When Atheists Attack (Each Other)

The squabble between Darwin lobbyists who openly hate religion and those who only quietly disdain it grows ever more personal, bitter and pathetic. On one side, evangelizing New or "Gnu" (ha ha) Atheists like Jerry Coyne and his acolytes at Why Evolution Is True. Dr. Coyne is a biologist who teaches and ostensibly researches at the University of Chicago but has a heck of a lot of free time on his hands for blogging and posting pictures of cute cats.

On the other side, so-called accommodationists like the crowd at the National Center for Science Education, who attack the New Atheists for the political offense of being rude to religious believers and supposedly messing up the alliance between religious and irreligious Darwinists.

I say "supposedly" because there's no evidence any substantial body of opinion is actually being changed on religion or evolution by anything the open haters or the quiet disdainers say. Everyone seems to seriously think they're either going to defeat religion, or merely "creationism," or both by blogging for an audience of fellow Darwinists.

Want to see what I mean? This is all pretty strictly a battle of stinkbugs in a bottle. Try to follow it without getting a headache.

Coyne recently drew excited applause from fellow biologist-atheist-blogger PZ Myers for Coyne's "open letter" (published on his blog) to the NCSE and its British equivalent, the British Centre for Science Education. In the letter, Coyne took umbrage at criticism of the New Atheists, mostly on blogs, emanating from the two accommodationist organizations. He vowed that,

We will continue to answer the misguided attacks [on the New Atheists] by people like Josh Rosenau, Roger Stanyard, and Nick Matzke so long as they keep mounting those attacks.

Like the NCSE, the BCSE seeks to pump up Darwin in the public mind without scaring religious people. This guy called Stanyard at the BCSE complains of losing a night's sleep over the nastiness of the rhetoric on Coyne's blog. Coyne in turn complained that Stanyard complained that a blog commenter complained that Nick Matzke, formerly of the NCSE, is like "vermin." Coyne also hit out at blogger Jason Rosenhouse for an "epic"-length blog post complaining of New Atheist "incivility." In the blog, Rosenhouse, who teaches math at James Madison University, wrote an update about how he had revised an insulting comment about the NCSE's Josh Rosenau that he, Rosenhouse, made in a previous version of the post.

That last bit briefly confused me. In occasionally skimming the writings of Jason Rosenhouse and Josh Rosenau in the past, I realized now I had been assuming they were the same person. They are not!

It goes on and on. In the course of his own blog post, Professor Coyne disavowed name-calling and berated Stanyard (remember him? The British guy) for "glomming onto" the Matzke-vermin insult like "white on rice, or Kwok on a Leica." What's a Kwok? Not a what but a who -- John Kwok, presumably a pseudonym, one of the most tirelessly obsessive commenters on Darwinist blog sites. Besides lashing at intelligent design, he often writes of his interest in photographic gear such as a camera by Leica. I have the impression that Kwok irritates even fellow Darwinists.

There's no need to keep all the names straight in your head. I certainly can't. I'm only taking your time, recounting just a small part of one confused exchange, to illustrate the culture of these Darwinists who write so impassionedly about religion, whether for abolishing it or befriending it. Writes Coyne in reply to Stanyard,

I'd suggest, then, that you lay off telling us what to do until you've read about our goals. The fact is that we'll always be fighting creationism until religion goes away, and when it does the fight will be over, as it is in Scandinavia.

A skeptic might suggest that turning America into Scandinavia, as far as religion goes, is an outsized goal, more like a delusion, for this group as they sit hunched over their computers shooting intemperate comments back and forth at each other all day. Or in poor Stanyard's case, all night.

There's a feverish, terrarium-like and oxygen-starved quality to this world of online Darwinists and atheists. It could only be sustained by the isolation of the Internet. They don't seem to realize that the public accepts Darwinism to the extent it does -- which is not much -- primarily because of what William James would call the sheer, simple "prestige" that the opinion grants. Arguments and evidence have little to do with it.

The prestige of Darwinism is not going to be affected by how the battle between Jerry Coyne and the NCSE turns out. New Atheist arguments are hobbled by the same isolation from what people think and feel. I have not yet read anything by any of these gentlemen or ladies, whether the open haters or the quiet disdainers, that conveys anything like a real comprehension of religious feeling or thought.

Even as they fight over the most effective way to relate to "religion," the open atheists and the accomodationists speak of an abstraction, a cartoon, that no actual religious person would recognize. No one is going to be persuaded if he doesn't already wish to be persuaded for other personal reasons. No faith is under threat from the likes of Jerry Coyne.

James,

I don't set the rules, nor do I profess to know every rule there is to the extent that there are any absolute rules. What I know is this:

I am aware of my own sinful nature;

I am aware that there is no set of rules that I could ever keep and if my salvation were predicated upon strict adherence to a guidebook, then I will be out of the presence and will of God for eternity;

I am aware that God does not want or intend such a fate for me;

I am aware that God became man in the bodily form of Jesus Christ, who walked this earth and uniquely lived a life free from the sin that damns me;

I am aware that, while without sin, Jesus was crucified and three days later rose from the dead;

I am aware that through Jesus' death and resurrection the penalty of my past, current and futures sins was paid once and for all;

I am aware that once aware of these facts I am personally faced with the choice of ignoring as so many seem to do, or to embrace it as my one and only hope for salvation and eternity in the presence of my Lord;

I am aware that God's promise of salvation will be kept, even though I am far from sanctified, and will never be sanctified this side of heaven;

I am aware that once absent from this sorry excuse for a body, I will be immediately present with my Lord;

I am aware that, while this is all within my own personal awareness, it is not something that was set up for me alone, and that it is a true gift available to all, including you;

I am aware that God's plans are not my plans, and that my plans are not God's plans, and that being an infinite, omnipotent being God is far beyond my own earthly comprehension as are all of his plans;

I am aware that I will live eternally in the presence of my Lord; and,

I am aware that you have the intelligence and wisdom enough to understand this all and that you alone can accept or refuse this plan on your own behalf, and that your eternal soul, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, hangs now in the balance of what you do with this information.

I will pray that the Holy Spirit will move you to a true understanding of this, and I know that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of posters on this forum that will do likewise and who are available to provide further testimony of the life-changing power of the Gospel and who are available to offer our own humble and, yes, limited understanding of the mysteries of God as revealed through his Son and his Word.

May the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:7

re: archaeological evidence

see http://www.arkdiscovery.com/red_sea_crossing.htm

Ron Wyatt, the “Indiana Jones” of the SDA Church

BY WAYNE JACKSON

http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1511-ron-wyatt-the-indiana-jones-of-the-sda-church

Ron Wyatt (1933-1999) was a nurse-anesthetist in a hospital in Madison, Tennessee. At the age of 27 he saw a picture in Life Magazine of the Durupinar site — a large natural, boat-shaped formation — in eastern Turkey. Feverish speculation circulated that this could be the residue of Noah’s Ark. This sparked Wyatt’s interest, and was the beginning of a long amateur career as a sensationalist pseudo-archaeologist.For the last 22 years of his life he made numerous trips to the Middle East. The claims associated with his “discoveries” would make Harrison Ford’s “Indiana Jones” pale into oblivion. Yet today, more than a decade after his death, the ongoing boasts of his unparalleled “finds” are heralded via theWyatt Archaeological Research web site, and the various competing factions that publicize his exploits.His work has been debunked thoroughly by professional archaeologists and respected biblical scholars. On August 8, 1996, Joe Zias, Curator of Anthropology/Archaeology with the Israel Antiquities Authority (Jerusalem), issued the following statement:

“Mr. Ron Wyatt is neither an archaeologist nor has he ever carried out a legally licensed excavation in Israel or Jerusalem. In order to excavate one must have at least a BA in archaeology which he does not possess despite his claims to the contrary. We are aware of his claims which border on the absurd as they have no scientific basis whatsoever nor have they ever been published in a professional journal. They fall into the category of trash which one finds in tabloids such as theNational Enquirer, Sun, etc. It’s amazing that anyone would believe them…” (http://www.tentmaker.org/WAR/Zias.html).

