quote:
Originally posted by Cobra_snake:
I must admit that I have never read entire books by them, but I have read a bit of the Blind Watchmaker. I have also read Abusing Science, written by Philip Kitcher, which was supported by Stephen Jay Gould.
What's wrong with selected quotes found in Creationist literature?
[This message has been edited by Cobra_snake, 04-08-2002]
Selected quotes found in Creationist literature are very often out of context and their meanings are often changed to make the scientist appear to be doubting Evolution or an old Earth, etc. This is rife in Creationist circles. Have a look at this:
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/quotes/
[QUOTE]What is wrong with antievolutionist arguments via quotations?
"This is not to imply that we know everything that can and should be known about biology and about evolution. Any competent biologist is aware of a multitude of problems yet unresolved and of questions yet unanswered. After all, biologic research shows no sign of approaching completion; quite the opposite is true. Disagreements and clashes of opinion are rife among biologists, as they should be in a living and growing science. Antievolutionists mistake, or pretend to mistake, these disagreements as indications of dubiousness of the entire doctrine of evolution. Their favorite sport is stringing together quotations, carefully and sometimes expertly taken out of context, to show that nothing is really established or agreed upon among evolutionists. Some of my colleagues and myself have been amused and amazed to read ourselves quoted in a way showing that we are really
antievolutionists under the skin."
- Theodosius Dobzhansky (1900-1975),"Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution"
One of the favorite tactics of evolution deniers and other pseudoscientists is to use numerous quotations to make their case. For many people the use of quote after quote makes a very persuasive argument. However, the antievolutionist use of quotes is invalid and does not in any way provide evidence for creationism or against evolution. The reasons for this fall into several major categories: the use of quotations often is a fallacy of "argument from authority," selective quotation may be occurring, the quotations are often out-of-date, the quoted authorities are often not appropriate authorities, evolution deniers are sometimes not honest in representing who the people they quote are, and many of the quotations are misquotations."
More:
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/misquotes.htmlhttp://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/patterson.htmlhttp://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/darrow.htmlhttp://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/icr-whoppers.html