Claim CA111:
Many scientists reject evolution and support creationism.
Source:
Response:
- Of the scientists and engineers in the United States, only about 5% are
creationists, according to a 1991 Gallup poll (Robinson 1995, Witham
1997). However, this number includes those working in fields not
related to life origins (such as computer scientists, mechanical
engineers, etc.). Taking into account only those working in the
relevant fields of earth and life sciences, there are about 480,000
scientists, but only about 700 believe in "creation-science" or
consider it a valid theory (Robinson 1995). This means that less than
0.15 percent of relevant scientists believe in creationism. And that
is just in the United States, which has more creationists than any
other industrialized country. In other countries, the number of
relevant scientists who accept creationism drops to less than one tenth
of 1 percent.
Additionally, many scientific organizations believe the evidence so
strongly that they have issued public statements to that effect (NCSE
n.d.). The National Academy of Sciences, one of the most prestigious
science organizations, devotes a Web site to the topic (NAS 1999). A
panel of seventy-two Nobel Laureates, seventeen state academies of
science, and seven other scientific organizations created an amicus
curiae brief which they submitted to the Supreme Court (Edwards
v. Aguillard 1986). This report clarified what makes science different
from religion and why creationism is not science.
- One needs to examine not how many scientists and professors believe
something, but what their conviction is based upon. Most of those who
reject evolution do so because of personal religious conviction, not
because of evidence. The evidence supports evolution. And the
evidence, not personal authority, is what objective conclusions should
be based on.
- Often, claims that scientists reject evolution or support creationism
are exaggerated or fraudulent. Many scientists doubt some aspects of
evolution, especially recent hypotheses about it. All good scientists
are skeptical about evolution (and everything else) and open to the
possibility, however remote, that serious challenges to it may appear.
Creationists frequently seize such expressions of healthy skepticism to
imply that evolution is highly questionable. They fail to understand
that the fact that evolution has withstood many years of such
questioning really means it is about as certain as facts can get.
Links:
NAS. 1999. Science and creationism. http://www.nap.edu/html/creationism/
NCSE. 2003. Project Steve, http://www.ncseweb.org/article.asp?category=18
Schafersman, Steven. 2003. Texas Citizens for Science responds to latest
Discovery Institute challenge.
http://www.texscience.org/files/discovery-signers.htm
References:
created 2003-4-8, modified 2005-2-9