Creation Mythologies

Refuting the illogic of "intelligent design" and creationism. An illustrated guide to fallacies of logic.

Almost all societies have invented creation myths in an attempt to explain the world, and human life and death. The Judeo-Christian-Islamic religious tradition is no different.

Christian creationism has its roots in the two-thousand-plus year old mythology recorded in Genesis. Various forms of creationism exist, all are religious, and each maintains a different relationship to scientific knowledge. Some variants of creationism accept the realities of science and the fact of biological evolution, while others deny uncomfortable scientific facts and attempt to replace reality with pseudoscientific mumbo-jumbo and philosophical sleight of hand.

The so-called 'intelligent designer' is the latest Christian craze. Predominantly an American phenomenon, this rehash of Paley's “Blind Watchmaker” argument is an unscientific money-maker designed to supplant or compete with the teaching of evolution in classrooms. At least Paley was honest about his motives – those who testify on behalf of ID are not honest about the identity of the so-called 'intelligent designer' when they refuse to speculate on the identity of (God).

The most deluded form of creationism, Young Earth Creationism, goes so far as to deny the scientifically established age of the Earth in a deceitful attempt to support the ridiculous notion of Biblical inerrancy.

God by Any Other Name is still God

The so-called 'intelligent designer' is the latest Christian craze. Predominantly an American phenomenon, this rehash of Paley's “Blind Watchmaker” argument is an unscientific money-maker designed to supplant or compete with the teaching of evolution in classrooms. At least Paley was honest about his motives – those who testify on behalf of ID are not honest about the identity of the so-called 'intelligent designer' when they refuse to speculate on the identity of (God).

"In his 139-page opinion, Jones reviews the history of intelligent design. He declares: "The overwhelming evidence at trial established that intelligent design is a religious view, a mere re-labelling of creationism, and not a scientific theory.""

On the teaching of Pseudoscience

SCIENCE POLICY: ON THE TEACHING OF PSEUDOSCIENCE: "To understand why intelligent design constitutes an insidious menace to medicine, it is helpful to trace its roots. In part, it evolved from creationism, which takes the Genesis story of creation literally. Creationism has been discredited, however, by indisputable physical evidence -- carbon dating, for example. In 1987, the teaching of creationism in public schools was forbidden by the US Supreme Court (Edwards v. Aguillard). Still, a large part of the public believes in creationism and yearns for a return to God in public schools. At its root, intelligent design is a medieval theological proposition that is based on faith, not logic, and certainly not science. It is theology dressed up as science, but it cannot be easily dismissed."

Comments:
A large part of the ~American~ public believes in creationism – the public in other Western nations is less indoctrinated to believe in creationism.

The so-called "intelligent designer" is merely God in a not-so cunning disguise. When proponents of ID claim that they do not speculate on the identity of the designer they are prevaricating, or, to put it bluntly, outright lying. The designer is supposedly the creator of life's complexity = Creator of Life = God. Apparently prevarication is not regarded as a sin when the purpose is to defy the separation of church and state.