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You wrote, "In other words, they simply believe what they want to believe and belittle anyone who does not see it the way they see it."

Agreed, which is why I was careful to qualify my statement about instinctive herd mentality as a possible explanation for altruism. I'm a commercial artist, not a scientist, so I just go where the logic takes me--with the caveat 'Well, I could be wrong.'

I think that is what bothers me the most about the whole debate: guys like Dawkins claim reason as their champion, yet commit any number of fallacies that would disqualify a freshman member of the high school debating team. Creationists, on the other hand, act as if the Bible was designed as a science textbook, which it most emphatically isn't. I don't recall God explaining atomic structure to Moses, for example.

Scientists should concern themselves with the How, not the Who. For that matter, Christian preachers and theologians should keep their own eyes on the prize. All of this time and energy expended attempting to disprove evolution and to promote Creationism is a costly distraction, in my view. Is salvation dependent on non-belief in evolutionary theory? I doubt even the most religiously devout, literalist opponent of Darwin's ideas would make that claim.

Creationists, on the other hand, act as if the Bible was designed as a science textbook, which it most emphatically isn't.

We keep hearing that accusation all the time and I don't know ANY that make that claim. Could you provide us with some examples of those who have stated that? And could you then explain why you make a blanket statement about all creationists based on your perception of what some have allegedly said?

I wish I had time right now for this conversation - it's very interesting. I'll just add my tiny .02 for now. You said:

"Creationists, on the other hand, act as if the Bible was designed as a science textbook, which it most emphatically isn't. I don't recall God explaining atomic structure to Moses, for example."

I am a Hindu and a creationist. Religious people of all stripes are generally creationists (if they believe the teachings to which they supposedly adhere). There are undoubtedly Christian creationsists who have their own belief about how God created; the Vedas describe God's creative process in a different way.

I wish people would focus just a little not on what the exact creation teachings of various religions, but the flaws in TOE. The flaws highly interest me. Cicero's comment #27 addresses my POV precisely.