the creation/evolution debate. topics what is critical thinking? 10 logical fallacies an amazing...

The Creation/Evolution DebateThe Creation/Evolution Debate

TopicsTopicsWhat is critical thinking?10 logical fallacies An amazing case study in deceptionAmazing creatures

What is critical thinking?10 logical fallacies An amazing case study in deceptionAmazing creatures

Thinking About Thinking!Thinking About Thinking!

Critical thinking is the art of thinking about your thinking while you are thinking in order to make your thinking better

Critical thinking is the art of thinking about your thinking while you are thinking in order to make your thinking better

What did he say?

The Purpose of Critical ThinkingThe Purpose of Critical Thinking

Achieve understanding Evaluate view points Solve problems

Achieve understanding Evaluate view points Solve problems

The purpose of critical thinking is to:The purpose of critical thinking is to:

Critical thinking involves the use of questioning or inquiry techniques

Critical thinking involves the use of questioning or inquiry techniques

This is why evolutionists do not want critical thinking in the biology class

This is why evolutionists do not want critical thinking in the biology class

10 tactics and logical fallacies used to

discredit creation and promote evolutionism

10 tactics and logical fallacies used to

discredit creation and promote evolutionism

PART 1

Fuzzy WordsFuzzy Words

We believe, we think Given enough time, it will happen Might work Must have…

We believe, we think Given enough time, it will happen Might work Must have…

“Those life forms must have evolved in the absence of oxygen,…”

Biology, Miller and Levine, 2002, p. 426.

“Those life forms must have evolved in the absence of oxygen,…”

Biology, Miller and Levine, 2002, p. 426.

Could possibly have been My guess is Seems like

Could possibly have been My guess is Seems like

11

Half TruthHalf Truth

Half true and half false Often more effective than the

complete lie

Half true and half false Often more effective than the

complete lie

The Second Law of Thermodynamics only applies to isolated systems, so it is not relevant to evolution, because the earth is an open system.

The Second Law of Thermodynamics only applies to isolated systems, so it is not relevant to evolution, because the earth is an open system.

22

BandwagonBandwagon

All scientists accept evolution

No real scientist accepts creation

All scientists accept evolution

No real scientist accepts creation

The appeal to “everyone agrees”The appeal to “everyone agrees”

www.AnswersInGenesis.orgwww.ICR.org

www.AnswersInGenesis.orgwww.ICR.org

33

RidiculeRidicule

Attempting to provoke a dislike against a person or idea by name-callingAttempting to provoke a dislike against a person or idea by name-calling

Creationists are troglodytes and flat-earthers.Creationists are troglodytes and flat-earthers.

44

Either-Or FallacyEither-Or Fallacy

Presenting only one possible solution when others are justifiedPresenting only one possible solution when others are justified

If we teach creation then we will have to teach every other creation myth.If we teach creation then we will have to teach every other creation myth.

55

AnalogyAnalogy

Improperly drawing parallels while ignoring pertinent differencesImproperly drawing parallels while ignoring pertinent differences

Evolution is a fact like digestion or gravity.Evolution is a fact like digestion or gravity.

66

Forgetting that it is your responsibility to prove a claim, not your opponents to disprove it.

Forgetting that it is your responsibility to prove a claim, not your opponents to disprove it.

The claim that creation has no proof and therefore should not be taught, when evolution has never been proven or is even capable of proof.

The claim that creation has no proof and therefore should not be taught, when evolution has never been proven or is even capable of proof.

77Shifting the Burden of ProofShifting the Burden of Proof

EquivocationEquivocation

Confusing the issue by using vague terms or changing the definitions of words

Confusing the issue by using vague terms or changing the definitions of words

Changing the definition of science to support only evolutionChanging the definition of science to support only evolution

Not defining terms such as natural selection or microevolutionNot defining terms such as natural selection or microevolution

88

BluffingBluffing

Appearing to know more than you doAppearing to know more than you do

Making the claim that the fossil record is full of transitional fossilsMaking the claim that the fossil record is full of transitional fossils

Dinosaurs evolved into birds.Dinosaurs evolved into birds.

99

AppeasementAppeasement

The appeal that we're not really so differentThe appeal that we're not really so different

Most religions don’t have a problem with evolution.Most religions don’t have a problem with evolution.

