>While I have a great deal of respect for these two brothers in Christ, I
>must disagree.
>
>If one makes an uncritical evaluation of what passes for science from ICR,
>one would quickly conclude that they are right and deserve to win.
>Likewise, if one looks uncritically at ICR's self-promotional ACTS &
>FACTS, one will also draw a false conclusion. Truth is that there is a
>small group of Christians who think the YEC cause is absolutely vital to
>their Christian faith, and they belong to a relatively small set of
>well-connected churches. They feel duty bound to support organizations
>such as the ICR. Add to this a collection of dedicate old men, and one
>can, without a great deal of difficulty, produce the kind of activity
>described by Burgy.
>
>I am the "friend" of whom Glenn wrote. I still believe the YEC position
>will mostly be history in another generation. The special set of
>circumstances needed for maintaining it for another generation simply will
>not occur. Old men die, and younger men who could take up the cause will
>not be so easily found. Beyond this, our churches are quickly becoming
>filled with younger church members who know better than to believe in a
>young earth. They will not want to fund the ICR.
But there are always new converts to the ICR cause. Younger ones to replace
the old folks who die off. Remember you are in a university culture and
community. Most of the US views academics as "pointy-headed liberals" to
borrow a 1968 political phrase from a certain southern governor. I had a
friend become involved with the YECs. This friend has no science background
and told me that the only reason I believe what I do was because I was
brainwashed in geology class in college. When I pointed out to him that I
never took a geology course in college, he then said it was because I wished
to please my bosses and get ahead in my career. The fact that I am a
manager was proof to him that I had "gotten ahead" by this means. He is a
fairly young man.
>
>I would make a small wager with Glenn that the YEC (young-earth) position
>will be (effectively) dead in another generation, but I will probably not
>be around to collect. He suggested in our musings about this that he plans
>to still be around then. I wish him good health -- and a sound mind with
>which to recognize, and payoff, any of his ill-conceived wagers.
>
If I am not drooling and slabbering by then, I will pay off, if I remember. :-)
>I belong to a fairly conservative evangelical Presbyterian church. Both of
>our pastors are cold to the ICR and their brands of science and
>Christianity. I don't believe this situation is unique. True, I don't
>hear sermons endorsing evolution, but one of our pastors has just seen a
>copy of the PBS debate, thanks to Glenn, who sent me a copy of his
>recording. Also, I have passed along to our church forum items from
>Glenn, Burgy and others. So far, no one has asked me to resign from the
>Session.
The only other geophysicist in my group who is a believer goes to a
conservative Presbyterian church also. Since I agreed with your assertion
that YEC would be dead in a generation, this man came to me and asked me for
help. It seems that a woman (who is not a scientist) in his church is
crusading to turn their church into a YEC enclave. My friend told me that he
thought he could avoid this battle but now he realized that he couldn't.
The lady is collecting quite a contingent of those who view my friend as an
unacceptable 'liberal' on the board of elders. This was one of the things
that made me doubt my agreement with your assertion.
glenn
Adam, Apes, and Anthropology: Finding the Soul of Fossil Man
and
Foundation, Fall and Flood
http://www.isource.net/~grmorton/dmd.htm