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 "The idea of deep time ... explains so much of the world around us," Bill Nye said in the viral video.
August 31st, 2012
04:34 PM ET
Creationists hit back at Bill Nye with their own videoBy Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor (CNN) - Bill Nye's viral YouTube video pleading with parents not to teach their children to deny evolution has spawned an online life of its own, with prominent creationists hitting back against the popular TV host. "Time is Nye for a Rebuttal," Ken Ham the CEO of Answers in Genesis writes on his website. Answers in Genesis is the Christian ministry behind the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. Nye's criticism of creationism went viral earlier this week, after being posted last Thursday. "I say to the grownups, if you want to deny evolution and live in your world, that's completely inconsistent with the world we observe, that's fine. But don't make your kids do it," Nye says in his Big Think video, which has been viewed nearly 3 million times.
Ham writes that Nye is joining in with other evolutionists who say teaching children to deny evolution is a form of "child abuse." That idea comes in part from the atheist scientist Richard Dawkins, who in his book "The God Delusion" argues against exposing children to religion before they are old enough to fully understand it. CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories "At AiG and the Creation Museum, we teach children and adults the truth concerning who they are in the Creator’s eyes — and where they came from," Ham writes. "We tell people that they do have purpose and meaning in life and that they were created for a purpose. "No, we are not just evolved animals as Nye believes; we are all made in the image of God." Ham is the public face of a group that academics call Young Earth Creationists, though they prefer to be called Biblical Creationists. They believe in a literal interpretation of the creation account in the book of Genesis found in the Bible. The Creation Museum also produced its own rebuttal video on YouTube that features two of their staff scientists, both Ph.Ds, David Menton and Georgia Purdom. "[Nye] might be interested to know I also teach my young daughter about evolution and I know many Christian parents who do the same," Purdom says in the video. "Children should be exposed to both ideas concerning our past." For the past 30 years, one popular method for Creationists to advance their cause has been to make an equal-time argument,with Creationism taught alongside evolution. In the late 1980s, some state legislatures passed bills that promoted the idea of a balanced treatment of both ideas in the classroom. In 1987, the issue made it all the way to the Supreme Court, where a Louisiana "equal-time law" was struck down. The court ruled that teaching creationism in public school class rooms was a violation of the Establishment Cause in the Constitution, which is commonly referred to as the separation of church and state. A key point between most scientists and many creationists is the timing for the origin of the world. Your Take: 5 reactions to Bill Nye's creationism critique Nye's argument falls in line with the vast majority of scientists, who date the age of the earth as 4.5 billion years old and the universe as 14.5 billion years old. "The idea of deep time of billions of years explains so much of the world around us. If you try to ignore that, your worldview becomes crazy, untenable, itself inconsistent," Nye says in his viral video. Young Earth Creationists say the weeklong account of God creating the earth and everything in it represents six 24-hour periods (plus one day of rest) and date the age of the earth between 6,000 and 10,000 years. "Yes we see fossils and distant stars, but the history on how they got there really depends on our worldview," Purdom says in the museum's rebuttal. "Do we start with man's ideas, who wasn't here during man's supposed billions of years of earth history or do we start with the Bible, the written revelation of the eyewitness account of the eternal God who created it all?" Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter Polling from Gallup has shown for the past 30 years that between 40-46% of the survey respondents believe in Creationism, that God created humans and the world in the past 10,000 years. The most recent poll showed belief in atheistic evolution was on the rise at 16%, nearly double what it had been in previous years. The poll also found 32% of respondents believe in evolution guided by God. |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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I get that guy in the wheelchair's anger towards G-d.....he's in a wheelchair and paralyzed, he has a lot of anger toward G-d, so this is how he deals with it, writing non-sense books like "G-d Delusion". He's very angry, and needs a lot of hugs, is all I can say about that.
An arrogant presumption, at best.
It's frustrating to most people to have to try to have rational discussions with people who believe in mythical characters in the sky.
Who are you talking about????? Steven Hawkings the Astrophysicist? You are VERY confused person.
