Well, the writeup that prompted me to make this roundup of ideas regarding creation science has since, justifiably, been nuked. Still, let's sum up the argument:
Regards
cosmology,
physics,
evolutionary science,
biology, or any other discipline treated of by creation so-called-science (with the possible exception of bible studies) the
Bible has no value as evidence. Even though there are things in the
Bible that are demonstrably true, this does not make the
bible evidence, since there are also things in the
Bible that are demonstrably false. The
Bible only proves one thing. The
belief of those who wrote it.
The basic hypothesis of creationism goes along the lines of:
We know from biblical evidence that the Universe is about 6000 years old. Therefore God created it 6000 years ago with fossils in the ground and light on its way from distant stars, so that there is no way of telling the real age of the Universe simply by looking at it.
The
hypothesis is unfalsifiable, and therefore not a scientific one. I could just as easily say that the whole
universe was created yesterday, or any other day in the past.
To find out how to put out a scientific hypothesis you can start by reading the node on the scientific method.
You will often hear believers of
creation science put forth the argument that the
theory of
evolution lacks evidence to back it up, that it is full of holes and that it just as much a matter of belief as
creationism. Nothing could be further from the
truth. It is given that there are details of
evolution that are not fully understood. However the main lines of the theory is backed by so much
evidence that only a blind person could disbelieve it. We have even observed evolution happen right on the
laboratory table.
But what about the missing links and simmilar holes in the evolutionary tree?
Yeah, what about them? In any scientific theory there are unexplained parts. For example, science has absolutely no idea how such a basic thing as gravity works. We do have a model theory that predicts its behaviour in detail though. It's called The Theory of General Relativity. But filling out such holes in our knowledge is what science is all about. This is where creation science is actually counter productive in that it points out that there are things we don't know, but does nothing to illuminate our knowledge of those things. Instead it offers some ad hoc explanation without a thread of evidence to back it up.
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The claim that any established scientists support "creation science" is preposterous!
Still this claim is not infrequently put forward by supporters of creation science. Apparently the support from those
scientists is based on "evidence", however requests to produce such are always made in vain.
You can test for yourself whether it is possible to find such a person. Try looking up "creation" or "bible" in journals on biology and paleontology.
No, there are absolutely no biologists, anthropologists, paleontologists, archaeologists or chemists that support any such claim. Anyone stating otherwise is quite simply either an ignorant or lying through his teeth.
Editor note - That's nice, but andersa why don't you just come clean and say what you really think about creation science?
Well ok, since you put it that way, let me give you a clue. Even though I feel strongly about this, I hope you notice the wink in my eye.
RANT ON
Creation science is a real and present danger to modern society!
Through hard work and rational thinking, the scientific community has singlehandedly build our civilization from scratch. Now these damn small minded individuals are on a fucking crusade that eventually will bring the whole world into complete and utter chaos.
Those idiots are a much greater danger to society, than those poor souls that are locked up on an american military base in the caribbean. They are aiming to seed our world with the idea that you are not supposed to think for yourself. Apparently we are all better off as mindless drones, destined to wander through a wasteland of mud huts, because once we stopped thinking a single rational thought, we have all forgotten how to build a proper housing for ourselves.
Don't for one moment think that this will stop with biology and evolution. No no. Once they have that screwed up, the heathen physicists, with their particle accelerators, trying to unravel the secrets of creation itself, will be the next to have to face this modern day inquisition, or maybe the doctors with their abominable medicines, stem cell research and their disregard for the benefits of prayer? And before you know it, it will even be a crime to simply teach science in schools!
If we were real smart, these kind of people would be registered in a central database and kept under close scrutiny by the relevant authorities, and not be allowed to spread their dangerous ideas to normal people.
RANT OFF
Sources: sci.sceptic FAQ - http://www.faqs.org/faqs/skeptic-faq/