>I understand your gripe. My main gripe is that Christian geologists,
>biologists and science teachers are too willing to leave the job of
>discrediting YEC to atheists and agnostics, rather than generate any
> discordby tackling this issue within the Christian community. It would
>seem to me that YEC's who are convinced by atheists or agnostics that YEC
>is unsustainable are much more likely to become atheists or agnostics,
>than YEC's who are convinced by OEC's or TE's. Yet it continues to be the
> likes of Dawkins and Gould who are the loudest, most persistent and most
>published voices against YEC.
Frankly, being a geophysicist, which is a second cousin to a geologist, I
am a little disappointed and frustrated by this. You are wrong about THIS
"Christian geologist being too willing to leave the job of discrediting
YEC to atheists and agnostics rather than generate any discord by tackling
this issue within the Christian community". Take a look at the archives
here over the past year and a half. Look at the ASA archive from March
through June! I am pleading with my fellow christians to take another look
at what they are doing.
Here is why it appears to you that Christians are not dealing with these
areas. We Christians are guilty of the sin of intolerance. This
intolerance comes out in two forms. One, dissenting views can not be
published in Christian journals and people who work for Christian
organizations can not long hold their jobs if they disagree scientifically
with their brethren.
Christians are also guilty of the sin of omission for not standing for
factual truth. If some fact contradicts our apologetic we ignore it, hope
that the future will explain it and above all, we don't speak about that
factual problem. This is why I first learned about pseudogenes from
atheists. The Christian biologists in the anti-evolution movement never,
never ever talked about that issue. In not talking about that issue, they
are not being honest with their readers about the problems. This lack of
honesty about the problems, though, probably results from their fear of
the intolerance or their lack of solutions might make them look less
learned. Raising problems and demanding solutions gets a christian
quickly in trouble with other Christians.
Publishing:
That is the most frustrating thing I have found. I wrote a book and
tried to get it published by the Christian press. I was rejected over 32
times by 31 publishers (tried one publisher twice). What is sad is that
the comments I got back from editors were usually favorable. But they
were afraid of the YEC lobby. I wrote the following to a friend who is a
PC explaining my predicament.
**
It was weird. As a YEC, I published 27 items in the CRSQ, Int. Conf. on
Creationism, ghost wrote the evolution section for Josh McDowells Reasons
book. I am not a novice at getting things published. But since I have
changed, I can't get anyone to even publish an article where I advocate my
views. When I was searching for a publisher, I got this comment,
"Though I don't agree with all of your conclusions, I think you have done
a good job. You have a number of unique or unusual proposals that would
be helpful for people to consider who are trying to think through the
origins questions. I am especially glad that you are trying to treat both
science and Scripture with integrity. I don't know how many copies of the
book you have had printed so far, but I would like to keep this one if
possible (let me know what it costs) and to get a second for one of my
colleagues.
"I am afraid you are going to have trouble getting a publisher.
Most of the conservative Christian houses have young-earth creationists
looking over their shoulder and are reluctant to publish anything that
would get them into trouble with that group. (Both Hugh Ross and I have
faced this problem) In general, your liberal religious publishers would
only sneer at taking the Bible seriously regarding early earth's history."
...
"I'm afraid that we at [deleted by GRM} cannot publish your book. Our
guys are old-earth creationists, not theistic evolutionists, and we take
enough heat for our own position without attracting additional flack for
publishing a book we don't even agree with."
It was the nicest rejection I ever got.
Another publisher called me, encouraged me, (he talked to me for over 45
minutes long distance) but said he didn't think they could publish it
either. However, he has since bought 7 books. One for himself and 6 to
give away. If the book is bad, as one might surmize from the more than
30 rejections, why would the guy do this?
One editor hand wrote a note on his rejection "Excellent presentation."
and wrote in the body "Do keep knocking on the doors". His assistent had
wanted to read it before he returned it but the editor didn't let him.
[name deleted by glenn]'s editor hand wrote on his form rejection letter,
"We appreciate your material but do not have a place for a book on this
subject in our present plan. Sorry." Publishers generally don't write hand
notes on rejections.
