Procrustes Stretched
"intuition and imagination and intelligence"
Great piece. Winning the debate requires knowing one's opponents. And the so-called scientists who pose as all-knowing, calling the overwhelming majority of others as being wrong...? What is it these people want to do? It's not about science, it's about propping up the artificial, man-made product of erroneous logic. note: scruffy
Facing a Creationist Opponent
To be sure, Gish is one of the most accomplished and successful debaters in the creation/evolution controversy. His mastery of the debate format, his ability to present a folksy, common-sense (though usually erroneous) summary of scientific concepts, and his ability to reach and persuade an audience (especially when that audience is packed with creationists) present a formidable combination attested to by his long record of defeating his debate opponents, and these tapes show why.
But more than that, these tapes show that the debate format is not about presenting and evaluating scientific evidence for (or even against) evolution, but rather to present evolution in the most unfavorable light possible without making any affirmative claims for creationism. He expects — and his audiences accept — that creationism wins by default.
This is why trying to have a scientific debate with a creationist — or more recently with "intelligent design" proponents — is a fool's errand. However, those that insist on embarking on this journey could learn a lot from this set of tapes — both about the opposition they will face and about rhetorical tactics that win the hearts of the general public. Of course, scientists are constrained by a respect for the evidence and complete, accurate descriptions of scientific laws, theories, research, and interpretation. Our opponents face no such strictures.
When Are We Going to Stop Making Famous People Argue About Evolution?
From the Scopes trial to last night’s Nye/Ham face-off, Americans love pointless creationism debates
Rose Eveleth
Contributor
February 5, 2014
American Taliban
Facing a Creationist Opponent
To be sure, Gish is one of the most accomplished and successful debaters in the creation/evolution controversy. His mastery of the debate format, his ability to present a folksy, common-sense (though usually erroneous) summary of scientific concepts, and his ability to reach and persuade an audience (especially when that audience is packed with creationists) present a formidable combination attested to by his long record of defeating his debate opponents, and these tapes show why.
But more than that, these tapes show that the debate format is not about presenting and evaluating scientific evidence for (or even against) evolution, but rather to present evolution in the most unfavorable light possible without making any affirmative claims for creationism. He expects — and his audiences accept — that creationism wins by default.
This is why trying to have a scientific debate with a creationist — or more recently with "intelligent design" proponents — is a fool's errand. However, those that insist on embarking on this journey could learn a lot from this set of tapes — both about the opposition they will face and about rhetorical tactics that win the hearts of the general public. Of course, scientists are constrained by a respect for the evidence and complete, accurate descriptions of scientific laws, theories, research, and interpretation. Our opponents face no such strictures.
When Are We Going to Stop Making Famous People Argue About Evolution?
From the Scopes trial to last night’s Nye/Ham face-off, Americans love pointless creationism debates
Rose Eveleth
Contributor
February 5, 2014
American Taliban
Last edited:
