Yes, A Really Lousy Week (for Creationism - Dr Dino Going Down)

Scientific American ^ | 8 April 2006

[balrog666]

Following up on my previous post about how creationists suffered a few setbacks, this news has also come to my attention: the creationist theme park Dinosaur Adventure Land, operated by the prominent evolution denier Dr. Dino (Kent Hovind) and the Creation Science Evangelism ministry, has just been shuttered by the authorities. All of this arises from the church's building without a permit back in 2002. (Here's the ministry's own account of the situation.)

Links are at source.

[BagelFace]

Think of all the practicing you miss by this obsession. I've heard you whine on other threads that you wish you had more time for playing.

Ooooh, I love a good case of "projection." You're like a drunk driver weaving through traffic while calling everyone else dangerous.

[RightWingAtheist]

[PatrickHenry]

[balrog666]

Kent Hovind happens to be just another good example of the conman/huckster/bunco artist/charlatan/hypocrite from a long line of pseudo-religious hustlers that do nothing but take advantage of the faithful (and their dollars, of course).

[Antonello]

Thank you for responding with the sources you rely on for verification of Christ. I have looked into the writings attributed to Josephus, but do not find it as supportive on the subject of Jesus as you seem to. The lone reference in his writings that makes direct mention to Jesus of Nazareth appears to be juxtaposed between two unrelated paragraphs. To make it even more doubtful, the passage in question only showed up in Josephus' writings during a recopying of his texts many decades after his death. Almost like a zealous scribe 'planted' evidence that would support his cause.

As for the Bible, I find that the New Testament has a very powerful political spin to it that, without independent corroboration from other writings of the day, makes me very skeptical to accept it as a true and factual historical record. Many of the books attributed to authors contemporary with the time of Christ were actually written after the fact decades later. Further, many of the events, such as the census leading up to Christ's birth in Bethlehem for example, are directly contradicted by Roman governmental records and practices (the Romans never held a census that required everyone to return to the city of their birth).

Granted, most of the works attributed to Paul are indeed likely to have been authored by him, but even they are mainly composed of political letters and communications to colleagues discussing strategy on how to spin Christianity in order to increase its acceptance.

All in all, whereas the Old Testament has a lot of historical verification of at least the general existence and movements of the peoples discussed, the New Testament is much more spurious. It certainly shows signs that it was created after the fact in an effort to vouch for events that the creators of this invented record wanted others to believe really happened.

[CarolinaGuitarman]

[sully777]

Time to pass the collection plate, brother! We need a new executive jet for our favorite evangelist and a Jaguar XJ220 for his son.

[furball4paws]

I've been told I could talk the hind end off a donkey. Does that count?

[furball4paws]

Is Elmer Gantry in the house?

[Quark2005]

Which is harder? Turning water into wine? killing a fig tree by talking to it? Feeding thousands with a couple of fish and a few loaves of bread? Walking on water? Raising the dead? Or creating a turnkey, ready to function, living planet in short order?

Yes, but should any of these things be taught in science class??

You're also forgetting the miracle of God creating all the evidence that makes it look exactly like evolution occurred, surely a miracle on par with the others you listed (but strangely not mentioned in the Bible...)

[Gumlegs]

I've been told I could talk the hind end off a donkey. Does that count?

Perform a public service -- start on Hillary.

[furball4paws]

LOL - Good One, Gummy.

But I'd have to get close and I find that somewhat, um, "Distasteful".

[Dimensio]

Do you have an actual argument of substance to offer?

[dighton]

“It is a terrible death to be talked to death.” — Mark Twain.

There are few worse fates than being accounted a good listener.

[DannyTN]

"Science is not perfect, but it is by far the most perfect method of acquisition of knowledge known to man."

I'm not against science at all. I'm only against the "apriori commitment to naturalism" imbedded in most current scientific thinking.

You can look at the very same observations with the mindset that God had an active role as presented in scripture, and reach very different conclusions than if you look at those observations with the mindset that everything has a natural cause and God did nothing.

[furball4paws]

"You can look at the very same observations with the mindset that God had an active role as presented in scripture, and reach very different conclusions than if you look at those observations with the mindset that everything has a natural cause and God did nothing."

And those conclusions you reach, as far as reality is concerned, would be meaningless.

Do you realize how much your posterior and the posteriors of every human depend on those scientific explanations from naturalism?

[DannyTN]

"Kent Hovind happens to be just another good example of the conman/huckster/bunco artist/charlatan/hypocrite from a long line of pseudo-religious hustlers that do nothing but take advantage of the faithful (and their dollars, of course)."

No doubt. But not all religious people are pseudo-religious hustlers.

Just like the lastest evolutionary fraud is another example from a long line of evolutionary frauds. But it doesn't mean there aren't some sincere evolutionists that fairly present their observations and conclusions.

That there will be pseudo religious hucksters is acknowedged by scripture.

2 Tim 4 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

[DannyTN]

Another descriptions of same.

2 Pet 2 1But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

Unfortunately "swift destruction" is not "instantaneous destruction" and these sometime gather a following before self destructing over greedily failing to obey scripture and pay a small permit fee or some other nonsense.

And even a serious preacher is capable of misunderstanding and teaching error.

[Quark2005]

I'm only against the "apriori commitment to naturalism" imbedded in most current scientific thinking.

How about one example of where a non-naturalistic assumption has led to a specific testable hypothesis verified by subsequently acquired data? Then science might have something to work with in its specific framework. Till then, the supernatural resides outside the realm of science, out of necessity.

Why does science get so much flak for not accounting for the supernatural? Plumbing and auto mechanics are examples of two other fields that don't incorporate the supernatural. No one gives them a hard time for it, and most people agree that those outside their profession shouldn't tell them how to do their jobs...

[Oztrich Boy]

You might try the works of Josephus (the guy who bought the tomb for Jesus to be buried).

ROTFLMAO!