FYI..."The God Delusion" was not written by the "guy in the wheelchair" – it was written by Richard Dawkins – who is healthy as a horse.
Are you talking about Stephen Hawking? I don't see him being angry at anybody. In fact, his disability has freed him to think in ways must of us can only dream of.
mythical characters?? excuse me? I heaven once said I believe in fantasy land and odd creatures or aliens. all im saying is, people who are angry towards G-d, become atheist and non believers. how we raise our children is very important but accidents sometimes can not be avoided, or birth defects. people need to stop making things up as they go along, and accept reality.
False presumption about being an athiest – it does not mean the person has anger towards God or towards anything. It means the person is enlightened.
The Mythical figure IS God, get it?
Maybe some people do that, but I'm and atheist and I'm not in a wheelchair, and I'm not angry at anybody. Why be angry at something that doesn't exist?
But G-d do exist. I was an atheist and didn't accept religion, and taught this to my children to have an open mind about life, and not jump to conclusions so quickly. But I was wrong. G-d doesn't take sides, and doesn't need to answer to any of us. People who feel that, are spoiled and selfish, that triggers spitefulness, that lead to Atheism.
At the core of the creationists' delusional system is the unshakable belief that it's all about them. The earth can only be 6,000 years old, because that's all that man's been here for. Jesus must have ridden a dinosaur (as they show in their 'museums'), because there was no time before man when they could have existed. As for all the other fossils indicating a much older planet, God faked them to test our faith. And of course, evolution can't be true since there hasn't been time for it.
Every bit of logic and evidence which can be used to refute this nonsense is countered by something even crazier. As Dawkins pointed out, it's a well-evolved meme. But the incentive that drives it is simple conceit. It's a refusal to acknowledge the mountain of evidence provided by science that man is really not that important. We may even be an accident. For some reason, some people find this idea very threatening. They are so invested in the idea that they're important that any suggestion to the contrary provokes the most bizarre defensive reactions. Will humans evolve beyond this self-serving dysfunctionality and accept the truth? I don't think we'll need to wait another 6,000 years to find out.
When you think about it, we are VERY close to other animals. The AVERAGE IQ is 100, but it takes more than that to do the heavy math stuff like Mar Missions, what would society look like if the average was 50 or 25? We live on a razors edge.
We are nothing more and nothing less than the smartest animals on earth. This fact does not need a creator.
..."Polling from Gallup has shown for the past 30 years that between 40-46% of the survey respondents believe in Creationism, that God created humans and the world in the past 10,000 years."...
That pretty much says it right there... we're too stupid to survive.... and that 40-46% have to agree with me because they firmly believe some robed messiah is going to rescue them someday because they can't make it on their own... self-fulfilling prophecy in a way
SO many people believe in Biblical creationism because the Republican Party has pandered to that specific cluster of people, to get their votes. Creationists have political power, and because of that, their numbers don't decline rapidly.
God loves his 'chosen' people, he led them out of bondage in Egypt, than left six million of them 'high and dry' a mere 70 years ago...What chance do you think YOU got?
We all have proof of G-d (universe), it's in our eyes. Place the moon in front of the Earth, and Earth in front of the sun, and there's your proof......no accident or coincident.
Place your finger in front of your eye and your hand in front of your finger and push. Accident?
Rafael....do u need a hug?
I am CRUSHING your head...
I personally believe they both have it wrong. Why would a being who has existed forever need create everything in the proverbial blink of an eye? (Divide the blink an by a million) I mean has god not existed a trillion time a trillion years? Even spending 15 billion years creating the known observable universe would be nothing but a finger snap of time to being who has always existed. I think we were created by god but I am not so arrogant as to believe that his watch tells time the same way mine does. Perhaps evolution is god working at the speed of a being whos existance is endless.
I'm an atheist, but assuming a creator exists, your argument is rational. I appreciate that.
So what was all that time wasted on Dinosaurs? A distraction for the fun?
What a fantastical story you weave. Do you even know that you are completely consumed by a fiction running rampant in your brain? You believe that you know better than anyone else what happened when the world was created based on pure fancy. It is almost mind boggling that you would post that and expect to be taken seriously.
