Park on Creationists' Strategy

Creationists continue to pervert the language and the science. Can't we find a criterion where they'll agree they've lost? Bob Park describes the latest in his inimitable style.

INTELLIGENT DESIGN: ACADEMIC FREEDOM IS THE NEW STRATEGY.

Even before Darwinian evolution defeated intelligent design in Kitzmiller v. Dover School Board, it has been apparent that this would not be the end of it. Who thought it would? The creationists began casting about for a new strategy. An article in today’s Science suggests they think they’ve found it: academic freedom. I mean they’ve got Ben Stein, who in the movie "Expelled" seems to think Guillermo Gonzalez should be allowed to teach whatever astronomy agrees with his religion. That’s going to be a hard sell. Suppose, for example, I teach my students that pi equals three. It makes a lot of sense. Who ever thought up irrational numbers in the first place? We’ve got plenty of numbers without them. What’s more, it’s a matter of religious conviction. I Kings 7:23-26 describes a round cauldron in the Temple of Solomon that’s ten cubits in diameter and 30 cubits in circumference. If it’s good enough for Solomon it’s good enough for me. My guess, however, is that it’s going to get a few challenges. You can believe anything you want, but you don’t get to pick the facts. So what are these guys up to? They must know that. Maybe Ben Stein just likes being in the movies.

[Bob Park, "What's New", 9 May 2008.]

Posted on May 9, 2008 at 20.58 by jns · Permalink
In: All

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  1. Written by rightsaidfred
    on Sunday, 11 May 2008 at 20.59
    Permalink

    >>>>Can't we find a criterion where they'll agree they've lost?

    More and more I think arguments have to be won on an emotional level. Maybe it is time for science to start using more 'emotional hooks'.

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