Creationist' Tactics:
1. Interpret any uncertainty anywhere in science as implying total uncertainty everywhere in science.
2. Trumpet any mistakes made by any scientist, and ignore the fact that these mistakes are corrected.
3. Shift the burden of proof to your critics any way you can.
4. Any facts or explanations not immediately at hand may be regarded as nonexistent.
5. Bury your opponent in quotes.
6. Use “cafeteria science.”
7. Find an instance of a scientist behaving badly, and use it to make the claim that all scientists will do the same.
8. Scientific facts and theories need have no effects except where convenient.
9. When cornered, change the subject.
10. When really cornered, call names.
11. When an explanation shows you to be absolutely wrong, ignore the explanation and reassert the original claim.
Evolution vs. Intelligent Design Debate (In the 3rd part of this video, Kenneth Miller totally debunks the classic ID claim that there are no transitional fossils):
Ken Miller on Intelligent Design:
Isolated excerpt from Miller's talk explaining why ID is not science:
This is a common tactic employed by every denialist group.
There are numerous problems with this approach:
-Appeal to Authority - The truth is not a democracy, nor a popularity contest
-Apeal to False Authority - Often these lists contain names of those who only superficially seem to be qualified experts in a related field when they're not qualified
-Length of the list - Often the numbers of signitaries on the lists superficially seems high when in comparison to all qualified experts in the world, equals well under 1% "Debunking the Oregon Petition Project" By Michael Ashcroft "1,000 architects and engineers call for new 9/11 investigation"
Barbara Forrest: Inside Creationism’s Trojan Horse(6/16/07)
Our Origins ...Made Easy:
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Why do people laugh at creationists?
Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism:
Creationism Dishonesty and Immorality:
Hovindism - Refuting the claims of Kent Hovind:
Creationist Challenges to so-called "Evolutionists" debunked:
Creationist Junk Debunked:
Way of the Master- Lies and Ignorance Exposed:
God, Darwin, and Design - Ken Miller:
Creationist Stupidity:
How to PWN a Young Earth Creationist:
FINE-TUNING ARGUMENT
The fine-tuning argument is NOT fine-tuned to assist believers of particular religions to argue for the truth of their religion's claims.
References cited below.
Inspiration for this one came from listening to a debate between Christopher Hitchens and Frank Turek, co-author of I Dont Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist. (Geisler, N and Turek, F. Crossway Books, Wheaton Illinois, 2004). Turek's first 20 minutes were very much like the first three of this video ie, the arguments from cosmology, teleology (the apparent designed nature of the universe), and morality. Some parts of it are direct quotations, other parts are paraphrased). To be fair to Turek, he acknowledged that these arguments did NOT lend credibility to the bible on their own, and invited Hitchens to a debate that would deal with the reliability of the bible. I ask, though if you're going to admit that the cosmological argument doesn't prove what you want to communicate, then why bother using it? Christians arent REALLY interested in making atheists into DEISTS, are they? (That's certainly NOT what they're called upon to do in the bible).
These cosmological-type arguments are just so broad and general, that it is a MASSIVE LEAP to go from them, to suddenly arguing for a deity whose name you know, who's values you know (on such things as dietary restrictions and opinions about how you should cut your hair, and, of course, opinions about foreskins), and who apparently has called you into a personal relationship with it. A leap SO MASSIVE, in fact, that no Christian would ever accept it from a Muslim, or vice versa, let alone from a Hindu or a devotee of ancient Egyptian gods.
So this video is not aimed so much at Frank Turek, but to those in the youtube Christian community who seem to think that their faith is defended by recourse to the cosmological argument. Folks, it is NOT. It never WILL be. See how ridiculous it seems to you when it comes from someone of another faith? In fact, I found a site that uses ALL of the cosmological arguments that are usually used in defending Christianity, being used to "prove" the accuracy and truth of the Quran. Here it is, see if these arguments convert you to Islam: http://www.creationofuniverse.com/ind...
The quote about he ratio between the gravitational constant and the electromagnetec constant came from: http://www.godandscience.org/apologet... (accessed April 29 , 2009). I dont know whether its scientifically accurate but being as the character is quoting a religious website for religious purposes, I dont mind if the information is inaccurate.
Hawking, S. A Brief History Of Time, Bantam Press, London: 1988, p. 121-125
Dawkins, R. 1996 The Blind Watchmaker, Norton & Co, NY p116
Kent Hovind is a dishonest person. The following recording is a legally obtained copy of telephone recordings between Hovind and his family while he's in jail for tax evasion. Pay particular attention to the part in the second video in the series where Hovind tries to convince his own daughter to hide evidence.
CreationWiki is a free, online, wiki-based encyclopaedia written from what it calls a "uniquely creationist perspective". Although it contains a mixture of half truths, outright lies and deliberate distortions, its authors, sadly, hope it will be taken seriously.
