From: KGA
Message-ID: <19930707133402KGA@uncmvs.oit.unc.edu>
Newsgroups: talk.origins
I've been reading _Science and Creationism_ (edited by Ashley
Montagu) lately, and came across a real gem of a footnote last
night. It's from Robert Root-Bernstein's article "On Defining a
Scientific Theory." On page 75 Bernstein notes, "Thus, although
some creationists are indeed scientists*, their _scientific_
research seems invariably to focus upon noncreationist problems."
Turning to the footnote (on pp. 89-90) I found the following:
Unfortunately, some creationists seem to be claiming better creden-
tials than other individuals find reasonable. Bette Chambers of the
American Humanist Association writes that "The Atlantic Journal
reported on April 27, 1979, the embarassment of school officials in
DeKalb county, Georgia, upon discovering that 'Dr.' Richard Bliss,
billed as curriculum development director of the Institute for Crea-
tion Research, of San Diego, and author of a creationist text just
approved in DeKalb county, was a very recent graduate of the
University of Sarasota, Florida. That University, the Journal stated,
'...is not accredited, has no campus, and specializes in graduate
degrees.' [a degree mill] In addition, Clifford Burdick, who claims
PhD credentials from the University of Physical Sciences of Phoenix,
Arizona, and whose name and title appear on Creationist Science
Research Center letterhead, may want to explain a letter from the
Arizona State Board of Education to a colleague of mine, dated
January 31, 1975, that states, 'We know of no University of Physical
Sciences in Phoenix. The only accredited universities in Arizona are
the three governed by the Board of Regents: The University of Arizona,
Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University.' Yet both
these men are billed as 'scientists'" (from The Sciences, December
1981, p. 2). Similarly, "Dr." Harold Slusher's D.Sc. degree is in
fact an honorary one awarded by Indiana Christian University....
Careful attention to the biographies given in the Institute for
Creation Research's pamphlet "21 Scientists Who Believe in Creation"
(Creation-Life Publishers, 1977) reveals that, even if one counts
the six engineers as scientists, only 16 of the 21 have any kind of
advanced degree in _science_. And Joel Gurin writes: "It would be
interesting to know more about the members of the Creation
Research Society, which claims more than six hundred and fifty
members with graduate degrees in the sciences. Although I wrote to
them for information about their membership, my letter was never
answered" (The Sciences, December 1981, p. 3). Is "scientific
creationism" in fact being practiced by scientists? If not, can
it be considered a science? These are important questions in need
of answers.
This was published in 1984. Does anyone have any follow-up to this?
Are creationists still claiming false credentials or have they beefed
up their ranks with real scientists? And, while we're on the subject,
just what are the degrees held by people such as Gish, Morris, et al?
===================================================================
That information is all correct about Bliss, Burdick, and Slusher.
Burdick published one article in the _Creation Research Society Quarterly_
as "Clifford Burdick, Ph.D.," but the _CRSQ_ ran a correction saying that
the degree should have been listed as an "honorary" degree. (Even that's
not quite true.)
Morris and Gish have real degrees. Morris has a Ph.D. in hydrology (I
forget where he earned it) and Gish has a Ph.D. in biochemistry from UC
Berkeley. Morris' degree has nothing to do with evolution, and I don't
think Gish has done any research since the 1960's. (As I will be
pointing out sometime in the near future, an analysis of what he cites
and doesn't cite in his new book, _Creation Scientists Answer Their
Critics_, indicates that he hasn't even done any new research on the
topics he presents himself as a creationist expert on since 1985, when
he revised _Evolution: The Fossils Say No!_ as _Evolution: The Challenge
of the Fossil Record_. (And I had hoped he would come out with some
subsequent revisions: _Evolution: Some Puzzles in the Fossil Record_,
_Evolution: Some Questions I Have About the Fossil Record That I Haven't
Been Able to Answer_, and _Evolution: I Guess the Fossils Say Yes, After
All_.))
Jim Lippard Lippard@CCIT.ARIZONA.EDU
Dept. of Philosophy Lippard@ARIZVMS.BITNET
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721
