-part scientif-
ic nomenclature system and developed a classification
based on hierarchical categories. He gave a great many

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