Creation & EvolutionForum for the discussion of this important topic. This forum is open to non-believers. There is a Christians-only forum in the Christians-only section too.
I was raised a Methodist but not a YEC. When I was in Grad school our department secretary was a Southern Baptist YEC. She attended a seminar that Carl Woese gave when visiting the department and made some comments about evolution and lies of the devil that were rather embarrasing to our faculty.
The first time I heard of creation "science" was about 20 years ago when the science director of our local public schools quit to move to California and join ICR. There was also a YEC chemist in the company I worked for at the time. I have been debating YECs in one form or another off and on since then but have only been debating on the internet for about 5 years.
When I moved to Texas in 1991 I was AMAZED at the things some people uttered. Things most 4th graders know not to be true, these people held on to for dear life. There seems to be an anti-education movement among some religious types here as well. I have heard education ref. to as "dangerous knowledge of this world". I was never really sure if this is how they really feel or if it was a way to cover their lack of any education- other that reading the Bible thousands of times over.
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None of the gods love wisdom or desire to become wise, for they are wise already -- nor if someone else is wise, do they love wisdom. Neither do the ignorant love wisdom or desire to become wise; for this is the grievous thing about ignorance, that those who are neither good nor beautiful nor sensible think they are good enough, and do not desire that which they do not think they are lacking.
At the catholic school I went to, YEC was never really discussed, but then again the other alternatives wearn't either. It was kinda accepted that somehow, both happend.
But, most, if not all of the other denominations churchs teach YEC, and usualy state that if you disagree you're not a christian.
I got kicked out of 6th grade Sunday school for bring volumes D (dinosaur) and E (evolution) of the World Book to class with me. I'm not sure if my parents were more embarassed or proud. (It was a fringe in our church and nobody realized the teacher held his YEC views until he became a teacher and started teaching them).
I first heard about it when I started studying geology in high school with the newly increasing accessibility of the internet. I had no idea people could be so ignorant and willfully so. Even with a rudimentary understanding of geology I could see how misleading creationist claims were regarding the age of the earth and flood geology. Then I went down south (relatively speaking) to Virginia where it was an extremely conservative school and town that hardly cared for science education and was full of fundamentalist students (who were quite the hypocrites, and complete with the standard hatred for all sorts of groups like many fundamentalists are, but that's another story...), so when I returned back to true civilization at one of the top science schools in the country, I realized even further how ridiculous YECism was and how it's prevalence was strongly correllated with a lack of education.
It was when I went to university and met fundamentalists for the first time - I even was one for a while, although I think I was only a YEC for about three days. I was probably hung over (most fundamentalists drink in the UK).
I don't think I know any YECs IRL. In 90% of British churches - even the more evangelical ones - YEC doesn't even pass the laugh test. It's generally the house churches (where the "clergy" hasn't had any real training) where it's more common.
__________________ I take a stand on justice, I take a stand on race Gonna take me a TV evangelist and punch him in the face I sing about the hope that’s in me and ask why the poor aren’t fed But if I don’t tow the party line, it’s be better if I were dead
I’m a liberal backslider I’ve been sliding ‘bout ten years
People ask me how I’m doin’ and I confirm all their fears I’m swearing like a trooper, and I’m drinking like a bum
I'm a liberal backslider, and it sure is a lot of fun
It was when I went to university and met fundamentalists for the first time - I even was one for a while, although I think I was only a YEC for about three days. I was probably hung over (most fundamentalists drink in the UK).
It was probably the thought of the sound of millions of years of grinding rocks, and flashes of light in the big bang that didn't seem to appealing at the time.
__________________ MSci MSc ARCS DIC PhD..... yes, I am bragging.
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