> McCarrick, Allan wrote:
>
>> I think there will be one more set on notes. I hope to have time to
>> begin to take on these one by one.
>
> I think it's helpful for us to be aware of the claims of this
> sort that are being propagated, but am not sure that much is really
> gained by "taking them on" in detail. Such things take on a life of
> their own among people eager for arguments to confirm their prejudices.
> "Paluxy mantracks", "secular decrease in the speed of light" & "decay of
> the earth's magnetic field" are still being cited as "proofs" of a young
> earth long after they have been discredited. Spurious data &
> illegitimate extrapolation take care of the great majority of these claims.
I disagree. I think it's essential to take on these claims so that the
people making or supporting them can never legitimately say "Scientists
have no explanation or rebuttal for so-and-so..." While such rebuttals
will never convince the hard-core believers, they may sway people who
desire to keep an open mind and examine both sides of the issue.
- Steve.
-- Steven H. Schimmrich KB9LCG s-schim@uiuc.edu Department of Geology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 245 Natural History Building, Urbana, IL 61801 (217) 244-1246 http://www.uiuc.edu/ph/www/s-schim Fides quaerens intellectum