YOUNG EARTH CREATION SCIENCE

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In these pages, I will use the terms 'creationism', 'creation science', 'scientific creationists', 'scientific creationism', etc.  In a nitty-gritty debate format, I would not use these words interchangeably, because there are many definitions of "creationism".  Generally speaking, "creationism" means the belief that the universe is an artifact, created on purpose by a superior/supreme being.  In this broad sense, I am a "creationist" in that I allow for the possibility of such a being, and such an act.  However, not all "creationists" share my rather loose deistic philosophy of "creation".  "Creationism" is a continum of beliefs, ranging from my rather liberal deistic one above, to that of the so-called "Young-Earth Creation Scientists" (or YECS for shorthand).  It is these "Young-Earth Creation Scientists" that I am opposing on these pages.

For the purposes of these pages, I will define "Young Earth Creation Science" to have the following beliefs:

  1. The Bible is the inerrent and revealed word of God.  (This is assumed to mean 'the god of the Bible' as opposed to 'the god of the Koran' (Allah) or 'the principle deity of the Bhagavad-Gita' (Krishna), etc. )
  2. The Bible contains a literal historical account of the creation of the universe, the earth, and all living things including man.
  3. The creation occured in a six-day period some 6,000 to 12,000 years ago (or so).
  4. The Bible contains a literal historical account of the post-creation time period, including the Noachian flood, which was worldwide in scope.
  5. The origin of species cannot have been evolutionary, either theistically or atheistically.
  6. No species can evolve into another species, therefore no transitional forms have been, can be, or will be found in the fossil record or elsewhere.
  7. The age of the earth cannot be calculated apart from the geneaological and historical account in the Bible.
  8. All scientific evidence supports these truths.
In no way do I contend that the above summary defines the entire doctrine of  YECS.   It does, however, capture a capsulized version of the doctrine.

YECS typically use a flawed methodology to promote their views.  A summary [1]  of this methodology is:

  1. They concentrate on their opponents' weak points, while rarely saying anything definitive about their own position.
  2. They exploit errors made by scholars who are making opposing arguments, implying that because a few of their opponents' conclusions were wrong, all of their opponents' conclusions must be wrong.
  3. They use quotations, usually taken out of context to buttress their own position.
  4. They mistake genuine, honest debates between scholars about certain points within a field for a dispute about the existence of the entire field.
  5. They focus on what is not known and ignore what is known, emphasize data that fit and discount data that do not fit.
I am not against Christianity.  In fact, I am a Christian.[2]   I am not against a philosophy of  "creationism" (with a small 'c') that says that God created the universe, or even that He created life on Earth. [3]

What I am opposing here is the intrusion of religion into our public schools under the guise of  so-called "Creation Science."  It is 'so-called' because it is fundamentally not science.  It is pseudo-science.  It is religion disguised as science.  Furthermore, it is fundamentalist, radical, dogmatic, theocratic, and self-justifying religion.  In particular, I am opposing YECS (see above) being forced on our public institutions as a "valid scientific alternative" to current evolutionary theories.

What I am also doing, is what YECS proponents have been clamoring for; giving their theories a fair hearing.  I believe that there is a disturbing tendency for science and scientists to simply dismiss the arguments of YECS without a full hearing.  This is typically due to the mistaken belief that "nobody in their right mind would believe this stuff".  Well, people do believe this stuff.  And unless YECS is rebutted fully, they will have an open field on which to run their ball.

YECS have long claimed that their ideas do not get a fair hearing among scientists.  Well, I'm not a scientist, but I play one on the internet. :-)  If you present me with plausable arguments  I will give them a fair hearing, and even dedicate space to them here.

The separation of Church and State is one of the great guiding principles of the founding of this Nation.  America is the fraternal twin in the birth of the 'Age of Reason'.  Our forefathers looked at the history of human existance under various forms of theocracy and theistic monarchy, and they shuddered.  Then they took steps to prevent the atrocities here, and they have been largely successful.

Again and again, the tenents of  'Young Earth Creation Science'  have been tested in the courts and again and again they have been found to be simply religion.  The establishment clause of the Constitution prevents the introduction of this religious doctrine into our schools.  In a way, I think thats a shame, because I believe that in a fair and equal debate, science will triumph over pseudo-science every time.


Notes:

[1] Taken from Michael Shermer's Why People Believe Weird Things : Pseudoscience, Superstition & Other Confusions of Our Time
[2] In at least the fact that I follow the teachings and the philosophy of Jesus.
[3]  See 'abiogenesis'

Last Update: 04/20/1999
Author: William Hudson