I have a theory about the nature of Creationist arguments against Evolution, and I invite your assessment.
I see Creationist arguments solely as appeals to emotion or ignorance. The study and comprehension of Evolution, as I have discovered, is an incredibly complex and daunting task. (Talk.origins and this forum, assist significantly) I have been reading about Evolution for two years, and still remain barely a layman.
It is therefor really easy to make a caricature of it, seemingly poke holes, and generally make it seem implausible and unpalatable to those who have not committed the time to further research.
Some examples of Creationist arguments that are appeals to emotion and ignorance:
Intelligent Design:
Wow, isn't everything so amazing/complex. I can't possibly conceive how it came about, so therefore no one else can either.
What about other amazing/pretty things, like the eye, ear, ummm and the scrotum?
What about music, what about music?
What about language, what about language?
What about art, what about art?
What about, what about, what about, etc etc
Scientists don't really know something yet? Ha! Got you! God did it.
Occams Razor means God did it! That's a really simple answer (only three words long)!
All mutations are bad:
The word sounds nasty, Holywood portrays mutants as nasty, therefore all mutations must be bad.
No I'm not, you are: (childish approach to returning the accusation)
Creationism is not on the way out, Evolution is.
Evolution is a religion too.
Creationism is a science too.
We don't quote mine, you do.
It was scientists who oppressed Gallileo.
Define kinds? Um, well you define species then.
Evolution can't be observed:
If a guy in a white lab coat can't see it happening through a microscope (proper science), how could it be true? (or, my cat hasn't grown wings even though my son keeps throwing him off the roof)
Life only comes from life. Rocks don't come to life.
Statistically Evolution can't work, even though statistically I shouldn't be here.
Accidents don't build anything, only man/God does. That volcano was built by God, I tells ya.
Little changes occur (we have to admit it because we see it) but really big changes don't (luckily we will not be around long enough to see it). Anything I can't see, just can't be! Except God of course.
Were you there?
Where is a creature with half a wing? Half a flipper??
We only use 1/10, 1/3 etc of our brain...
They still haven't found the missing link. Still.
The entire fossil record consists of one tooth and paleotologists are even arguing about that.
Where are the transitional fossils, that's not many, that's not enough, still not enough, never enough, not listening, not listening, not listening...!
Piltdown was a fake, all fossils are fakes. America faked the moon landings.
I can't believe they stuck on those peppered moths! Fakes!
There are humans tracks with dinosaur tracks, there are dinosaurs still living in the Congo, the Loch Ness Monster is a dinosaur, Kent Hovind has a dinosaur in his back yard, Kent Hovind is a dinosaur.
All that debate in science is a bad thing and proves they are on shakey ground. (Our book/faith hasn't changed for 2000 years!). Evolution will go the way of Newtonian physics anyday now.
Creationism is the only alternate to Evolution (cause I haven't bothered to read about any others)
Despite the supposed dating evidence (not to mention the circular reasoning behind it) and countless numbers of scientists from many fields that prove it's validity everyday, I can counter all that with an example of why the earth is young: Insert example here (moon dust, ocean salinity, population growth, helium in atmosphere - take your pick, replace with new one when old one gets knocked down).
Things break down and decay, like my car and grandmother respectively. Therefore the second law of thermodynamics makes evolution impossible.
The Bible falls over without a literal interpretation of Genesis. You will go to hell if you believe in evolution, so don't even listen to it. You will also go to hell if you don't attend our particular chruch. Oh, yea, and while not give me a large donation why you're at it (I need to buy some new horses). You CAN buy you way into God's favour.
Well, that was therapeutic.
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