Creationist groups commiting false witness?

Arikay · #1 16th April 2003, 11:05 PM

Hello,

Recent threads have had me thinking. Is it ok for creationist groups to commit false witness?

In this thread: http://www.christianforums.com/threads/42578-1.html I talked about all the inaccuracies in the DrDino article here: (http://www.drdino.com/cse.asp?pg=articles&specific=2)

Also in the same thread it was shown how the AIG article
(http://www.answersingenesis.org/home...ng_failure.asp)
Is using a miss use of a radiometric dating method to show that its false.

Both these creationist groups seem to support using false evidence to support their claims.

Do you think its OK for a creationist groups to use false evidence to support their claims?
Do you think it is OK to use false claims to support christianity?
Do you think this is the christian thing to do?

-Ari

SBfaithful · #2 16th April 2003, 11:08 PM

If they did it on purpose to decieve, then sure it is wrong.

One should not have to use false claims to support christianity. Listen to the story, have an open heart, and either you believe or you don't.

Of course falsifications are not the Christian thing to do.

seebs · #3 16th April 2003, 11:24 PM

Well, *I* think it's wrong. I have gotten a fair number of flames for arguing with other Christians when I felt they were making poor arguments, because I hate to see poor arguments used.

fragmentsofdreams · #4 17th April 2003, 02:14 AM

Poor and false arguments just make your side look weak. If someone says, "The Earth is round because Bush wants to cut taxes," who wouldn't feel a strong urge to correct the error. The same should apply to lesser errors.

Arikay · #5 18th April 2003, 02:55 AM

Um, sorta thread bump for possible more answers.

LewisWildermuth · #6 18th April 2003, 05:48 AM

Being a former creationist, it shook the core of my belief when I learned how wrong my creationist beliefs were. It was not the fact that the Earth was more than a few thousand years old or the fact that we are descended from simians that bothered me as much as the fact that the people I had trusted (AiG, ICR and many others) had lied to me about almost everything, from bible interpretation to every branch of science, history, you name it...

So no I do not think it is right to use false claims, even in the name of saving souls.

The more I look into the matter the more convinced I am that creationism and its kin need to be purged from Christianity before they destroy it.

ikester7579 · #7 18th April 2003, 06:16 AM

16th April 2003 at 10:05 PM Arikay said this in Post #1

Hello,

Recent threads have had me thinking. Is it ok for creationist groups to commit false witness?

In this thread: http://www.christianforums.com/threads/42578-1.html I talked about all the inaccuracies in the DrDino article here: (http://www.drdino.com/cse.asp?pg=art...amp;specific=2)

Also in the same thread it was shown how the AIG article
(http://www.answersingenesis.org/home...ng_failure.asp)
Is using a miss use of a radiometric dating method to show that its false.

Both these creationist groups seem to support using false evidence to support their claims.

Do you think its OK for a creationist groups to use false evidence to support their claims?
Do you think it is OK to use false claims to support christianity?
Do you think this is the christian thing to do?

-Ari

 
I'm glad to see all are in agreement here. No argueing so far.

lucaspa · #8 19th April 2003, 01:06 PM

Yesterday at 05:16 AM ikester7579 said this in Post #7

 
I'm glad to see all are in agreement here. No argueing so far.

But that leaves you the problem, Ikester, that creationists do use false witness.  On a personal level, Ikester, it leaves you in the postion that you used false witness when you claimed that human and dino footprints were together and that the Parting of the Red Sea had been found. Both of those claims were based on false witness evidence.

So, is there any difference in terms of the 9th Commandment whether you make the false witness yourself or promote false witness by others?

seebs · #9 19th April 2003, 06:57 PM

I think there's a big difference; it's not false witness if you honestly believe it, although it may be carelessness or ignorance.

Megalonyx · #10 20th April 2003, 10:25 PM

I agree.  It's not false witness if you honestly believe what you are saying to be true.  But this leads to another point.  In a time when information can be had with the push of a button, we all need to take the time to validate our sources and justify our positions.  Certain "scientific" discoveries or "proofs" of God's existence seem remarkable when we first hear about them, but in the end prove to be nothing more than sensationalism.  Let's check our sources before we take their word... or at least admit that we haven't when we use them.