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Permalink Reply by Fizzy on August 7, 2008 at 8:01pm

I don't know about the rest, but creationists are, correctly, afraid of attacking physics. Physicists are Scary Dudes ™ and we are often armed with things like multi-watt CO₂ lasers.

Don't the cretins go after abiogenesis theories too, though?

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Permalink Reply by LoLo on August 7, 2008 at 8:46pm

They do go after abiogenesis theories, but I think they generally group that in with evolution. Regardless, I don't think they know what that word means, much less how to pronounce it.

I take it you are a Physicist?

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Permalink Reply by Fizzy on August 7, 2008 at 9:29pm

Yes, but not a practicing one. That would require gainful employment.

Back in school, we were so thrilled when we got our 40W CO₂ laser running and we could start drawing on 2x4s with it. I don't recall anyone doing anything productive or even not vaguely threatening with it while I was there. Good times. Makes me wish we'd had some cdesign proponentsists around for more 'testing'.

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Permalink Reply by Wordplayer on August 7, 2008 at 8:07pm

In my experience, most creationists attack ALL of science -- they just call ALL of it "evolution" because that's the name they've given the "enemy of their faith." They continually confuse evolution and abiogenesis, and often other aspects of biology, along with cosmology, astronomy, physics, geology, and any number of other scientific disciplines, lumping them all under the single heading of "evolution."

But they do tend to attack actual evolutionary theory itself most fiercely because it is the most personal, since it is seen as being about humans being animals, instead of (as they believe) extra-special creations apart from the mere animals and entitled to be God's Special Friends. This they find unacceptable, but also they find it far more personally insulting than scientists merely having the temerity to assert that the universe is more than 6,000 years old.

What is deliciously ironic, however, and extremely telling, is that many of them tend to try to claim "scientific" validity for their own wild creationist assertions while claiming that "evolution" is a -- get this -- religion. They actually have the flaming stones to denigrate science as religion, when religion is their sole reason for believing the crazy anti-scientific things they claim as "TRVTH!" It shows that, on some level, they are acutely aware that science works, and that it is a far greater and more reliable authority than religion, which is based on nothing but fairy tales. That is some serious irony going on there -- and they remain blissfully unaware of it. The cognitive dissonance is simply mind-boggling.

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Permalink Reply by LoLo on August 7, 2008 at 8:43pm

I have noticed that they are trying to sell evolution as a religion now, which is just pathetic, and scary. I've never understood why in the view point of a Christian, why it is so bad to be labeled an animal. It is blatantly obvious that humans are animals, but they can't accept that. No...humans have to be special, apparently we're aren't special enough without the meddling of some old man in the sky poking around with our DNA and what-not.

What we need to do is educate them on all the different facets of science, that will put a lot on their plate to dispute. It would be hilarious to see them try to refute biology alongside physics, and geology and astronomy. It may just make their brains spontaneously combust.

Btw- I just took a bite of my apple pie when I read "God's Special Friends," and I just barely kept myself from spraying my monitor..hehe

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Permalink Reply by Fizzy on August 7, 2008 at 9:32pm

I just listened to the radio show Ray Comfort did a couple of days ago. I'd already listened to PZ Myers rebuttal from the following day, but I still wasn't prepared for the level of total bat-shit insanity that came out of my speakers. How is it that these guys have any credibility with the general population at all?

His best (or at least, most entertaining) 'evidence' against 'evilution'? Dogs and horses don't form court systems to prosecute dog and horse criminals.

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Permalink Reply by LoLo on August 7, 2008 at 9:59pm

I'm sad I missed that radio show, Ray Comfort makes me laugh.

Science is haRd for the general population... its easier to follow along when you know all the meaning to the words public speakers use! Yay! God did it! ...obviously....

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Permalink Reply by Fizzy on August 7, 2008 at 10:09pm

I can't remember if I followed a link on Pharyngula or if my stumble button got me there, but there's a site with recordings of both shows:
Ray Comfort Buts
PZ Rebuts

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Permalink Reply by Mark on August 11, 2008 at 4:42am

A sidenote: There's a thread in the water cooler forum about an evolution survey: http://www.atheistnexus.org/forum/topic/show?id=2182797%3ATopic%3A7...

Go put in your 2 cents :)

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Permalink Reply by Tedster on August 11, 2008 at 12:01pm

>>>>>>>>Go put in your 2 cents :)

I left a quarter :)

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Permalink Reply by damian on August 16, 2008 at 9:17pm

this reminds me of jack hanna on good morning america. Jack had some some chimps on with charlie gibson, and made the mistake of saying "our ancestors". Charlie Gibson turned beet red, started laughing, looking at the camera saying "jack, jaaack, jack, come on."

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Permalink Reply by LoLo on August 17, 2008 at 1:24am

is that on youtube? please say it is...

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