1010

Lucy and the Australopithecines

Lucy and the Australopithecines

Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking

What we see and read in textbooks is not always what was found or realWhat we see and read in textbooks is not always what was found or real

Pictures and RealityPictures and Reality

Artistic conceptionArtistic conceptionAustralopithecus

africanusAustralopithecus

africanus

What do you notice about this picture?What do you notice about this picture?

Evolutionary PreconceptionEvolutionary Preconception

“I wanted to get a human soul into this ape-like face, to indicate something about where he was headed.”

“I wanted to get a human soul into this ape-like face, to indicate something about where he was headed.”

John Gurche, artist, National Geographic, March, 1996 p. 109.John Gurche, artist, National Geographic, March, 1996 p. 109.

Lucy: Two QuestionsLucy: Two Questions

What was found?Did Lucy walk upright?

What was found?Did Lucy walk upright?

Note: Lucy is our ancestor

What Was Found?What Was Found?

Lucy discovered in 1974About 40% of the fossil was foundClaimed to be 3.5 million years oldClaimed bipedal

Lucy discovered in 1974About 40% of the fossil was foundClaimed to be 3.5 million years oldClaimed bipedal

LucyLucy

No foot bonesNo foot bones

Did Lucy Walk UprightDid Lucy Walk Upright

1. The rib cage

2. The pelvis

3. Leg and foot bones

1. The rib cage

2. The pelvis

3. Leg and foot bones

To determine if Lucy walked upright three areas of anatomy can be examinedTo determine if Lucy walked upright three areas of anatomy can be examined

Rib CageRib CageApe ribs are conical shapedHuman ribs are barrel-like

Ape ribs are conical shapedHuman ribs are barrel-like

Human: Barrel-likeHuman: Barrel-like Ape: Conical shapeApe: Conical shape

Lucy’s Rib CageLucy’s Rib Cage

“I noticed that the ribs [Lucy] were more round in cross-section, more like what you see in apes. Human ribs are flatter in cross-section.

But the shape of the rib cage itself was the biggest surprise of all. The human rib cage is barrel shaped, and I just couldn’t get Lucy’s ribs to fit this kind of shape.”

“I noticed that the ribs [Lucy] were more round in cross-section, more like what you see in apes. Human ribs are flatter in cross-section.

But the shape of the rib cage itself was the biggest surprise of all. The human rib cage is barrel shaped, and I just couldn’t get Lucy’s ribs to fit this kind of shape.”

Peter Schmid (paleontologist at the Anthropological Institute in Zurich) Quoted from Origins reconsidered: In Search of What Makes Us Human by Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin

Peter Schmid (paleontologist at the Anthropological Institute in Zurich) Quoted from Origins reconsidered: In Search of What Makes Us Human by Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin

Lucy’s Rib CageLucy’s Rib Cage

“In Lucy’s case, her ribs are conical, like those found in apes.”“In Lucy’s case, her ribs are conical, like those found in apes.”

Brad Harrub (Ph.D. Anatomy and Neurobiology) and Bert Thompson (Ph.D. Microbiology), The Truth About Human Origins, 2003, p. 47.

Brad Harrub (Ph.D. Anatomy and Neurobiology) and Bert Thompson (Ph.D. Microbiology), The Truth About Human Origins, 2003, p. 47.

HumanHuman LucyLucy

Chimp vs. Human PelvisChimp vs. Human Pelvis

ChimpChimp

HumanHuman

Lucy’s PelvisLucy’s Pelvis

“The marked resemblance of AL 288-1 (Lucy) to the chimpanzee is equally obvious…

It suggests to us that the mechanism of lateral pelvic balance during bipedalism was closer to that in apes than in humans.”

“The marked resemblance of AL 288-1 (Lucy) to the chimpanzee is equally obvious…

It suggests to us that the mechanism of lateral pelvic balance during bipedalism was closer to that in apes than in humans.”

J. Stern & R. Sussman, “American Journal ofPhysical Anthropology,” 1983, pp. 291 & 292.J. Stern & R. Sussman, “American Journal ofPhysical Anthropology,” 1983, pp. 291 & 292.

Knee Joint of A. afarensisKnee Joint of A. afarensis

15° carrying angle (valgus)

Human = 9°Gorilla = 0°Chimp = 0°

15° carrying angle (valgus)

Human = 9°Gorilla = 0°Chimp = 0°

Orangutan = 9°Spider monkey = 9°

Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking

How Evolution Hinders How Evolution Hinders Critical Thinking and Critical Thinking and

ScienceScience

Rib cagePelvisCarrying angle

Lucy could NOT walk uprightLucy could NOT walk upright

Footprints in History

Apes and Humans – a TestApes and Humans – a Test

Which footprint is human?Which footprint is human?

