Ignorant Creationists vs. Knowledgeable Evolutionists

I think the problem is that creationists feel that they already have the answer and don't need to look farther. They may feel that testing their faith in the literalness of Genesis is a type of heresy. This mind set could be linked to the life sentence of house arrest for Galileo. His scientific ideas, much like evolution, challenged the literal interpretation of the Bible. He was never really challenged on the scientific soundness of his ideas, but instead was challenged because his ideas did not mesh with the Bible, and it also challenged the authority of the Catholic interpretation of the Bible. Even now, creationist sites try to cover up the Galileo Affair as if it wasn't about the conflict between religion and science. Today we see the same conflict, that theories based in science should not trump subjective opinions made on the strength of divine inspiration.In my opinion, creationists don't care that they don't understand science. All they care about is understanding Genesis and a capability to parrot creationist websites. For them, creationism is an evangelistic tool not a scientific theory. They have fallen in the trap of assuming the conclusion and making the evidence fit the presupposed conclusion.

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I agree with you here. I was raised in the "classic Creationist" tradition, and taught the arguments for Creation to the exclusivity of evolution. However, as I study more and more, I am finding out that this may not be the right approach. See why I am so confused? Most of what I have been taught about the origin of the earth is not what I am learning now. Make sense?

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Who do you trust more on the subject of science, the creationist teachers or your current teachers?

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Who is to say which is really right??? Sometimes when I am studying I begin to wonder which way is up, if you know what I mean.

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I am speaking from my experiences with creationists, so this may not apply to your situation. In debate boards and personal conversations the thing that always stuns me is the scientific falsehoods that are spread by creationists. For instance, many creationists claim that helium does not escape the atmosphere in an attempt to show that the earth is young (if you want the full argument I can explain it in another post). However, it has been known for over 20 years that helium can and does escape the atmosphere at a rate that ensures a balance between production and atmospheric buildup. This, along with other notions that have beens shown to be wrong, make me distrust creationists. Of course, evolution has had it's knocks along the way. However, the falsehoods in evolution have been refuted BY EVOLUTIONISTS, not creationists.Again, in my experience, creationists teach falsehoods on a regular basis. For most of the scientifically uneducated creationists it isn't really telling a lie, it is unknowingly relaying false information. I am a scientist, and this type of behavior is NEVER, and I repeat NEVER, condoned nor allowed in the sciences. When false information is uncovered in the biological sciences the perpetrator is often stripped of all their research money and sent packing. In the creationist world, the perpetrator is often praised for being falsely persecuted.This type of activity on the part of creationists that I have read and interacted with leaves a very sour taste in my mouth. At this point in your life these people may be authority figures in your life, and outside of scientific discussions they may be very knowledgable and wise people. My only suggestion is to do exactly what you are doing now, take all the evidence at face value and judge it on logic and rational. In addition to this, I would also suggest that you understand the philosophy behind the the scientific method. This is the foundation for all of the sciences, and the better you understand the basis, the scientific method, the better you will comprehend all the theories in the sciences. Good luck, have a wonderful journey.