Saturday, November 18, 2006

Creationist double-speak: Where negatives are postives

Earlier today, RSR linked to this article of an apologist pointing out that creationism (and thus ID) "don’t need a theory of design to know that is design."

He says "part of basic human rationality detects action of intelligence." I suppose this is about as decisive as the supreme court saying "we'll know it when we see it" for pornography. The trouble is, that if this is true of human nature, then everyone should agree. Given that we don't, this suggests that humans are very poorly equipped to detect design.

The good professor also "calls for people to ignore philosophical rules." That's right. Creationists don't need to follow the rules. They don't need theories. They don't need evidence. And they sure as hell don't need to meet standards before getting to cut to the front of the line and sneak into classrooms. Cheating is just fine. As is lying. All of which creationists are famous for.

But perhaps even more condeming is the article's title: Intelligent Design Defended by Unsolved Genetic Puzzle. This, and the entire argument that Nelson is reported to have presented has not a single shred of positive evidence. Instead, it is a critisizm of evolution that, through the false duality creationists hold to, must support ID.

The fact that anyone is logically bankrupt enough to not see the gaping logical hole in this argument, regardless of not being able to see through the shoddy claims against evolution, is frightening. That such inept people would ever be given power in school boards or the government is even worse.

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