I have also tried to publish shorter articles in various Christian
journals advocating my views. Every single one has rejected me. I just
thank God I live in the age of Internet because that is the only venue
open to me.
**
What is crazy is that YEC authors are quite willing to cite what I finally
do get into print, but they do not want to publish anything. When I was a
YEC all of my articles raised problems for the YEC position and I
suggested certain solutions. ( I know those solution won't work now). I
knew the problems the YEC position had and wanted solutions. Those
articles are still being cited (rarely favorably because they raise
problems) 10-15 years after they were written. In the 1996 International
Conference on Creationism my articles were cited 10 times and that was 10
years after I was an actively publishing YEC.
My poor self-published book has been quoted over 25 times in Woodmorappe's
new ICR published _Noah's Ark: A Feasibility Study_. As near as I can
tell that makes it the second or third most attacked source in his book.
And Woodmorappe did not get a copy of my book until late in the writing of
his book. To be the 2nd or 3rd most attacked book as a late entry to the
contest says that my book hit a lot of sore points with the ICR crowd. I
will say that Woodmorappe called me and my ideas more names than he did
any other author but John and I have been crossing swords since 1982.(see
Morton, G. R. (1982). Electromagnetics and the Appearance of Age. Creation
Research Society Quarterly. 18:227-232; Morton, G. R. (1983). Reply to
Woodmorappe. Creation Research Society Quarterly. 20:56-59. John
Woodmorappe, "The Antediluvian biospher and it s capability of Supplying
the entire fossil record," First Int. Conf. on Creationism, 1986, p. 205;
G.R. Morton, "Discussion," Ibid., p. 214; G. R. Morton "Discussion" 2nd
Int. Conf. on Creationism, 1990, p. 368)
ICR, via Woodmorappe, finds my views dangerous enough to attack me moret
han 25 times with words like "naive", "compromising", "abysmally
ignorant", "sloppy", "reckless disregard", "extremely inaccurate",
"misleading", "tomfoolery" and "intentionally deceitful". But while ICR
sees the merit in my arguments and thus they must be attacked, the
christian press won't publish me.
Teachers:
Christian geologists at christian universities, however, are rather quiet.
But if they speak out, they might lose their jobs. They can teach what
they want at some universities, but it is dangerous to become a vocal
target and incur the YEC wrath. Having lost a job for being a YEC, I know
how much losing a job for one's views can hurt. Would you be willing to
speak out if the livelihood you provide your family would be cut off?
Don't answer too quickly! Until you have had to explain to a 4th and 6th
grader why they can't go to the movie with their friends, you really have
no idea how high the price for speaking out can be. This is why I will
never work for Christians. Look what has happened to Terry Gray for
speaking out! His church convicted him of heresy. That is awful.
Ministries:
The intolerance extends to those in Christian ministries. Christians in
the various ministries have no choice but to go along or go away.
Ministries that have advocates for evolution will quickly find their
funding drying up. Thus if a Christian becomes a vocal advocate, standing
for factual truth, his bosses will have the choice of terminating him, or
watch the financial supporters terminate them. Their choice is
understandable. Everyone in the organization understands this so there
are few who even bother to broach the subject. There are lots of closet
evolutionists in Christian ministries but they are afraid to stir the
boat.
One friend of mine who works in a ministry and who is becoming convinced
that evolution is correct, told me that he would forever keep his mouth
shut about this issue for fear of losing his support. That is truly sad
and in some sense verifies what you are charging.
So, don't condemn christian geologists for their silence. It is hard to
be heard when the christian press, Christian ministries and Christian
leaders are afraid to challenge the ICR/anti-evolution strangle hold.
Christians can't publish anything that will get them in trouble with the
YECs. And YECs complain about their works being silenced by mainstream
science. They are hippocrites. They are no different in their behavior,
working diligently to ensure that no christian who disagrees with them
will be published. They just claim to be more open minded. It makes them
feel good to make this claim.
glenn
Foundation,Fall and Flood
http://members.gnn.com/GRMorton/dmd.htm