The Way of Science

The biological community (and the geologists, astronomers, etc.) is quite uniform in denying the validity of these positions. Biologists insist that Creation "Science" is a sham, a pseudoscience at best. Giving equal time to Creationism in science classes is exactly like giving equal time to flat-earthers in a geography class. Yes, there really are flat-earthers out there!

From here on, you have three major tasks. The first is a short writing assignment on Genesis. The second is a much longer paper, on the effects of Creationism on public school education. While you work on these two, in class we will discuss the third item: specific anti-Evolution "evidence" commonly proposed by YECs, OECs, and ID proponents.

I. The fundamentalist position

The Bible is literally true. Historically, Creationist world-wide have argued from a religious basis; only in the last few decades have they said that their objections to Evolution are based on science rather than religion. Therefore, your first task is to consider the Biblical accounts of creation to see if internal conflicts exists. If so, then literal reading becomes self-contradictory. If interpretation on a major scale is necessary, then the whole creation story can be viewed as a teaching-myth (as, in fact, most Biblical scholars view it.). You must understand why you are reading Genesis; think about the logic behind the task.

Genesis assignment:
You are to list the following events in the sequence used in Genesis 1: appearance of man (males); woman; land creatures; birds; land; water; plants.

Then, read: Genesis, 2. Do the same for all those events (i.e., list them in the sequence used in Genesis 2.). On Library Reserve are copies of Genesis 1 and 2 from an interlinear Bible. Be sure you read all four translations.

Compare the two sequences in the form of adjacent columns. When you finish the two lists, write a short essay (no more than one page) on what you have done. In your words, explain why you have made these lists, and what specific contradictions exist (if any do exist). End with a section of your own opinions/conclusions about Genesis: What is your view, if contradictions or internal conflicts exists? What do you know about good evidence?

It may help you to know that many scholars believe that Genesis derives from two very different sources, frequently referred to as the P-document ("priestly") and the J-document ("Jahveh"). The P-document dates from Babylonian times (about. 600 B.C.E.), and borrows from Babylonian myths (including some of their water-based imagery). The J-document is older (about 900-600 B.C.E.). In many versions of the Bible (including the old standard, the King James) the two sources can be recognized by their use of "God" (P) vs. "Lord God" (J). If you are interested in learning more, a very good overview may be found in Asimov's In The Beginning.

II. Creationist Arguments: Material for Exam #3

The Creationist argument that the evidence is against Evolution must now be examined. Although we cannot, in our very limited time, look at all the pro/con arguments, we must sample them. Here are some of the major points presented by the Creationists:

• The Earth is only 10,000 years old, and all dating methods in use now are wrong.
• No transitional forms exist in the fossil record.
• "Perfect" adaptations and complex designs require a "Programmer" (i.e., a God).
• Evolution violates the second law of thermodynamics.

We will work on these in class, but you must read carefully the following items:

1. (Separate)Bennetta, W. J. 1986. Crusade of the Credulous. San Francisco: California Academy of Science Press. [Purchased at the College Bookstore; start by reading pp.1-18.]
   
   
2. (#12) Cloud, P. 1977. "Scientific Creationism" - A New Inquisition Brewing? The Humanist 37(1): 83-94.
   
   
3. (Text 1) Hazen and Trefil, Science Matters, Chapter 2, Energy, pp.20-34 (background for Laws of Thermodynamics); Chapter 4, The Atom, pp. 54-64 (basic atomic structure, which is background for understanding Chapter 8); Chapter 8, Nuclear Physics, pp.110-123 (radiometric dating/nuclear physics).
   
   
4. (Text 2) National Academy of Science. 1999. Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Sciences (Second Edition). Washington, DC: National Academy Press. [Read through this short book for an overview of the issue.]

The film, God, Darwin and Dinosaurs will also be of help in understanding "transition fossils."