Religious People don't understand the difference between what you would 'like' to happen, vs REALLY is going to happen.
That's ignorantly simplistic. There are very learned scholars of science who are also religious. They just understand what is the proper realm of each.
My son is in his senior year at the School of the Holy Mother of Losers where he has a tough final semester:
– Science: Creationism
– Medicine: Advanced Blood Letter with Leeches
– Children's Health: Curing Life-Threatening Illnesses with Prayer
– Theology: The Sudden Death of Children and God's Will
– Astronomy: Understanding the Stars Orbits Around the Earth
– Physical Eduction: Boating Without Falling Off the Edge of the Earth
– Career Development: Proper Techniques with Toilet Brushes
If he keeps his grades up the nuns say he should make head janitor right out of school, provided he continues practicing his oral stimulation skills on the Priest. And to think they said he would be a nobody after he failed 6th grade for the 3rd time in that stupid public school where they taught all that worthless math and science stuff. My son is going to be a head janitor and I'm so proud!
Cretans, show us your science!
Are you saying the people of Crete have no scientists? Or that they're hiding them? Why would Cretans do that?
LMAO – uggh.
If all Cretans are liars, and a Cretan says he is a liar, is he lying or not?
Many comments seem to equate "belief in GOD" with "Creationism" (i.e., meaning a belief that the earth is 4000 years old or whatever). And they equate "belief in evolution" with Atheism. That's just too simplistic.
I believe in a God who created the Universe as it exists today. I also believe that Evolution is one of the tools He used to accomplish it.
Religion is concerned with "Why?" Science is concerned with "How?" Two different realms entirely.
The real debate between evolution and creationism is not about belief in God. It's about literal interpretation of the Bible. Don't put all of us believers in God into that same, leaky boat.
That's not true. Science is concerned with "why" just as much as "how."
Show me god.
As an atheist, I appreciate knowing there are rational theists.
I'd rather see wood, ed
@donna: If you're referring to a more mundane "why," as in "why did this balloon burst before that other one," then I would of course agree with you. I'm referring to "Why?" in the sense of "for what grand purpose."
It's also about forcing that literal interpretation OF A RELIGIOUS BOOK down the throats of school children. As a Christian, I have problems with that. It's wrong.
agathokles, Science is the study of all that it real. If there is a grand purpose, then it's real, and it's the concern of science. Science doesn't avoid any part of reality.
@donna: Try submitting an NSF proposal to study "grand purpose" behind some reality, and see how you do in the review process.
agathokles, Nice snide remark. But you don't seem to understand what you are saying. Did I EVER claim that it is real or that there is any evidence for it? So your comment is inapplicable as a response to mine.
The realm of science isn't constrained by what we can or can't investigate today. It is only constrained by what is real.
Do you know why you are personally incapable of conceiving of a paper like that being accepted? Because you can't conceive of any evidence to base that paper on.
But if it's real, and there is evidence, then scientists would investigate.
And are you really so naive to think that scientists haven't tried? Or do you really think scientists sit around and say "If a grand purpose is real, we have no interest in understanding it"?
Those who espouse creationism have decided to chose one of two different creation stories from Genesis, most likely with no knowledge of its Sumerian origin, and proclaim it as better for thir kids (and everyone else) than trying to determine facts based on abundant evidence. Why is that showing more respect for the divine than recognizing the beauty of natural selection and the immense diversity of life that God made possible by making it the basis of evolution? Why are. Such people of a God who is so much smarter than they are?
Without the absurd literal interpretation of ancient Hebrew text (the whole language was symbolic/poetic), there is no contradiction between science and religion. The whole conflict is made up by those who take extreme positions.
Remember: Science cannot say whether or not God exists(despite what Carl Sagan said) because it can only deal with the tangible and experimentable. Religion, on the other hand, cannot say anything about scientific findings because it deals primarily with the supernatural. This boundary is indisputable, and it is only when it is violated that apparent conflicts arise - as in the case of Creationism, the worst offender.