HumanHuman

Laetoli FootprintsLaetoli FootprintsFootprints discovered in 1978 in Laetoli, Tanzania. The footprints were dated at 3.5 million years old.

Footprints discovered in 1978 in Laetoli, Tanzania. The footprints were dated at 3.5 million years old.

Who made these footprints?

Ape and Human FootprintsApe and Human Footprints

Ape(Lucy)Ape

(Lucy)HumanHuman Laetoli footprintLaetoli footprint

Human ShapeHuman Shape

Human FootprintsHuman Footprints

“The uneroded footprints show a total morphological pattern like seen in modern humans.”

“The uneroded footprints show a total morphological pattern like seen in modern humans.”

Tim White, “Evolutionary Implications of Pliocene Hominid Footprints,” Science, April 1989, p. 175.Tim White, “Evolutionary Implications of Pliocene Hominid Footprints,” Science, April 1989, p. 175.

Who made these footprints?

Lucy’s FeetLucy’s Feet

“…anatomist Dr. Charles Oxnard has shown that the big toe [Lucy’s] actually sticks out as in chimpanzees.”

“…anatomist Dr. Charles Oxnard has shown that the big toe [Lucy’s] actually sticks out as in chimpanzees.”

David Catchpoole, Ph.D., “New evidence: Lucy was a knuckle-walker”, www.answersingenesis.org/docs2/4256news5-5-2000.asp

David Catchpoole, Ph.D., “New evidence: Lucy was a knuckle-walker”, www.answersingenesis.org/docs2/4256news5-5-2000.asp

A DilemmaA Dilemma

The footprints in Tanzania are human in shape

Lucy’s feet are ape-like

The footprints in Tanzania are human in shape

Lucy’s feet are ape-like

The footprints are 3.5 million years old therefore they cannot be made by humans

The footprints are 3.5 million years old therefore they cannot be made by humans

What will the evolutionists do?What will the evolutionists do?

Drawing from Life: The Science of Biology, Purves, Orians, and Heller, 1992, p. 604.

Drawing from Life: The Science of Biology, Purves, Orians, and Heller, 1992, p. 604.

Lucy: What Nice Feet You HaveLucy: What Nice Feet You Have

Lucy: Saint Louis MuseumLucy: Saint Louis Museum

Human foot on LucyHuman foot on Lucy

Evolution Rejects the EvidenceEvolution Rejects the Evidence

“Professor Betsy Schumann, evolutionist expert, admits that the statue's feet ‘probably are not accurate’, but when asked whether the statue should be changed, she says,

“Professor Betsy Schumann, evolutionist expert, admits that the statue's feet ‘probably are not accurate’, but when asked whether the statue should be changed, she says,

‘Absolutely not’.”‘Absolutely not’.”

Confusion about LucyConfusion about Lucy

“Anatomical evidence indicates that A. afarensis was bipedal…”…some anthropologists are convinced by the anatomical evidence that A. afarensis was not a modern biped.”

“Anatomical evidence indicates that A. afarensis was bipedal…”…some anthropologists are convinced by the anatomical evidence that A. afarensis was not a modern biped.”

Robert Boyd and Joan Silk, (professors of anthropology), How Humans Evolved, 2000, pp. 331-334.Robert Boyd and Joan Silk, (professors of anthropology), How Humans Evolved, 2000, pp. 331-334.

Why the confusion?Why aren’t students told about this?

Why the confusion?Why aren’t students told about this?

10 Unique Characteristics10 Unique Characteristics

1. Fine balance2. Flat face3. Upright skull4. Straight back5. Fully extendable hip joints6. Angled femur bones7. Fully extendable knee joints8. Long legs9. Arched feet10. Strong big toes

1. Fine balance2. Flat face3. Upright skull4. Straight back5. Fully extendable hip joints6. Angled femur bones7. Fully extendable knee joints8. Long legs9. Arched feet10. Strong big toes

Textbooks and AccuracyTextbooks and Accuracy

Biology: The Web of Life, 1993 Biology: The Web of Life, 1993

1TeethTeeth

3 Flatter faceFlatter face2Eye socketEye socket

Amazing CreaturesThat Defy Evolution

Amazing CreaturesThat Defy Evolution

GiraffeGiraffe

LeviathanLeviathan

Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.

