I would agree that Kurt tries to develop models based on data and observation
and is generally better at interacting with science than most young-earth
creationists. He has, however, written things like:
"Such a radical idea as a global flood, for example, which gradually
overcame first the sea and then the land, actually explains the primary
order of major groups in the fossil record (sea to land) better than
macroevolutionary theory." [Wise, K. 1994. The origin of life's major
groups. In: Moreland, J.P. The Creation Hypothesis: Scientific Evidence
for an Intelligent Designer. InterVarsity Press, page 226]
Any paleontologist would tell you that this is complete nonsense. It's just a
revision of the old idea that mammals run faster than reptiles, for example, so
they're higher up in the stratigraphic record.
I would still ask Kurt why he keeps silent and has never (if I'm wrong, please
correct me) publicly criticized anything any young-earth creationist has claimed.
Where is paleontologically-trained Kurt's voice when young-earth creationists
parade around the country stating that there are no transitional fossils anywhere
in the stratigraphic record? Kurt knows that's not true.
> I will say that I heard nothing from Baumgardner, Froede or Humphreys. Is
> such a question about the morality of teaching something which is false so
> difficult? I think I know why it is difficult. To admit that the geologic
> column exists ,that meteors can be found in the earth's rocks and that
> direct triangulation of stellar distances is possible means that some of
> the very basic ideas of flood geology fail. To answer the question I
> posed, risks destroying the theological/creation beliefs they hold.
I get criticized every time I say this but will keep saying it until I see
these people behaving differently than they have. When someone criticizes Glenn
Morton's work and points out what they believe to be a factual error, what does
he do? Anyone who's been on this list for a time knows that Glenn will either
a) post a long response as to why the person's wrong and it's not an error at
all, or b) apologize and correct the error. That's how you SHOULD behave. What
happens when you criticize the data in the work of someone like Humphreys? He
and his friends slander you on private mailing lists (CRSNet), refuse to debate
the issue, and then post insulting and slanderous web pages criticizing you
personally but not substantially addressing the issues raised about his data.
They are intentionally dishonest and they know it. That's why you will not get
an answer. Fellow Christians who don't call them on this behavior -- and who even
financially support them! -- are aiding and abetting sin.
- Steve.
-- Steven H. Schimmrich, Assistant Professor of Geology Department of Geology, Geography, and Environmental Studies Calvin College, 3201 Burton Street SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 sschimmr@calvin.edu (office), schimmri@earthlink.net (home) 616-957-7053 (voice mail), 616-957-6501 (fax) http://home.earthlink.net/~schimmrich/