Would you take business advice from someone who claimed he was kidnapped and probed by aliens in a UFO? No? How about advice from a flat-earther? Too crazy for you? Well then, how about a creationist?
Why not? What better source of business advice could you find than a publication that thinks evolution is false and a magic designer runs around the universe poofing various species into existence? A publication like that is certain to be a useful source of good, solid information, right?
If you agree, then we direct your attention to an online publication calling itself the Business Insider. Their mailing address is on Park Avenue in New York, which suggests that they might have some sophistication, but wait until you see what they’ve got at their website. It’s titled 6 Reasons Why Evolution Isn’t A Sure Thing. They start out mentioning the thing that has infuriated creationists everywhere:
Former children’s television host and scientist Bill Nye recently captured national media attention when he blasted Americans who believe in creationism and reject Darwin’s theory of evolution.
You know all about that. If not, see Bill Nye Blasts Creationism. Okay, let’s see what the Business Insider has to say about it. Here are some excerpts, with bold font added by us and their links omitted:
Obviously there’s loads of scientific evidence that supports evolution. But we wanted to understand the main contentions.
Fair enough. Let’s read on:
First, there are several different varieties of creationists. Traditional creationists believe that the universe was created by God.
There’s more to creationism than that, but let’s not get picky. The article continues:
A separate theory, called Intelligent Design, does not dispute the definition of evolution as “change over time” or, for the most part, that living things are related by common ancestry. However, this group does believe that the natural world is too complex and diverse to have occurred through random processes.
We could pick on that too, but it’s not necessary for our purpose today. Here’s more:
The Discovery Institute, a religious think tank that supports the theory of Intelligent Design, outlines their own findings of scientific weakness in modern evolutionary science.
It’s nice that they described the Discoveroids as “a religious think tank.” Okay, but then what? Then, dear reader, they give six — six! — huge quotes from various posts at the Discoveroids’ blog. Trust us, they’re big, extensive quotes, and there’s no criticism or discussion of the Discoveroids’ material whatsoever. It’s just … there, as if it were credible information. And that’s all there is to the article.
There’s really no Curmudgeonly commentary necessary, but we will say this: If you’re looking for thoughtful, reliable business information or advice, now you know about the Business Insider.
Copyright © 2012. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.
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The Sensuous Curmudgeon 
Looks like Business Insider’s feature editor hasn’t done much here beyond a copy ‘n paste of a Discoveroid PR pack.
However, article does end with a promise:
Does that mean a further article is to follow?
We’ll follow up with refutations of these “scientific” claims.
Megalonyx asked if that means what it says….to me it does.
Putting scientific in parentheses also tells me the author doesn’t
put much stock into the quotes from the DI.
I might pose an equivalent question:
Would you vote for a man who claims to have had a UFO encounter?
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/42/did-jimmy-carter-really-see-a-ufo
Somewhat off the topic of this post, but as much as the DI, AiG, CRI, et al like to blame Darwin for Hitler, Stalin, etc., it should be pointed out to them that Osama bin Laden was most certainly a creationist.
Uh oh, they’ve been outed:
“The Discovery Institute, a religious think tank that supports the theory of Intelligent Design, outlines their own findings of scientific weakness in modern evolutionary science.”
Gosh, who would have ever thought they were a religious think (stink?) tank.
It’s also interesting that the 6 reasons are followed by link to an earlier article highlighting 15 signs that climate change is real. From my experience, most evolution deniers tend to be climate change deniers as well. If that is the case, then we can look forward to a debunking of the DI’s silly assertions in a future post.
So this is where your hard earned donation dollars go to when you give to the Discovery Institute!
Megalonyx says: “However, article does end with a promise”
I didn’t see that when I posted. Maybe I missed it, or maybe it’s a recent addition.
retiredsciguy notes:
True, and I entirely understand your point — but pointing this sort of thing out is IMHO descending to their level, and smacks of a bit of tu quoque.
In matters of science, we all know it’s data and not celebrity endorsements that determine credibility. Mao Zedong probably believed the earth was spherical, Stalin probably endorsed algebra — and so do I, with no qualms.
Tempting as your argument is to make, I prefer to argue how facile and meaningless such arguments are. To ‘No Darwin, No Hitler,’ one can readily reply, ‘No Jesus, No Jonestown’ — but doing so just seems sort of yucky. I don’t like getting down into the slop trough that way 🙂
…I give up … I think I must be … an idiot…
[Quote-mined by the Curmudgeon]
LOL!
Hi, all! Just wanted to pop in and say hi. I hope you’re well, Curmie!
😀
LRA says: ” I hope you’re well, Curmie!”
Better, now that I’ve heard from you.
😀 Aw, thanks!
Megalonyx states, “Tempting as your argument is to make, I prefer to argue how facile and meaningless such arguments are.”
True enough. However, there is another common thread besides creationism connecting bin Laden to AiG and the rest — religious extremism. Jim Jones is a perfect example of that as well. They all use their followers’ religious upbringing to control them.
I’ll stop there. This is a blog of science, not religion. Besides, I’d rather say hi to LRA. Good to see you again!
I’m in Kazakhstan evaluating an oil fields’ mapping and technical data..I can’t find any ID
work anywhere on this project. Can someone ask the DI what’s up with that. ?
Also I’d like to magically say there is another 20illiom barrels of oil in this field
than I can prove. The bank and Business Insider
shouldn’t have a problem with that right? It’s
only 200 million dollars or so in value.
ID . It’s good stuff.!
A little follow-up on this one: Dina Spector, the journalist at Business Insider who produced the article from the Discoveroid press hand-outs, has indeed
promised a follow-up..
Here is her response to a complaint about the Discoveroid press release she published:
Curmudgeon: “Would you take business advice from…a creationist?”
This may shock you, but absolutely.
The catch is that the self-described creationist I have in mind is at least as vocal a critic of the anti-evolution movement as I am, and would be called a “Darwinist” by anyone in that movement. Kind of makes the C-word meaningless at best.
Would you take business advice from…a creationist?
From a creationist who was successful in business, certainly. I’d take lessons on how to improve my golf game from a creationist pro golfer, too, and have my car repaired by a creationist mechanic, if he was good at repairing cars. Competence in one area does not imply competence in all, and incompetence in one area does not imply incompetence in all.
I might be a bit leery of a creationist neurosurgeon, however.
I’d even trust the “creationist” I referred to above as a neurosurgeon, if that were his line of work. Though I’d have trouble trusting him to define words for me, given his liberal use of the word “creationist.” In fact I’d even trust an evolution denier if his brand of “creationism” was strict Omphalism. It’s the ones who keep spreading misinformation after being corrected whom I won’t trust on any matter. Especially if they’re the “kind” that evades simple “what happened when” questions about their “theory.” In other words I’d trust a Biblical OEC or YEC over an ID peddler any day.
Hey, retiredsciguy! 😀
Well, hey yourself, LRA! But we should cool it — don’t want to make Curmie jealous. But then, if the Curmudgeon (blessed be he!) is jealous of a 67-year-old retired jr. high science teacher, he’s been spending way too much time in his C.I.T.A.D.E.L.