Wyatt’s religious affiliation was with the Seventh-day Adventist sect. Ironically, the most thorough exposé of the gentleman’s claims was produced by two scholars of his own denomination, Russell R. and Colin D. Standish.
The Standish brothers were identical twins who were from New South Wales, Australia. Russell (who died in 2008) was a physician, hospital administrator, and a medical missionary; Colin is the founder and president of Hartland College in Virginia. Both were ordained as ministers in the conservative branch of SDA church. They have been prolific writers, co-authoring numerous books, among which is Holy Relics or Revelation – Recent Astounding Archaeological Claims Evaluated (hereafter designated as HRR).
Alleged Discoveries

According to the aforementioned book, Wyatt discovered or identified some ninety-two relics or sites (HRR, 7-10). These include:

Noah’s Home and a Flood-inscription at that site,
Fences from Noah’s farm,
Anchor Stones from Noah’s Ark,
laminated Deck Timber from the Ark,
Noah’s Altar,
Tombs with Tombstones of Noah and his wife,
the precise location of the Red Sea Crossing,
Wheels from Egyptian Chariots involved in the pursuit of the Israelites from Egypt,
the Book of the Law written by Moses on Animal Skins,
Gold from the Golden Calf fashioned by Aaron,
the Ark of the Covenant,
Tables of the Ten Commandments,
the Tabernacle’s Table of the Showbread,
Goliath’s Sword,
Jesus’ Tomb and the Stone Seal of the Tomb,
a sampling of Christ’s Dried Blood, proving the doctrine of the Virgin Birth by means of a “chromosome count,” etc.

If all the claims of Wyatt were true, he would be the most celebrated archaeologist in the history of that scholastic discipline! And yet he had no scientific credibility at all with respectable scholars; he was and is adored only by a band of deluded, though devoted, cultic disciples.
Serious Problems

In this brief review of the Standish brothers’ book, we offer two devastating examples of the hoaxes perpetrated by Ron Wyatt. Actually, the ninety-plus examples, touted by Wyatt and his followers, is a “house of cards” that falls under the weight of its own absurdity! Consider the following two most sensational examples.
Bones and Chariot Wheels

Wyatt claimed to have discovered the exact place where the Israelites crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, before the waters returned and drowned Pharaoh’s forces. He contended that he explored the floor of the Gulf of Aqaba, using scuba gear. Supposedly, he discovered “chariot litter” in the form of wheels, body frames, and the bones of both humans and horses, scattered over a lengthy area.
Several things may be said of this claim (HRR, 184ff). First, the site of the exodus route, as described in Exodus 14:1ff, is highly disputed. The three specific sites mentioned in Moses’ record (v. 2) “have been lost in the sands of time” (Bruckner, 2008, 129). No one knows the precise place of the crossing. Conservative scholarship strongly argues that Israel crossed the Gulf of Suez (Vos, 2003, 104ff), and not the Gulf of Aqaba, as Wyatt contended.
Second, Wyatt claimed that he was using simple recreational scuba equipment when he discovered these wheels, etc., at a depth of some 200 feet in the Gulf. However, ordinary scuba apparatus is designed to accommodate only a depth of approximately125-130 feet. Beyond this more sophisticated equipment is required.
Third, Pharaoh’s army was said to have been destroyed “in the middle of the sea” (Exodus 14:23) which, according to measurements of the British Admiralty, is almost 2,800 feet deep in the midst of Aqaba. This hardly harmonizes with Wyatt’s 200 feet “discoveries”!
Then there is the issue of the “bones” — of both horses and men — that Wyatt reputedly found. Recall that the destruction of Pharaoh’s army took place about 3,500 years ago. Compare this with the following facts. The Titanic went down in 1912 and 1,553 people were lost in the wreckage. In 1985, 73 years following that Atlantic catastrophe, the submerged vessel was discovered and explored. Specially designed underwater TV and video equipment was employed; in addition, more than 53,000 photos were taken. The remains of not a solitary person — neither skin nor bone — was found. Everything had been completely consumed by fish, crustaceans, and the destructive effect of salt water (HRR, 179ff).
After their extensive investigations, the Standish brothers declared that no chariot wheels, or remains of human or horse bones found in the Gulf of Aqaba, were ever submitted to scientific authorities for examination and testing (HRR, 283-284). In spite of this fact, the Wyatt Museum web site states: “Ron actually retrieved a hub of a wheel which had the remains of 8 spokes radiating outward from it.”
In fact, he claimed to have found wheels with 4, 6, and 8 spokes! One authority suggests that the video tape Wyatt employed to show these underwater “artifacts” appears to be a hoax; he challenged him to subject the items to a C14 dating test — if indeed he ever had an actual sample of anything (Zias, op. cit.).
The Blood of Christ Allegation

