Keith Doyle                            
What makes a creationist?

> 1) Have anyone done a psychological profile of
>    a creationist? What are his motives?

An attempt to reconcile conflicting "truths" (a misnomer in both cases),
that given by a particular and rigid interpretation of a religious book,
and that given by scientific investigation of geology, biology, astronomy,
etc.  What's interesting is neither of these two sources are particularly
compelling as capital-T "TRUTH" and science for one, doesn't even claim
to be (though interestingly enough, we have seen that the creationists
are themselves inclined to consider science=TRUTH just as they are their
particular rigid interpretation of the Bible).  The common thread here
seems to be a need for certainty in a world where certainty only exists
in authoritarian dogma.

> 2) Why do creationist put up arguements that even
>    a high school science student can find holes in?

Because most of them didn't do very well in high school science, or went
to private schools that didn't teach the same sort of science you may
have had.

> 3) Why do creationist keep bringing religion into
>    their "theories"? Can't their theories stand on
>    their own.

(Theories? We don't need no steenkin' theories!).  It's hard for them
to keep religion out of creationism, because they don't really want to.
The point *is* to shoehorn religion back into the public schools, or,
failing that, undermine the public schools in favor of private sectarian
schools.

> 4) Why do creationist keep insisting that the bible
>    is the literal truth?

It's worse than that, they keep insisting that their *specific
interpretation* of the Bible is the literal truth.  There are religious
people who can see and understand the evidence for evolution who also
believe in the literal truth of the Bible, and also understand that
creationist "literal truth" is artificially constrained.

> 5) Why do people "become" creationist in the first place?
>    What kind of people accepts these creationist
>    ideas?

Right-wing conservatives who feel that their religious system has
determined without a doubt what God thinks, and that he thinks that
everyone else should unquestionably pay attention to this unique
knowledge on the subject.  Persons who want to enforce their unique
understanding of God's laws on the American people through American
government.  People who have taken what little understanding they
may have had and traded it in for their undeniable self-righteousness.

> 6) What economic benefits do "crackpots" have in
>    advancing their creationist arguements?

A large portion of the American public is anti-intellectual, and
creationism rewards them for being so.  If you ain't smart, you
can be better than any genius simply by knowing the undeniable
TRUTH.  Economic benefits?  You'll PAY to know what you REALLY
think.  For me, if I ain't smart, I'd rather just assert my Bob
given right to be Sub-Genius.