Just in case anyone thought I was exaggerating in my blog A Puzzle for Creationists when I said:Given a jigsaw of pieces of evidence to put together, a creationist will start with an absolutely unshakeable conviction that it’ll be a picture of a god. This is called ‘faith’. This is the one thing which cannot be, under any conceivable circumstances, wrong. The picture MUST be of a god.
I’ve reproduced the Institute of Creation Research (ICR) oath below.
The ICR is a source of most creationists ‘facts’ and ‘evidence’ in the form of findings of so-called creation scientists. Members of the ICR must swear this oath before they can publish through the ICR or receive financial support from it.
Needless to say, no self-respecting genuine scientist, least of all one who wishes to keep the respect of his peers, would ever give an undertaking that his research would produce a required result prior to receiving funding for it or as a condition of having it published. The whole idea of an a priori commitment to a given result is absolutely anathema to science. The merest suspicion of it is sufficient to raise a huge question mark over both the research and the researcher.
The existence of this oath is sufficient to completely and irretrievable discredit the entire body of ICR ‘science’ and of those who contribute to it. Only those who KNOW genuine research won’t produce the required answers would require someone to swear an oath to come up with the required results.
Note: not one single assertion in the statements and oath below is supported with the slightest wisp of physical evidence. The entire thing hangs on a sky-hook of superstition which makes no contact with reality at any point.
The following is taken from Holysmoke.org:
The Institute for Creation Research began in 1970 as a division of Christian Heritage College, the later established by Henry Morris, Tim LaHaye and Scott Memorial Baptist Church (of San Diego, CA) as "the first college in modern times formed in order to provide a liberal arts education based specifically on strict Biblical creationism and full Biblical controls in all courses." (Henry M. Morris. History of Modern Creationism. Master Books Publishers, 1984; p.222.)
Below is the ICR's statement of faith, written in 1981 when ICR became formally independent of Christian Heritage College and was no longer governed by its statement of faith. This must be signed annually by all ICR staff and by its trustees. According to the ICR's by-laws, it cannot be changed. The statement of faith has two parts -- the "tenets of scientific creationism" and the "tenets of Biblical creationism." Also reproduced is a portion of the "ICR educational philosophy" which appears in the Institute's Graduate School catalog. My source is appendix G of the book cited in the preceding paragraph:
The programs and curricula of the Graduate School, as well as the activities of other ICR divisions, while similar in factual content to those of other graduate colleges, are distinctive in one major respect. The Institute for Creation Research bases its educational philosophy on the foundational truth of a personal Creator-God and His authoritative and unique revelation of truth in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments.
This perspective differs from the evolutionary humanistic philosophy which has dominated most educational institutions for the past century, providing the most satisfying and meaningful structure of a consistently creationist and Biblical framework, and placing the real facts of science and history in the best context for effective future research and application.
More explicitly, the administration and faculty of ICR are committed to the tenets of both scientific creationism and Biblical creationism as formulated below. A clear distinction is drawn between scientific creationism and Biblical creationism but it is the position of the Institute that the two are compatible and that all genuine facts of science support the Bible. ICR maintains that scientific creationism should be taught along with the scientific aspect of evolutionism in tax-supported institutions, and that both scientific and Biblical creationism should be taught in Christian schools.
1) The physical universe of space, time, matter and energy has not always existed, but was supernaturally created by a transcendent personal Creator who alone existed from eternity.
2) The phenomenon of biological life did not develop by natural processes from inanimate systems but was specially and supernaturally created by the Creator.
3) Each of the major kinds of plants and animals was created functionally complete for the beginning and did not evolve from some other kind of organism. Changes in basic kinds since their first creation are limited to "horizontal" changes (variation) within kinds, or "downward" changes (e.g., harmful mutations, extinctions).
4) The first human beings did not evolve from an animal ancestry, but were specially created in fully human form from the start. Furthermore, the "spiritual" nature of man (self-image, moral consciousness, abstract reasoning, language, will, religious nature, etc.) is itself a supernaturally created entity distinct from mere biological life.
5) The record of earth history, as preserved in the earth's crust, especially in the rocks and fossil deposits, is primarily a record of catastrophic intensities of natural processes, operating largely within uniform laws, rather than one of gradualism and relatively uniform process rates. There are many scientific evidences for a relatively recent creation of the earth and the universe, in addition to strong scientific evidence that most of the earth's fossiliferous sedimentary rocks were formed in an even more recent global hydraulic cataclysm.
6) Processes today operate primarily within fixed natural laws and relatively uniform process rates but, since these were themselves originally created and are daily maintained by their Creator, there is always the possibility of miraculous intervention in these laws or processes by their Creator. Evidences for such intervention should be scrutinized critically, however, because there must be clear and adequate reason for any such action on the part of the Creator.
7) The universe and life have somehow been impaired since the completion of creation, so that imperfections in structure, disease, aging, extinctions, and other such phenomena are the result of "negative" changes in properties and processes occurring in an originally-perfect created order.
