Curious Questioner
New member
of educated Creationists? ____________________
For those who have never investigated Creationist beliefs and believe every stereotype: there are a great many Creationists who are quite comfortable with all or most of the Theory of Evolution and I've found that many of them understand evolution far better than the average Bible-basher. Creationists in the U.S. comprise a very wide spectrum of beliefs and educational credentials and include Moslems, Hindus, Jews, and Taoists as well as Christians.
For example, Ken Hovind (whose unaccredited doctorate has been the target of of countless critics) is regularly denounced by other Creationists for continuing to publish anti-evolution arguments which were debunked decades ago. As a result, the Creationist scientists (with valid doctorates from top-ranked American universities) tend to get painted with the same brush despite their opposition of Hovind's brand of YEC -- despite their belief in a very old earth and an BBT expanding universe. Hovind -- now serving in federal prison for his brand of tax protest theory based on one of the more infamous "revisionist" Constitutional law hucksters -- has also been known for promoting bogus cancer cures (as in Laetrile) and various cryptozoology myths which were little more than pranks.
So I've wondered: What is it about the American brand of Creationism that seems to tend to attract the fringe elements and "snake oil salesman" types (such as Hovind)? As I research the various scientists and nonprofit organizations which have become prominent in the U.S., I see an interesting mixture of not-so-well-known (to the general public) but accomplished scientists versus a number of self-appointed, pseudo-Dr's with their own individual TV and Internet ministries --- with little in common between the two ends of the spectrum. (And I'm getting the impression that the actual scientists tend to be Old Earth Creationists while the latter are virtually all Young Earth Creationists.) Have others noticed these trends? And why are these the two ends of the spectrum?
____________________
As many of the posts below would indicate, the uniformed who are gullible enough to believe every stereotype can be found throughout the belief and non-belief spectrum.
For those who have never investigated Creationist beliefs and believe every stereotype: there are a great many Creationists who are quite comfortable with all or most of the Theory of Evolution and I've found that many of them understand evolution far better than the average Bible-basher. Creationists in the U.S. comprise a very wide spectrum of beliefs and educational credentials and include Moslems, Hindus, Jews, and Taoists as well as Christians.
For example, Ken Hovind (whose unaccredited doctorate has been the target of of countless critics) is regularly denounced by other Creationists for continuing to publish anti-evolution arguments which were debunked decades ago. As a result, the Creationist scientists (with valid doctorates from top-ranked American universities) tend to get painted with the same brush despite their opposition of Hovind's brand of YEC -- despite their belief in a very old earth and an BBT expanding universe. Hovind -- now serving in federal prison for his brand of tax protest theory based on one of the more infamous "revisionist" Constitutional law hucksters -- has also been known for promoting bogus cancer cures (as in Laetrile) and various cryptozoology myths which were little more than pranks.
So I've wondered: What is it about the American brand of Creationism that seems to tend to attract the fringe elements and "snake oil salesman" types (such as Hovind)? As I research the various scientists and nonprofit organizations which have become prominent in the U.S., I see an interesting mixture of not-so-well-known (to the general public) but accomplished scientists versus a number of self-appointed, pseudo-Dr's with their own individual TV and Internet ministries --- with little in common between the two ends of the spectrum. (And I'm getting the impression that the actual scientists tend to be Old Earth Creationists while the latter are virtually all Young Earth Creationists.) Have others noticed these trends? And why are these the two ends of the spectrum?
____________________
As many of the posts below would indicate, the uniformed who are gullible enough to believe every stereotype can be found throughout the belief and non-belief spectrum.