Actually there is a conflict between religion and science. Science is made up of facts that are derived from testable evidence. Regardless of how you interpret the Bible there is still no basis in reality whatsoever for its claims. Science and religion are two diametrically opposed ways of thinking: reality vs. fantasy.
Scientist Christian, by your logic you would have to believe in every god and practice every religion.
http://www.biblicaljesus.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/basics.tour/ID/16/Jesus-Paul.htm
@Aezel: There's only a conflict between science and religion when either veers off into the proper realm of the other. Religion is about "why," and is never going to be provable. It's purely belief. Science is about "how," and is demonstrable. Neither should be messing in the realm of the other.
That argument depends on the assumption that the supernatural exists. If you can't support the assumption, there is no support for the argument.
The conflict is in how beliefs are formed. Do we form beliefs based on evidence or do we form beliefs based on dogma?
"Supernatural" means out of nature or reality. You are correct that science doesn't deal with things that aren't real. If something is real, then it is within the realm of science.
Maintaining ignorance is xianity's main mission. Teaching hate is the other one.
Hypatia, Do you know any Christians? I'm not one, never have been and don't want to be, but I know lots of Christians. And none of them are hateful. A few have some ideas about science and social issues I regard as "ignorant," but most of them see science and faith as compatible and aren't prejudiced toward minorities, children, etc.
Hypatia, there are many people who foment hatred and bigotry who claim to be Christians and pretend to lead Christian lives. They think they're Christian but they're mistaken.
Explain why everything that was said in the Bible about the devided world we would live in at the time of the end is occuring right now.
Explain cro magnon. Neanderthal. Ice Age. Logic. Reason.
Men have been predicting the " time of the end " since roughly 40 A.D. They were all wrong. So are you.
Christianity: "It's the end of the world as we know it......any minute now"......for 2000 years.
the sky is falling
It isn't stupid
Because you want the end to happen..because you hate everyone and want to be right, because it was written in a way that every generation of sheep believe it is happening now
Ed
"It isn't stupid"
- or did you mean -
It isn't, stupid.
Ha, Eats. Loved that book. By the way, punctuation saves lives:
Let's eat Grandma!
Let's eat, Grandma!
Helping your Uncle Jack off a horse vs. helping your uncle jack off a horse. Capitalization too.
Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son,
🙂
Explain why the Indians in almost every part of the world claim to be able to talk to their dead ancestors. Though I don't believe in a life after death for most people. Until God resurects them.
Please explain to me how you can follow a God that only existed after the fall of the Roman Empire? Ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, and many other empires and races never mentioned a one true "God" in any of their historical references, yet you some how think Christianity was the first religion born? Obviously not when none of the Empires reported you.
You keep help proving man made god.
Indians all over the world?
http://www.biblicaljesus.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/basics.tour/ID/3/False-Christs-and-True.htm
Explain why throughout history even those that knew nothing of Jesus tried worshipping something.
Wow that is possibly one of the dumbest arguments I have ever heard from a creationist, and that is REALLY saying something.
Most people are scared, gullible sheep like yourself. Easy to influence and rule over.
Take a course in Anthropology
Thank you fro agreeing that man made god.
Our ability and desire to "worship" is the result of brain functions that have been positively selected for by natural selection.
Explain why we have a concience.
What is concience? Do you mean conscious? Go back to elementary school, creationist.
Explain the compunction to kill defenseless animals.
PETA: People Eating Tasty Animals.
If you want the Biblical, Man was given dominion over every living thing, and he was not commanded to be a vegetarian as far as I can tell.
Even Dogs have a conscious. That's why they know they did something wrong when they pee on the carpet. Watch a dog try to find a way out of a fence. Yeah, That's right. Even a DOG can reason enough to figure out an escape route.
Explain Java man, Neanderthal man.........LOL
Oh and our conscience evolved just like we did.
Because it increases our ability to raise offspring to reproductive age and their ability to do the same. If you want a more detailed explanation I can recommend some good books or you could take a class.
