RICHARD DAWKINS Sadly, an Honest 66 A Prize for Creationist Virtuoso Believing? reation "scientists" have more need than most of us to parade It is surely C their degrees and qualifications, only a matter but it pays to look closely at the institu- tions that awarded them and the sub- of time before jects in which they were taken. Those vaunted Ph.D.s tend to be in subjects the Templeton such as marine engineering or gas Foundation kinetics rather than in relevant disci- plines like zoology or geology. And often awards one. they are earned not at real universities, but at little-known Bible colleges deep in Bush country. hard-core "young earth creationists" There are, however, a few shining who believe that the universe and all of exceptions. Kurt Wise now makes his life came into existence within one them. If there were a prize for9, Virtuoso living at Bryan College (motto "Christ week, less than 10,000 years ago. And Believing (it is surely only a matter of Above All") located in Dayton, Wise—flying valiantly in the face of rea- time before the Templeton Foundation Tennessee, home of the famed Scopes son, evidence, and education—is among awards one) Kurt Wise, B.A. (Chicago), trial. And yet, he originally obtained an Ph.D. (Harvard), would have to be a authentic degree in geophysics from the prime candidate. University of Chicago, followed by a Wise stands out among young earth Ph.D. in geology from Harvard, no less, creationists not only for his impecca- where he studied under (the name is ble education, but because he dis- milked for all it is worth in creationist plays a modicum of scientific hon- propaganda) Stephen Jay Gould. esty and integrity. I have seen a Kurt Wise is a contributor to In published letter in which he com- Six Days: Why 50 Scientists ments on alleged "human bones" in Choose to Believe in Creation, Carboniferous coal deposits. If a compendium edited by John authenticated as human, these F. Ashton (Ph.D., of course). I "bones" would blow the theory of recommend this book. It is a evolution out of the water (inci- revelation. I would not have dentally giving lie to the canard believed such wishful thinking that evolution is unfalsifiable and and self-deception possible. At therefore unscientific: J. B. S. least some of the authors seem Haldane, asked by an overzealous to be sincere, and they don't Popperian what empirical finding water down their beliefs. Much of their might falsify evolution, famously fire is aimed at weaker brethren who growled, "Fossil rabbits in the think God works through evolu- Precambrian!"). Most creationists tion, or who clutch at the fee- would not go out of their way to ble hope that one "day" in debunk a promising story of Genesis might mean not human remains in the Penn- twenty-four hours but a hun- sylvanian Coal Measures. Yet Wise dred million years. These are patiently and seriously examined the 0 http://www.secularhumanism.org fill fall 2001 specimens as a trained paleontologist, See what I mean about pathetic? Most anyway, Winston was tortured into sub- and concluded unequivocally that they revealing of all is Wise's concluding mission. Kurt Wise—and presumably were "inorganically precipitated iron paragraph: others like him who are less candid—has siderite nodules and not fossil material at Although there are scientific reasons suffered no such physical coercion. But, all." Unusually among the motley for accepting a young earth, I am a as I hinted at the end of my previous col- denizens of the "big tent" of creationism young-age creationist because that is umn, I do wonder whether childhood and intelligent design, he seems to accept my understanding of the Scripture. As I indoctrination could wreak a sufficiently shared with my professors years ago that God needs no help from false witness. when I was in college, if all the evidence powerful brainwashing effect to account All the more interesting, then, to read in the universe turns against creation- for this bizarre phenomenon. his personal testimony in In Six Days. It ism, I would be the first to admit it, but Whatever the underlying explanation, is actually quite moving, in a pathetic I would still be a creationist because this example suggests a fascinating, if kind of way. He begins with his childhood that is what the Word of God seems to pessimistic, conclusion about human indicate. Here I must stand. ambition. Where other boys wanted to psychology. It implies that there is no be astronauts or firemen, the young Kurt See what I mean about honest? sensible limit to what the human mind is touchingly dreamed of getting a Ph.D. Understandably enough, creationists capable of believing, against any amount from Harvard and teaching science at a who aspire to be taken seriously as sci- of contrary evidence. Depending upon major university. He achieved the first entists don't go out of their way to admit how many Kurt Wises are out there, it part of his goal, but became increasingly that Scripture—a local origin myth of a could mean that we are completely wast- uneasy as his scientific learning conflict- tribe of Middle-Eastern camel-herders— ing our time arguing the case and pre- ed with his religious faith. When he trumps evidence. The great evolutionist senting the evidence for evolution. We could bear the strain no longer, he John Maynard Smith, who once publicly have it on the authority of a man who clinched the matter with a Bible and a wiped the floor with Duane P. Gish (up may well be creationism's most highly pair of scissors. He went right through until then a highly regarded creationist qualified and most intelligent scientist from Genesis 1 to Revelations 22, literal- debater), did it by going on the offensive that no evidence, no matter how over- ly cutting out every verse that would right from the outset and challenging whelming, no matter how all-embracing, have to go if the scientific worldview him directly: "Do you seriously mean to no matter how devastatingly convincing, were true. At the end of this exercise, tell me you believe that all life was cre- can ever make any difference. there was so little left of his Bible that ated within one week?" Can you imagine believing that and at Kurt Wise doesn't need the challenge; the same time accepting a salary, month ... try as I might, and even with the he volunteers that, even if all the evidence after month, to teach science? Even at benefit of intact margins throughout the pages of Scripture, I found it in the universe flatly contradicted Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee? I'm impossible to pick up the Bible with- Scripture, and even if he had reached the not sure that I could live with myself. And out it being rent in two. I had to make point of admitting this to himself, he I think I would curse my God for leading a decision between evolution and would still take his stand on Scripture me to such a pass. fi Scripture. Either the Scripture was true and evolution was wrong or evo- and deny the evidence. This leaves me, as lution was true and I must toss out the a scientist, speechless. I cannot imagine Richard Dawkins is the Charles Bible.... It was there that night that I what it must be like to have a mind capa- Simonyi Professor of Public Under- accepted the Word of God and rejected ble of such doublethink. It reminds me of sta m 1 ing of Science at Oxford Uni- all that would ever counter it, includ- Winston Smith in 1984 struggling to ri•s itlf. An evolutionary biologist and ing evolution. With that, in great sor- row, I tossed into the fire all my believe that two plus two equals five if Big prolific author and lecturer; his most dreams and hopes in science. Brother said so. But that was fiction and. reccul book is Unweaving the Rainbow. SPONSOR THE HUMANIST PERSPECTIVE The Humanist Perspective is the Council for Secular Humanism's half-hour cable access television program. It currently airs from Long Island, New York, to Honolulu, Hawaii. The show provides information for humanists and an introduction to our worldview for people curious about humanism. 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