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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Bill Nye the Science Guy

...gets it wrong.

Bill Nye's Creationism Is Not Appropriate For Children has become a "hit" on the internet, for better or worse. You can view it at the link above, as well as read the transcript. For that reason, I won't post the entire transcript here, but comment on excerpts from it.

1. "Denial of evolution is unique to the United States." False. Belief in creation may find great strength in the United States, but denial of evolution can be found throughout the world.

2. "When you have a portion of the population that doesn't believe in that [the "science" of evolution], it holds everybody back." False. The history of our nation filled with Bible-believing Christians--which has grown into "the world's most advanced technological [nation]"--stands as a clever denial of Nye's assertion.

3. "Evolution is the fundamental idea in all of life science." False. Though some would so claim, it remains scientifically a theory unable to explain the origins of the universe.

4. "Your whole world is just going to be a mystery instead of an exciting place." False. Amazingly, Nye thinks all Christians live in an unexciting, crazy, untenable, inconsistent world. I think he needs to get out more; maybe meet some different kinds of folks than he is used to hanging around with.

5. "The idea of deep time, of this billions of years, explains so much of the world around us." False. But I mainly want to notice here that he finds a view that "explains so much of the world around us." Thankfully, the view of God and creation explains all of the world around us.

6. "...grownups, if you want to deny evolution and live in your world, in your world that's completely inconsistent with everything we observe in the universe, that's fine, but don't make your kids do it because we need them." False. Here Nye encourages schizophrenic parents who believe one thing and teach their kids another! No, if it is wrong, grownups ought not believe it either! We do need our kids, and God & creation is a worldview both worthy and safe to be held by grownups and children.

7. "We need scientifically literate voters and taxpayers for the future. We need people that can—we need engineers that can build stuff, solve problems." True. Yes, true for once. We do need scientifically literate voters and taxpayers, and people that can build stuff and solve problems. (I wonder if mentioning the desire for "scientifically literate voters" doesn't reveal a lot more about this whole thing than what he actually says.) Apparently Nye has not noticed that for two hundred years and more we have been developing literate voters, good citizens, folks who can build stuff, and folks who can solve problems--all the while with many of them 'weighed down' with a worldview filled with God, creation and religion!

8. "...in another couple of centuries that world view...just won't exist." False. Remember Voltaire? In another couple of centuries Christianity and other beliefs of God & creation will remain vital worldviews, while Bill Nye will be mostly forgotten.

Let God be true, but every man a liar.

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