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From: bill@utastro.UUCP (William H. Jefferys)
Newsgroups: net.origins
Subject: Re: Orphaned Response
Message-ID: <482@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 3-Aug-85 23:50:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: utastro.482
Posted: Sat Aug  3 23:50:28 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 5-Aug-85 00:36:32 EDT
References: <347@scgvaxd.UUCP> <14600027@hpfcrs.UUCP>
Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
Lines: 40

> Unfortunately, your evidence is nothing more than your interpretation of the
> factual data which all can see.  The evolutionist and the creationist can both
> walk down the Grand Canyon, see the very same things, and come away with two
> completely different 'evidences', each claiming that the evidence he has
> supports his theory.
> 
> Perhaps what we need to do is to focus more on the basis for interpretation
> of data rather than on the so called evidences.

I agree.  And I think this has already been done.  The basis for
evolutionists' interpretation of the data is scientific.  The basis for
Creationists' interpretation of it is religious.  When the Creationists
attempt to put their interpretation on a scientific footing, they end up
with bad science *and* bad religion.

Let me give you an example.  Henry Morris wants to explain the entire
geologic column, including the Grand Canyon, by the Noachian Deluge.
He waves his hands, calls the rain out of nowhere, makes the water
disappear into nowhere, and presto!  The geologic column.  No calculations.
No hydrodynamics, no hydrology, no physics, just a bunch of words.  WHERE,
IN ALL THE CREATIONIST LITERATURE, IS THERE EVEN AN ATTEMPT TO DEAL
WITH THIS FUNDAMENTAL CREATIONIST ASSERTION USING THE TOOLS OF PHYSICS?
Answer: Nowhere will you find it.  That's why one can't credit this
idea with being scientific.

Frankly, I don't care a hill of beans what any Creationist reading this
message believes.  Or any evolutionist, for that matter.  Your beliefs, 
religious or otherwise, are your own business.  But I do object when
Creationists try to get this stuff put into the public schools as
science!  It is NOT science, and it won't be until and unless the
Creationists stop behaving as apologists and start behaving as scientists!

-- 
"Men never do evil so cheerfully and so completely as when they do so from
	religious conviction."  -- Blaise Pascal

	Bill Jefferys  8-%
	Astronomy Dept, University of Texas, Austin TX 78712   (USnail)
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