Comments on: Are you Suffering under the Creationist Terror Regime

By: Hitting three peeves with one stone « The Sciphu Weblog

Hitting three peeves with one stone « The Sciphu Weblog — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:36:39 +0000

[...] Are you Suffering under the Creationist Terror Regime [...]

By: Andrew Yates

Andrew Yates — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:49:13 +0000

Unlike most scientists and, in particular, European scientists, my family is from the American Midwest and are evangelical Christians. Many of my teachers were Christians, too. My parents are well educated but also believe in creationism. So, I have plenty experience with this debate.

You do NOT want to engage these people on an emotional level, you will only push them away. Further, the more intelligent they are, the better they will be at rationalizing whatever they already believe. Finally, remember that even Francis Collins wrote the book: “The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief.”

Instead: try, “well, I’m going by what we use to everyday in labs to make drugs everybody uses everyday, but honestly, this theory is of rather ordinary facts and it’s not very interesting. This stuff is all very elementary, and people can believe whatever they want. I don’t recommend reevaluating anything, and what you believe seems to work for you, and if it makes you happy, why change? The real science is way too hard, anyways. Don’t worry about it.”

Stupid people will humbled but not offended, and smart people’s egos will begin working against them…

By: danielg

danielg — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:24:40 +0000

Please see my comment at Evolutionary scientists argue about making their doubts public

By: Massimo Pigliucci

Massimo Pigliucci — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:30:55 +0000

You make good points, but I take exception to your quote of what I said about post-modernism. My objection there has nothing to do with creationism: the word “post-modernism” is associated with cultural relativism (though post-modernism itself is more complex and nuanced), and therefore with an attitude of “your opinions is as good as mine.” I did not want people to associate what we were trying to do in Altenberg with a matter of simple taste…