Job 41:19

Bombardier BeetleBombardier Beetle

Chemical storage

chamber

Chemical storage

chamber

WoodpeckerWoodpecker

Hard beak Special tail feathers Special cartilage Tongue

Barbs Glue Long

Hard beak Special tail feathers Special cartilage Tongue

Barbs Glue Long

Chuckwalla LizardChuckwalla Lizard

Chuckwalla Table MannersChuckwalla Table Manners

Chuckwalla and saltChuckwalla and salt

Pass the pepper and chuckwalla please

Chicken EggChicken EggEach shell has about 10,000 tiny holes or poresQuestion: How does the chicken form a shell

around a soft, messy egg and design the shell with pores?

Blood vessels

Each shell has about 10,000 tiny holes or poresQuestion: How does the chicken form a shell

around a soft, messy egg and design the shell with pores?

Blood vessels

Chicken EggChicken EggNineteenth day the chick is too bigNineteenth day the chick is too bigThe “egg-tooth”The “egg-tooth”Each step of the chicks development

defies evolutionary thinking

Each step of the chicks development defies evolutionary thinking

True ScienceTrue Science

The history of astronomy

The history of geology

The history of biology

The history of anthropology

The history of astronomy

The history of geology

The history of biology

The history of anthropology

Tuning Up Our Baloney Detector

Tuning Up Our Baloney Detector

Let’s go baloney hunting

False informationMisleading informationDeception by omissionPure baloney

False informationMisleading informationDeception by omissionPure baloney

“Another important find was the footprints of a group of bipedal animals…They reveal small but very humanlike feet,…”

“Another important find was the footprints of a group of bipedal animals…They reveal small but very humanlike feet,…”

Biology: Visualizing Life, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1998, p. 221.Biology: Visualizing Life, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1998, p. 221.

Baloney Detector

BaloneyBaloney

“Lucy’s leg bones indicate that she must have walked upright. She stood about 1 m (3 ft) tall.”

“Lucy’s leg bones indicate that she must have walked upright. She stood about 1 m (3 ft) tall.”

Biology: Principles and Explorations, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2001, p. 307.Biology: Principles and Explorations, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2001, p. 307.

Baloney Detector

BaloneyBaloney

“Some 3.7 million years ago, several bipedal (upright-walking) human animals of the species Australopithecus afarensis left footprints in damp volcanic ash in what is now Tanzania in East Africa.”

“Some 3.7 million years ago, several bipedal (upright-walking) human animals of the species Australopithecus afarensis left footprints in damp volcanic ash in what is now Tanzania in East Africa.”

Biology: Concepts and Connections, 2000, p. 404.Biology: Concepts and Connections, 2000, p. 404.

Baloney Detector

BaloneyBaloney

“But all researchers agree on certain basic facts. We know, for example, that humans evolved from ancestors we share with other living primates such as chimpanzees and apes.”

“But all researchers agree on certain basic facts. We know, for example, that humans evolved from ancestors we share with other living primates such as chimpanzees and apes.”

Biology, Miller and Levine, Prentice Hall, 2000, p. 757.Biology, Miller and Levine, Prentice Hall, 2000, p. 757.

Baloney Detector

BaloneyBaloney

Artist’s depiction of an australopithecine family

Biology Concepts and Connections, Campbell, Mitchell,

and Reece, 2000, p. 404.

Artist’s depiction of an australopithecine family

Biology Concepts and Connections, Campbell, Mitchell,

and Reece, 2000, p. 404.

BaloneyBaloney

Baloney Detector

“An animal dies and sinks into shallow water.”“An animal dies and sinks into shallow water.”

Prentice hall, Science Explorer: Earth Science, 2002Prentice hall, Science Explorer: Earth Science, 2002

BaloneyBaloney

Baloney Detector

“… laying the foundation for cellular biochemistry. Astrochemical analysis hint that quantities of these compounds might have originated in space and fallen to earth in comets, a scenario that may solve the problem of how these constituents arose under the conditions that prevailed when our planet was young.”

“… laying the foundation for cellular biochemistry. Astrochemical analysis hint that quantities of these compounds might have originated in space and fallen to earth in comets, a scenario that may solve the problem of how these constituents arose under the conditions that prevailed when our planet was young.”

Scientific American, July, 2002Scientific American, July, 2002

Baloney Detector

BaloneyBaloney

UN-UN-

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain

deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world,

and not after Christ

Colossians 2:8(A Warning)

AiG Web Address 00439AiG Web Address 00439

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