Why We’ve Ignored the Discoveroids All Month

You’ve been wondering, haven’t you, about why we haven’t posted lately about the Discoveroids. The answer is because we’ve found them to be intolerably boring.

Today at the creationist blog of the Discovery Institute, we found a post that explains the situation. The thing is titled Film Festival 2023 — “The Origin of Life”, and it has no author’s by-line. Here are some excerpts, with bold font added by us for emphasis, and occasional Curmudgeonly interjections that look [like this]:

From May 9-30 [Almost the whole month!], the Center for Science and Culture at Discovery Institute has been running a film festival [Yuk!] on YouTube to highlight some of our top videos. We’ve highlighted different videos throughout the month. [Blech, Blaargh, Gack!]

Now do you understand why we’ve been ignoring the Discoveroids? Then they say:

Would you help us make more videos by donating to our “Be a Movie Producer” campaign? [Link omitted!]

Go ahead, help ’em out! And now we come to the end:

For our final offering [Hooray!], we present the newest episode from our lighthearted and well-illustrated series “Long Story Short,” explaining the faulty reasoning behind claims for atheistic origin-of-life arguments. [BWAHAHAHAHAHA!]

If you want to see the Discoveroids’ final offering, it’s embedded in their post. Just click on over there and have a ball!

Copyright © 2023. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.

Annie Green Screen’s Amazing New Book

It’s definitely oldiie-goldie time at the creationist blog of the Discovery Institute. Today they’re bringing up another name from the past. This time it’s Ann Gauger. Long-time readers of the Curmudgeon’s blog will remember her as “Annie Green Screen”. She’s a “senior research scientist” at the Discoveroids’ Biologic Institute. Annie’s work is so sensitive that the interior of her lab must never be seen by outsiders. You can read all about that in Klinghoffer Defends Photo Trickery.

The Discoveroids’ new blog post is titled God’s Grandeur: Ann Gauger on Beauty, Intelligibility, and Human Uniqueness, and it was written by Andrew McDiarmid, described at the end as a Discoveroid Senior Fellow. Here are some excerpts, with bold font added by us for emphasis, and occasional Curmudgeonly interjections that look [like this]:

On a new episode of ID the Future [Ooooooooooooh! A Discoveroid podcast!], host Jay Richards continues his conversation with biologist Ann Gauger about her newly edited volume God’s Grandeur: The Catholic Case for Intelligent Design.

Exciting, isn’t it? Then Andy McDiarmid says:

Part 2 of their discussion focuses on the philosophical and theological arguments for intelligent design presented in the book.

The Discoveroids blogged earlier about Part 1 of their discussion, but somehow we ignored it. Anyway, Andy tells us:

Gauger holds that Darwinism has no adequate explanation for natural beauty or the ability of human beings to appreciate beauty for its own sake. [Gasp! Darwin ignored beauty!] She also argues that we have no reason to expect human uniqueness or intelligibility in the universe outside a design paradigm.

Wowie — Darwin’s theory is virtually worthless! Andy continues:

Additionally, Richards and Gauger probe the reasons for continued resistance to intelligent design in Catholic circles. As Richards points out, “Nature looked at without materialistic blinders actually confirms many of the things that Catholics believe.”

Catholics must be fools to reject intelligent design. Let’s read on:

Learn more about the book and download a free chapter at GodsGrandeur.org.

A free chapter? Don’t miss it! And now we come to the end:

This is Part 2 of a conversation. Download the podcast or listen to it here. [Link omitted!]

Annie Green Screen’s book certainly sounds wonderful, so go for it, dear reader — and when you do, tell ’em the Curmudgeon sent ya!

Copyright © 2023. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.

You Can Be Saved from Tribal Group-Think

Once again, the creationist blog of the Discovery Institute is bringing up a name from the past — Jonathan Wells. He’s a Moonie who has devoted his life to destroying Darwinism. They revived him a few days ago and we wrote Discoveroid Jonathan Wells Is Back!

Now they just dug him up again. Their new post is titled New Course on Evolution Challenges Group-Think with Scientific Skepticism, and it was written by Klinghoffer. Here are some excerpts, with bold font added by us for emphasis, and occasional Curmudgeonly interjections that look [like this]:

Very different from decades past, who would have thought that science, of all things, would be subjected to fear [What?] and tribal group-think as it is today? [BWAHAHAHAHAHA!] Of the scientific subjects on which your obedience is expected, the most profound in its consequences is evolution.