Despite its wiki-based nature, editing the site is more difficult than it need be, as anonymous edits are disallowed and new accounts must be "requested" of the site's administrators,.... who may decline to create a new account for the requesting party. While the implied suggestion is that non-..creationist requests will be denied, several non-..creationists have been approved and contribute to the site.
Since CreationWiki's secrecy measures make its management and operation somewhat opaque, this article seeks to "pierce the veil," and explain CreationWiki to the curious masses. (Read more here)
Conservapedia is a heavily biased and factually incorrect wiki-based encyclopedia that acts as a fundamentalist online guide to understanding how a particular segment of the American fundamentalist Christian right "thinks." Due to its bias, it ends up portraying liberals, atheists, and homosexuals (along with whoever the "bête noire du jour" is, like Muslims) as being evil and anti-American. Their attacks on these groups are fueled by traditionalism and jingoistic pro-..Americanism. It has been called "The Watchtower of the Internet." This political clap-trap automatically considers you a liberal whether you are or not unless you agree with everything the good old boys of the site say. The use of British spelling also is considered evidence that one is of the liberal {flavour} flavor. (Read more here)
All About History is a Colorado Springs, CO, US-based website owned by All About God Ministries, Inc., an evangelical organization with ties to controversial pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Church. The domain name allabouthistory...org was first registered on February 24, 2004. This website has an estimated 44,200 monthly visits. It has a worldwide rank of 575,053, and has 101 external websites linking to it.
The site presents itself with the air of being an objective and disinterested source of reliable historical information. Upon a little examination you'll see that it is a Christian historical revisionist site. (Read more here)
Answers in Genesis (AiG) is a non-profit Christian apologetics ministry with a particular focus on Young Earth creationism and a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis. The organization has offices in the United Kingdom and the United States. It had offices in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa, but in 2006 these split off to form Creation Ministries International.
Answers in Genesis rejects modern evolutionary science regarding cosmology, geology, linguistics, paleontology and evolutionary biology in favor of a worldview which sees the universe, the Earth and life originating about 6,000 years ago. AiG claims their views of origins, based on a literal interpretation of the Bible, define what should be considered "good science". They consider it positive that the intelligent design movement has produced resources supporting the biblical creationist viewpoint, but are critical of intelligent design for failing to mention the Christian God and the age of the Earth.
Answers in Genesis emphasizes a presuppositiona..l rather than an evidentialist approach to apologetics. This is not to say that they deny the role of scientific evidence, but that they believe that all scientists start with axioms or presuppositions...., which govern how the evidence is interpreted. Thus their view is a form of critical realism.
Since their methodology rejects naturalistic scientific explanations of the origin of the universe in favor of the supernatural, their pronouncements on science are generally regarded as pseudoscience by the scientific community. (Read more here)
The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) is a Christian institution in Dallas, Texas that specializes in education, research, and media promotion of creation science and Biblical creationism. The ICR adopts the Bible as an inerrant and literal documentary of scientific and historical fact as well as religious and moral truths, and espouses a Young Earth creationist world view. It strongly rejects the science of evolutionary biology, which it views as a corrupting moral and social influence and threat to religious belief.
The ICR was formed by Henry M. Morris in 1972 following an organizational split with the Creation Science Research Center (CSRC). Originally a creation science research division within the Christian Heritage College, the ICR became an autonomous institution in 1981. Its work in the field of creation science has been thoroughly rejected by essentially all mainstream scientists, but has been significant in shaping anti-..evolutionist thought in the United States by introducing creation science through churches and religious schools, and by engaging in provocative public debates against supporters of evolution. The ICR also offers (currently unaccredited) graduate level programs in creation science and online distance learning training. They operate a museum and host adventure tours, radio broadcasts, and print publishing. (Read more here)
Creation Research Society (CRS) is a Christian research group that engages in creation science. The organization has produced various publications, including a regular periodical and creation-based biology textbook.
During the first few years of its existence, different beliefs about Creationism and disagreement over its statement of beliefs resulted in various members of the board and voting members being forced out of the organization. (Read more here)
The Discovery Institute is a conservative non-profit public policy think tank based in Seattle, Washington, best known for its advocacy of intelligent design. Its Teach the Controversy campaign aims to teach creationist anti-evolution beliefs in United States public high school science courses. A federal court, along with the majority of scientific organizations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, say the Institute has manufactured the controversy they want to teach by promoting a false perception that evolution is "a theory in crisis", through incorrectly claiming that it is the subject of wide controversy and debate within the scientific community. In 2005, a federal court ruled that the Discovery Institute pursues "demonstrably religious, cultural, and legal missions", and the institute's manifesto, the Wedge strategy, describes a religious goal: to "reverse the stifling dominance of the materialist worldview, and to replace it with a science consonant with Christian and theistic convictions". (Read more here)
For more information on evidence for the age of the Earth, Click here.
For more information on what we know about the "beginning", Click here.
For more information on evidence for the Big Bang, Click here.
