Science and Creationism

[Ron at]

----- Original Message -----
From: "John R. Grehan" <jrg13 at PSU.EDU>
To: <TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG>
Sent: Monday, April 01, 2002 1:45 PM
Subject: Science and Creationism


> The content of the 1999 US Academies of National Sciences illustrates the
> pitfalls of presenting and teaching evolution as a doctrine. In defense
of
> evolution as a doctrine of beliefs, the Academies present overwater
> colonization of Hawaii and Galapagos as a fact whereas it is simply a
> theoretical postulate based on Darwinian assumptions about the
> uninformativeness of distribution patterns.
>

This is in fact one of the primary munitions used by creationists.
Belief/doctrine.  If evolutionist "belief/doctrine" can be taught why not
creationist "belief/doctrine" goes the argument.  All the creationist has
to do is find just a few instances of unproven "facts/dogma"  or statements
of "we don't know for sure" to claim the same legitimacy.  Or even one of
the most common things we scientists say - we don't know the answer to
"that".   The debate is not just in the arena of logic.  It is also in the
arena of philosophy - and emotion (on both sides).  Not taking sides - just
some thoughts from someone who works both sides of the fence :-)

Ron Gatrelle
TILS president
Charleston, SC - USA
http://www.tils-ttr.org