8) Since the universe and its primary components were created perfect for their purpose in the beginning by a competent and volitional Creator, and since the Creator does remain active in this now-decaying creation, there do exist ultimate purposes and meanings in the universe. Teleological considerations, therefore, are appropriate in scientific studies whenever they are consistent with the actual data of observation, and it is reasonable to assume that the creation presently awaits the consummation of the Creator's purpose.
9) Although people are finite and scientific data concerning origins are always circumstantial and incomplete, the human mind (if open to the possibility of creation) is able to explore the manifestations of that Creator rationally and scientifically, and to reach an intelligent decision regarding one's place in the Creator's plan.
TENETS OF BIBLICAL CREATIONISM
1) The Creator of the universe is a triune God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is only one eternal and transcendent God, the source of all being and meaning, and He exists in three Persons, each of whom participated in the work of creation.
2) The Bible, consisting of the thirty-nine canonical books of the Old Testament and the twenty-seven canonical books of the New Testament, is the divinely-inspired revelation of the Creator to man. Its unique, plenary, verbal inspiration guarantees that these writings, as originally and miraculously given, are infallible and completely authoritative on all matters with which they deal, free from error of any sort, scientific and historical as well as moral and theological.
3) All things in the universe were created and made by God in the six literal days of creation week described in Genesis 1:1-2:3, and confirmed in Exodus 20:8-11. The creation record is factual, historical, and perspicuous; thus all theories of origins or development which involve evolution in any form are false. All things which now exist are sustained and ordered by God's providential care. However, a part of the spiritual creation, Satan and his angels, rebelled against God after the creation and are attempting to thwart His divine purposes in creation.
4) The first human beings, Adam and Eve, were specially created by God, and all other men and women are their descendants. In Adam, mankind was instructed to exercise "dominion" over all other created organisms, and over the earth itself (an implicit commission for true science, technology, commerce, fine art, and education) but the temptation by Satan and the entrance of sin brought God's curse on that dominion and on mankind, culminating in death and separation from God as the natural and proper consequence.
5) The Biblical record of primeval earth history in Genesis 1-11 is fully historical and perspicuous, including the creation and fall of man, the curse on the creation and its subjection to the bondage of decay, the promised Redeemer, the worldwide cataclysmic deluge in the days of Noah, the post-diluvian renewal of man's commission to subdue the earth (now augmented by the institution of human government) and the origin of nations and languages at the tower of Babel.
6) The alienation of man from his Creator because of sin can only be remedied by the Creator Himself, who became man in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, through miraculous conception and virgin birth. In Christ were indissolubly united perfect sinless humanity and full deity, so that His substitutionary death is the only necessary and sufficient price of man's redemption. That the redemption was completely efficacious is assured by His bodily resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven; the resurrection of Christ is thus the focal point of history, assuring the consummation of God's purpose in creation.
7) The final restoration of creation's perfection is yet future, but individuals can immediately be restored to fellowship with their Creator, on the basis of His redemptive work on their behalf, receiving forgiveness and eternal life solely through personal trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, accepting Him not only as estranged Creator but also as reconciling Redeemer and coming King. Those who reject Him, however, or who neglect to believe on Him, thereby continue in their state of rebellion and must ultimately be consigned to the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Source: www.holysmoke.org
Thanks for the post. It is imperative we continue to expose these frauds whenever the opportunity arises.
ReplyDeleteBravo.
I LOVE it when believers actually put their money where their mouth is and finally make definite claims. Their claims are almost trivially falsified by even rudimentary science.
ReplyDeleteIf we could somehow convince every Christian that all of these claims MUST be true for Christianity to be correct there would be vastly greater numbers of non-believers I think.
Thanks for digging this out.
How is this different than the naturalist's commitment to never let a divine foot in the door--no matter what the evidence?
ReplyDeleteBrad Cooper.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you would be kind enough to give an example of such evidence together with where we may see it and how it has been authenticated beyond doubt as evidence of a divinity, please.
After all, the evidence which convinced you is presumably still available for inspection, is it not?
If you can't find it either, then how does that differ from a naturalist's inability to find any such evidence?
Once you have established this evidence for a divinity maybe we can then progress to discussing how you know which specific divinity it is and why it can't be one of the very many others other people have claimed exist.
Will this take you very long?
Well over two years now and Brad Cooper has still not found that evidence...
DeleteIt's interesting that the oath they take pretty much sets out the facts of creation as they see them. So what exactly does the Institute for Creation Research research then?
ReplyDeleteMass marketing techniques.
DeleteI think their main lines of research concern who to market their books to, how to solicit donations and what their supporters most need to keep them deluded and on side.
ReplyDeleteOh! Of course, there is also quote-mining, editing videos to make it look as though scientists and Atheists agree with them, misrepresenting scientific papers with lies where necessary, and stuffing audiences with supporters with pre-arranged questions and cheer-leaders, and with ambushes for their opponents.
My favorite line from this is "global hydraulic cataclysm". I love how it's just casually tossed in there, as if it's a common event, as it they're not talking about one specific thing.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite question for creationists: Where did all the water from the great flood go? Since their entire belief structure is based on the supernatural, creationists explain that the mountains weren't high and the valleys and basins weren't low, god made them like that after the flood.
Research sure is easy when you can just say "oh, god made/changed/fixed it".