Re: John Morris claims to be a geologist again.

Glenn Morton (grmorton@psyberlink.net)
Thu, 20 Feb 1997 22:10:26 -0600

At 11:00 AM 2/20/97 -0800, Arthur V. Chadwick wrote:
>I was Visiting Professor of Geology and Geophysics at OU in 1977-78, while
>John was there. If I am not mistaken, he got his degree in the department
>of Geological Engineering, and thus should be able to call himself a
>geologist if he wishes. I guess a name ought to designate something about
>what a person does professionally, and if that is the case, John should
>probably not use either title, since as far as I know, he is not engaged in
>professional activities in either field. I did get to know him quite well
>at OU, and have found him to be a very likeable and approachable individual,
>and count him as a friend.

I had two points.His personality was not one of them(by the way I agree
with you, he is approachable and likeable).

One is that that department is in the college of engineering. Geology is in
the College of Arts and Sciences at least this is the way it was when I was
there in the late 60's and early 70's.

Secondly, the subject of rocks and how they are deposited is NOT taught in
the School of Engineering. Geological Engineering is where the petroleum
engineers come from and from nearly 30 years of working with petroleum
engineers, I can categorically state that they are not taught geology.
Besides his thesis and dissertation are engineering topics--a dam across the
Bay of Fundy and his dissertation on compressing coal dust into pellets so
it can be burned.

I would add a third point. In a free country I can call my self a brain
surgeon as long as I don't operate. John can call himself whatever he
wants, but that does not make it ethical. He has never met the simplest
criteria for calling himself that.

You can call yourself a geologist because you have actually published a lot
of articles in that field in recognized journals, in spite of your
background. John hasn't. I have a physics background. I can call myself a
geologist if I want because what I do is structural geology deduced off of
seismic data. I am charged with evaluating oil prospects. As such I must
know depositional systems, facies analysis, structural geology,
paleontology, and geophysics. This is my qualification to call myself a
geoscientist.

John has never worked as a geoscientist (in spite of his 1986 brief claim to
have been in the oil business which was quickly retracted after I challenged
him on it), and he has never published a single geological article in a
recognized geological journal. What qualifies this appelation?

The questions are:

Is it morally right to call yourself a geologist when the laity thinks that
means that you were trained or have recognized expertise in that field, when
in fact you haven't.
and

Is this emphasis on geology designed to give credibility to what he says
about geology?

And, worst of all I heard this out of his mouth:

On the Radio Show Science, Scripture and Salvation, on July 10,
1994, John Morris claimed to have a PH. D. in Geology. KCBI Radio
Station, Dallas, Texas.

Plain fact: he does not have a Ph.D. in geology.

Is this the stadard of ethics we should allow? It allows enemies of the
faith to have reasons not to trust us.


glenn

Foundation, Fall and Flood
http://www.isource.net/~grmorton/dmd.htm