The problems associated with Wyatt’s alleged discoveries are astronomical — beyond one’s ability to calculate.
Take, for example, the claim that he located a residue of the dried blood of Christ that had dripped on to the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant, located within a cave associated with Solomon’s original Temple in Jerusalem.
One of Wyatt’s defenders claims samples were taken and returned to Nashville, Tennessee where Wyatt had the “blood” analyzed in a hospital laboratory.
On another occasion, in an interview with Russell Standish, Wyatt claimed that the samples were studied in a laboratory in Jerusalem.
The contradiction is glaring.
Where was the lab? Are there remaining samples, since the claim was made that copious amounts of blood had flowed down? Where are the test records? Can other samples be retrieved? Is there any evidence at all of such a discovery? Why was the evidence never brought forth for critical and scientific examination?
One explanation was that the Israeli authorities did not want the story released because the location of the Ark of the Covenant was very close to one of Islam’s most sacred sites, and the announcement might possibly precipitate a violent conflict between Jewish zealots and Moslems.
At the same time, however, Wyatt was “blabbing” the story of the discovery in Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand (HRR, 5, 55, 89), with no apparent censure from the Israeli government! The fact is, Joe Zias of the Israel Antiquities Department (as referenced above) “provided full authority for the public release of the report on Wyatt’s blood samples” (HRR, 90).
Elsewhere Wyatt claimed that an “angel prohibited” him from providing the details of his phenomenal discovery! (HRR, 70, 90, 285). There also were other accounts of “angelic” appearances, and even a claim of seeing Christ (HRR, 127ff).
Incidentally, the reason Wyatt knew he saw Jesus was because the Lord “was dressed exactly as Ellen White [the so-called ‘prophetess’ of the early SDA movement] saw Him in vision, with the blue border at the hem of his garment”!
Conclusion

No rational person is under obligation to accept the assertions of Wyatt in the absence of credible proof. Rather, it was his duty to provide concrete evidence for observation and testing of the claims made. He never did. His boasts were wholly spurious.
Those interested in further investigating the truth about Ron Wyatt should obtain a copy Holy Relics or Revelation (Hartland Publications, Box 1, Rapidan, VA 22733).
Sources/Footnotes

Bruckner, James. 2008. Exodus, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.

Standish, Russell R. and Colin D. Standish. 1999. Holy Relics or Revelation – Recent Astounding Archaeological Claims Evaluated. Rapidan, VA: Hartland Publications.

Vow, Howard. 2003. Wycliffe Historical Geography of Bible Lands – Revised. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.

Wyatt Museum – http://www.wyattmuseum.com/red-sea-crossing-05.htm

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