Know Your Enemy

The danger of creationism is science denial, not religion

As a former creationist, I’m more antagonistic than most to the myriad lies and falsehoods promulgated by so-called “creation scientists”. I grew up in aggressively creationist circles and formerly wrote for Answers In Genesis. In 2014, I began writing openly about the changes in my views, starting with a warning to Bill Nye prior to his widely-televised debate with Ken Ham:

I’ve also written numerous articles about the ways that creationists distort science, including a series for Panda’s Thumb and additional articles here on Medium.

That’s why I’m concerned when I see a failure to comprehend how creationism is structured and why it is so pernicious.

Christopher Oldcorn makes some excellent general points in his article about Creation Science:

Fake scientists with Creationism PhDs from unaccredited Bible Colleges spew irrational theories as proof. At best, it is a funny Saturday Night Live skit. At worst, they lie and confuse children. Hindering learning for the rest of their life because if anything contradicts Creationism, it cannot be true. Some wake up and realise the crap these Creationists peddled to them. Unfortunately, many do not.

It is beyond question that creationism’s impact to education is severe. Organized young-earth creationism, like climate change, the anti-vax movement, and other forms of science denial, teaches people that the process of science is unreliable and cannot be trusted. At the root of creationist dogma is the belief that religious groups should be able to dictate reality and decide which facts are acceptable. By painting the results of science as unreliable or even evil, creationist organizations seek to cement the trust of their adherents and enforce a socially repressive worldview.

The danger of creationism is not in religion, or even in its false beliefs, although they are plentiful. The danger is in creationism’s coordinated and sophisticated system of science denial. As entertaining as it may be to poke fun at the most inane aspects of creationist teachings, we must be extremely focused; if we fail to challenge creationism on the basis of its science denialism, we only empower it.

The danger of creationism is not in religion, or even in its false beliefs, although they are plentiful. The danger is in creationism’s coordinated and sophisticated system of science denial.

At the start, Chris’s post listed a number of different “types” of creationism:

• 7-day Creation
• Creationism
• Young Earth Creationism
• Old Earth Creationism
• Divine Creation
• Theistic Evolution
• Evolutionary Creationism
• Neo-Creationism
• Intelligent Design

This is where I became truly concerned. Failing to understand which of these groups practices science denial enables the truly dangerous elements to further radicalize and paint all science advocates as “anti-religion” or otherwise antagonistic.

Terms like “Evolutionary Creationism” and “Theistic Evolution” generally describe people who believe in God but do not deny the results of science. As such, those who call themselves “evolutionary creationists” are extremely important allies against science denial.

“Intelligent Design” is not a division of creationism at all, but is rather a tool used by creationists to force the beginning elements of science denial into public schools and secular institutions. Intelligent design proponents avoid claiming any connection to religion, and so challenges that attack religious belief or question specific creationist talking points will not be effective.

Chris also accurately describes the way that creationists tend to “branch out” into specialized areas of pseudoscience. However, his example of pseudohistory misses the mark:

The pseudo historians attempt to prove parts of the bible such as the Exodus from Egypt which real historians know never happened. Real archaeologists cannot find any proof of an Exodus either. Christians must prove the Exodus because without it, there are no ten commandments that are the basis of Christian morality.

This is a dangerous conflation of Christianity and creationism. Creationists, particularly of the young-earth/six-day variety, go to great lengths to try and prove that mythic or legendary narratives in the Old Testament represent real history. Their goal in doing so is to push adherents away from academia so that they will be seen as the only source of truth on any issue. It is not, however, a blanket defense of Christianity. The ten commandments only indirectly form the basis of Christian morality. Moreover, the ten commandments can be accepted and taught by Christians worldwide without requiring belief in the Exodus as literal history.

We must take pains not to confuse Christianity with creationism. Most Christians are allies, not adversaries, in our fight against science denial.

David MacMillan is a freelance writer, paralegal, and law student in Washington, DC and features in the 2019 independent documentary We Believe In Dinosaurs, now streaming on demand. His upcoming book explores the impact of science denial in America and what it took for him to leave it behind.