This isn’t a good time to be a creationist. The science of evolutionary biology has been making tremendous strides. For example: List of transitional fossils, and Evidence for evolution, and List of human evolution fossils.
The courts have been utterly unsympathetic to creationism’s attempts to displace science, or to be treated as an equal of science, or to cross-dress as the “theory” of intelligent design and pretend to be science, for example: Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, and Edwards v. Aguillard, and 10 Significant Court Decisions Regarding Evolution/Creationism.
Many mainstream denominations have publicly made their peace with science, for example: Pope Benedict’s 2007 Statement on Evolution, and the Church of England marks Darwin’s contribution to science as bicentenary approaches, and Statements from Religious Organizations. There are also the 11,000 clergymen who have signed on to the Clergy Letter Project.
On the other hand, creationists have their websites, their silly museums, their Jack Chick comic books, and their public relations operations (which they amusingly call think tanks). Additionally, creationists have produced a number of pop-culture books; but similarly worthless volumes exist to exploit a gullible public’s acceptance of myths like the Bermuda Triangle, alien abductions, crop circles, etc., all having the same scientific standing as creationism. Astrology has an even larger and older literature, and that too is an intellectual wasteland.
Creationist propaganda and political agitation has provided them with a vocal, faith-based network of fellow-travelers and useful idiots in the media and elsewhere, who tirelessly promote the fiction that there is a scientific “controversy” over evolution. But except for a few anti-science actions taken by profoundly ignorant fools on rural school boards and their counterparts in state legislatures — which so far have been laughable and short-lived episodes — there has been no “progress” at all for creationism.
Despite all the noise they make, creationists have had no impact on science, industry, agriculture, medicine, academia, or any other rational endeavor. We often fail to notice what doesn’t exist, but we shouldn’t overlook the fact that creationists have failed to accomplish anything of any substance whatsoever. Nor are any such accomplishments likely in the future. Creationism is the pathway to intellectual oblivion.
So what will become of the creationists? We see three possible futures: (1) they persevere with their teachings, like astrologers, becoming increasingly marginalized from Western Civilization; (2) they gradually wither away, as have the believers in so many false teachings before them, like the Geocentric model of the universe, and the Flat Earth model; or (3) — and this one is the problem — they refuse to accept either a marginalized existence or a humiliating exit, and instead they adopt the tactics of the Taliban to compel acceptance of their beliefs by force.
The choice is theirs. Our course is clear. We shall continue with what we do here. It’s necessary.
Update: For more on this, see: Does Creationism Have a Future?
Another update: See Creationism: Making Sense of Unreason.
And another update: See Intelligent Design — The Next Level.
Copyright © 2008. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.
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The Sensuous Curmudgeon 
FANTASTIC! Another pro-evolution blog! This gets better! My family’s getting bigger!
I have to say, though, personally, I’m shocked: when I watched Prof D. on TV and he asserted that 1 in 4 brits believe in some kind of God-thing, I found it hard to believe. “Surely not?! It’s an american thing isn’t it?!” I thought – but when I went onto the Channel 4 chat forum after “The Genius of Darwin” it seemed to be true….
…and what’s with this bloody cop-out (I’ve even heard it from people I work with): “Well, I’m not saying I believe there’s a God but I, er, do believe there’s some kind of higher energy governing us”…..what the F***?! Like, cosmic background radiation? Dark matter, superstrings, what?
I’d laugh if these things weren’t so ludicrous!
Look forward to exploring this site….
Petey
Welcome, Petey.
Creationists are stupid?? No impact on science? Seriously, you should do better research. Here’s a short list of a few Creation scientists who’ve had a great impact on our world:
[Worthless cut-and-paste job deleted. Say hello to Dembski.]
I don’t understand why, in this day and age, when freedom is our national goal, that you can criticize those who choose to belive in creationism. Why is it that Christians are always getting the persecution?
If a child is raised in the public school system, only learning what is taught to them, how can they develop their own mind? Is it not the teachers theology they are learning?
And as for the truth of evolution, is it actually truth? Or are you just believeing what someone else taught you. Were you there during the big bang? Were you there when life suddenly popped from dirt? Is there any proof that any of this actually happened, or do you just believe it did? What do YOU believe in?
Goodbye, truthseeker.
“truthseeker”? Doesn’t seem to understand the idea of freedom, the purpose of criticism, the real meaning of persecution, nor what education is.
I like his last paragraph though, except I would say: And as for the truth of creationism, is it actually truth? Or are you just believing what someone else taught you. Were you there during the creation? Were you there when Adam was suddenly popped from dirt? Is there any proof that any of this actually happened, or do you just believe it did? What do YOU believe in?
At least evolution has evidence for what it says. All “truthseeker” has is an old book of questionable provenance.
I hope you are all enjoying the benifits of your so called freedoms:
The freedom to be the worst educated nation in the west/north hemisphere (and dont cheat by throwing Mexico into the league table – it aint fooling anybody);
The freedom to suffer any lunatics opinion being broadcast into your lives unfettered by the need for truth or evidence;
The freedom to have unqualified idiots making major decisions such as what your kids learn, who can get married to whom, and whether your rape victim daughter can have an abortion;
The freedom to have unqualified uninformed faith filled idiots turn your sloppy ham fisted clownshoes policing action wars into religious crusades that get more of your troops killed in countries you cant show me on a map;
The freedom to have medical research banned by idiots who think a perti dish of cells is a sentient being;
and on
and on
and on
had enough freedom yet?
and I forgot the best freedom of all:
The freedom to get sick then loose your job, your house and all your money in an attempt to pay the sky high medical bills care of a bunch of leeches who are also free to set whatever ridiculous charges they decide…..
The freedom to die in pain if you cant pay for treatment….
Feeling free are we?
Sandman says:
I’d like far more freedom. Meanwhile, you are free to dig into your pocket and voluntarily contribute to any charity of your choice. Perhaps you can find one that provides free organ transplants for winos. That one wouldn’t be my choice, but if it’s yours, okay. I’d never want to take that freedom from you.