"Perhaps, I misunderstood the purpose of this discussion group. I
thought it was to examine evidence and the fidelity of conclusions
compelled by the evidence. Your answer suggests that you intend
neither; rather you wish to enthrone authority and subjugation to it. "
Glenn was, perhaps, a little abrupt in his initial response, I think.
As an ex-YEC advocate and writer, he is, however, not likely to be
classified as one who wishes to "enthrone authority!" Of that, I am
quite certain.
The question at issue is "on what basis a conclusion is reached."
Petersen
makes certain claims; one of those claims is that the loess and its
contents "could not have been formed under current scientific laws." This
is, you will agree, an extraordinary claim. Petersen is a PH-D physicist
-- not
a geologist. That does not make him wrong, of course, but it does open
the question of prior knowledge, as Glenn has done with you.
I reviewed a book a couple years ago on "evolution and the Bible" for
PERSPECTIVES. The author, alas, had no scientific credentials, and had,
by her own admission, not read a lot of the literature. Those facts had
to color my evaluation of her work.
I have an education in physics, but abandoned that field for computer
engineering shortly after college. As the years rolled on, I finally
found I knew less and less about more and more -- a typical "generalist."
My only remaining expertise, and it is now four years out of date sine
retirement (!), is in a subfield of Market Research. This is why I
reviewed Petersen's book as I did. On the face of it (established
authority) it is sheer nonsense. Petersen would probably agree! But
extraordinary claims are made, and those claims seem (to me) to merit
both questions and defense. Petersen (so far) has declined to join in the
discussion, and without his defense, the discussion is not liable to be
very long!
Best ...
Burgy
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