Karl Giberson, Ph.D: Is Accepting Evolution 'Optional' For Christians?
Many people are frightened of anything they don't understand, and, rather than trying to find out more about it and gain understanding of it, which would mitigate the fear, they attack it. If what they don't understand is scientific in nature, they attack it and also whoever has any expertise in it, labeling the first as "deception" or "heresy" or
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All right, if this is a rejection of evolutionary theory, cool, but I'm going to go right on believing that it is an accurate description of the history of life on Earth (the origin of that life is a different question entirely, but that's another matter, for another day). I've seen more than enough evidence that, together with the logic of it all, to convince me that it a) makes sense and b) fits all the data. If you disagree, cool, but that won't change my opinion. The problem isn't from you. It's from assholes who shove Bibles under my nose and yell that "It shows on page such-and-such that so-and-so, which proves that evolution is a lie, a fraud, and a demonic deception." They also frequently state that "we know that scientists are all frauds, so evolution is a fraud." How do they know that scientists are all frauds? Because televangelist So-and-so said so. Which is their expertise.
This is all about how we define "expert", isn't it? Would you go to a bone surgeon to treat you for pancreatitis? Or a carpenter to diagnose and repair your car? Hell, no, not unless that individual also had real expertise in the field with which your problem was concerned. As far as I can see, that's what the author of that article was talking about. And see my comments, below, about the "experts" who ruined my life. Do NOT preach at me about the sort of lying bastards who call themselves "experts" and use that term to justify ruining people's lives -- I've had my own life ruined by a whole string of them, thank you very much.
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If I come down with a serious illness or sustain a bad wound, I'll go to someone with expertise in treating such conditions, not just anybody picked at random. How about you?
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An auto mechanic may be an expert, but sometimes they tell you you need repairs that you don't actually need.
What this person is arguing is "Shut up and listen to us experts" That ONLY anointed experts have anything meaningful to say.
I am not anti-science by any means, nor am I religious. but consider that these same scientists who (rightly) criticizing Creation Mythology (but since when is Mythology a scientific field?) would also tell you that you're a fool for believing in Magick.
The heart of the problem is that he's arguing not about the FACTS, but arguing the logical Fallacy "Appeal to Authority", and using creation as the red herring to justify it.
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