Ah yes, tribal group-think. You can hear the drums beating, can’t you? But the Discoveroids want to liberate you, so pay attention. Klinghoffer says:

A new course from DiscoveryU [Hee hee!] with biologist Jonathan Wells [the Moonie!] equips you to think critically about life’s origins. [BWAHAHAHAHAHA!]

This is your big chance to think critically, dear reader! Klinghoffer tells us:

Says Dr. Wells, summarizing the official perspective, “If we search long enough for natural explanations, we will eventually find them. [Wells said that?] Mind, free will, spirit, God, intelligent design — these are only illusions. [Huh?] Well, that is materialistic science not empirical science. [They’re not the same?] The natural explanation takes priority over the evidence.”

Is your head spinning, dear reader? If not, why not? Ah well, Klinghoffer continues:

What has been called “totalitarian science” has its heretics, and chief among them are the doubters of evolutionary orthodoxy. Consider spending the time — 40 lessons with accompanying quizzes to check your progress — to weigh the evidence for yourself and learn to discuss it knowledgably with others.

You can free yourself from totalitarian science, dear reader. Let’s read on:

The course is perfect for students of all ages, and Jonathan Wells is wonderfully qualified to teach it. [Oh yeah!] With PhDs from UC Berkeley and Yale, respectively in molecular and cell biology and religious studies, he is the author of Icons of Evolutions [sic], The Design of Life, The Myth of Junk DNA, and other books. [Very impressive!]

And now we come to the end:

Check out two sample lessons and a full course outline at DiscoveryU. [Link omitted!]

Do not hesitate, dear reader. Go for it!

Copyright © 2023. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.

Discoveroid Jonathan Wells Is Back!

Look what we found at the creationist blog of the Discovery Institute. They’re bringing up another name from the past. You remember Jonathan Wells, don’t you? It’s been ten years since we blogged about him — see Jonathan Wells Explains Away the Evidence. As we said then, he’s a Moonie, who has devoted his life to destroying Darwinism.

Today’s Discoveroid post is titled New DiscoveryU Course: Jonathan Wells Takes an Objective Look at the Evidence for Evolution, and it was written by Klinghoffer. Here are some excerpts, with bold font added by us for emphasis, and occasional Curmudgeonly interjections that look [like this]:

The word “science,” as molecular and cell biologist Jonathan Wells notes, comes from the Latin scientia, or knowledge. There’s nothing about the idea that remotely suggests that knowledge about life, the universe, or their origins must be strictly materialist in nature. The notion that such knowledge must reject mind as a casual factor is a materialist presumption — not science.

Jeepers, he’s right! The definition of “science” doesn’t exclude Oogity Boogity! Okay then, anything goes! Klinghoffer says:

In a new course from DiscoveryU [Link omitted!], Dr. Wells asks what happens when we discard the ideology and ask candidly about biological origins without recourse to presumptions. This is what’s called empirical science, and it is open to natural explanations of phenomena, or explanations that include intelligent design. It all depends on the evidence!

Isn’t this thrilling? After that, Klinghoffer tells us:

“Darwin,” says Jonathan Wells, “redefined science to exclude design,” but we needn’t accept that redefinition.

Yeah, Darwin was a poop-head! Klinghoffer continues:

In 40 lectures, including quizzes, Dr. Wells leads students through the evidence [Link omitted!] that supports, or fails to support, chemical evolution at the origin of life, natural selection as a creative force in nature, Darwin’s tree of life, and more.

Thrilling, isn’t it? Let’s read on:

At the DiscoveryU page [Link omitted!], you can watch free previews of Lecture 1 and Lecture 2. It’s a fine resource for homeschool students, and public school and university students looking for a supplement to their biology coursework, and for anyone else curious to know what an objective consideration reveals about life, how it arose and attained the complexity we see today.

Yes, dear reader, Discoveroid material is a great supplement to your biology studies. And now we come to the end:

There couldn’t be a more qualified instructor to cover this material. [Hee hee!] Dr. Wells holds two PhDs, from UC Berkeley in molecular and cell biology, and from Yale in religious studies. He is a Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture [Wow!] and the author of Icons of Evolutions [sic], The Design of Life, The Myth of Junk DNA, and other books.

Okay, dear reader. Now there’s no excuse for you to be a hell-bound Darwinist.

Copyright © 2023. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.