Ever seen a dog look guilty after going through the trash? That's a conscience too (NB, spelling is also important in the modern world). Were dogs also made in "God's image" – or is having a conscience just another part of mammalian behavior?
You sir, are an idiot.
Why is this even an issue? Christians: Your refusal to accept facts will be your downfall. Grow up. Stop being so stubborn. You lost. Magic bearded guy is fake. Get over yourselves.
I don't refuse to accept facts, I just choose to look beyond them. Que sera, sera!
Don't paint all Christians with the same brush. Big difference between fundamentalist, literalists and the rest of us.
If those 46% are voters, it will be all of our downfall.
im afraid hes not fake he predicted all the things happening in the middle east and the are im gonna repost to you what i posted for someone else and after words im not gonna argue with you beacause judgment awaits all your eternity is coming after death
creation002
i have to agree with you on this one i am a believer in the bible because its the true word of god people out there can and will say just anything they want but if you look at the middle east today david all you see is bible prophecy being fullfilled and man alone cannot fullfill it that good the bible makes it clear that all will hate israel in the end and now you see it happening everyday over there the bible is not wrong people say it contridicts itself but it dont the truth is it moves onto another story place and time and its different from the last story people see contridictions in anything they want to but the truth is the bible is happening the sighns of the end days are here and religion over there causes death and destruction because there false religions true christians will not kill nor will they start war its people like that that try to make true christians look bad many people will claim to be christian but wont and scientist on evoulution hate the bible because the bible knows more and can explain wisdom and understanding of things thats science and evoulion cant explain dont get me wrong evouluition does exist but so does the god who made it and the bible dont say the world is 6000 years old thats just when it started keeping track of history the world could very well be billions of years old but theres no time in gods eyes theres only eternity and we all await that eternity after we die theres an after life i my self have seen it well anyway god bless you and have a great day the middle east and israel is where your prophecies will happen from the bible signs of jesus coming are near
Stupid is as stupid does. The Dark Ages have returned.
Must be sad for those that think when they die they just die and thats it with no hope of every living again sad way to live a life if you ask me.
I didn't ask you. No one else asked you.
No human knows what happens when you die. Period. I think believing in lies is a sad way to live.
Must be sad for you wasting your whole life believing in a fairy tale hoping for a magical ending that isn't going to happen.
No, it's not sad. Being an adult grounded in reality doesn't inhibit one from having a joyful productive life either.
Better than living a lie and bombing, cursing, hating those who disagree. Religion has killed more than anything else in mankind's history .They are all based in the idea that our religion is good, theirs is evil. They sell the afterlife like soda companies sell 'fun' and cosmetic companies sell 'beauty'. It is all part of the sales pitch. Religions based on what region of the world you live–to damn the entire rest of the world aids the xenophobia of all religions and leads to war. True world peace will only come when we give up fantasy and deal with reality.
"No human knows what happens when you die."
And it appears that few know what happens when they live ...
Jack – reality sucks sometimes. It's not a sad way to live a life, it's an honest way to live a life – free from fables, wish thinking and ancient, ignorant dogma.
When you die, yea, you die – so LIVE this one glorious, wonderful, fantastic life while you have it... it's not sad or hopeless, it's reality – why give up so much of this one shot full of idiotic children's stories, fearful of the threats and empty promises, wasting time worshiping a non existent, man made deity? Now THAT's truly sad.
Yes, death is sad. Losing people is sad. I would love it if I got to spend eternity with my family in Hawaii after we all die, but that doesn't mean I think that's going to happen.
That's why man made up god and heaven, to feel better. You will die just like a dog does.
I would get bored with eternity, even if I had super powers. I'd rather the peaceful bliss of nonexistence in the end.
Ed, my dog died without pain in my arms with me comforting her and telling her how much I loved her. She was warm, safe and well-fed. She never lacked for anything in her long happy life. I'll take a death like Sugar's death. It was a good death at the end of a great life.
Nope. You invest fully and enjoy the one life you have instead of wasting it trying to adhere to a set of 2000 year old made up rules in preparation for the next one that the rule makers also made up.