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“Our professors hate you. But…”

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We had an experience a couple years ago where some of the Discovery scientists were traveling with one of our supporters. So that night, we were at this cowboy steakhouse feeding the troops. So I jumped in and offered the Discovery Institute credit card to pay for the Discovery Institute scientists, and this young waitress came back with the bill and the credit card. And she looked left and looked right and lowered her voice and said, “Can you tell me what the Discovery Institute is?” Well, I said, we’re a scientific think tank, and we’re investigating the evidence for intelligent design and challenging standard Darwin. She says, “I thought so!” She said, “Our professors hate you.” And then she motioned to three other waiters and waitresses. She says, “I’m a bio major at the U, and so are they, and, I’m telling you, our professors hate you. But then we go on your website and we see those animations of all those little machines and we say, ‘No way did that evolve.'” So this is a little, in microcosm, a picture of what’s happening. The establishment is terrified of this idea. But students can’t help, they can’t help tumbling to it just by learning the facts of biology without even learning our arguments. –

Our professors hate you

Comments
SamHManning (#10), You have half a point. Querius' observation in 38 is partly right; there are plenty of doctors who have lost their shirt in real estate, or oil wells, or whatever. On the other hand, I know of some doctors who have done very well in those areas. One cannot assume that someone who is an expert in another field is also an expert in evolutionary biology. However, one cannot also assume that that person cannot do very well. The only way to tell for sure is to judge the product. And in order to do that, one must judge the consistency of the logic and the knowledge of the evidence. Even adherence to the party line (or one of the party lines) is not an adequate basis to judge. We cannot substitute anything for critical thinking. And this is not restricted to believers in unguided evolution. Don't forget that the 6 year average for Bryan College (a creationist institution) on the evolutionary biology test from ETS is 98th percentile.Paul Giem
April 18, 2014
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"What disturbs me is when an academic is an expert in one field, but then assumes that this expertise naturally carries over into philosophy, religion, and politics." Do you feel the same when philosopher - like Meyer, or a politician or a theologian assumes that his expertise carries over into, say, evolutionary biology?
SamHManning
April 15, 2014
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It is obviously true. The lack of specifics and the fact that it runs counter to all of my experiences proves it. How could anyone not believe that a bunch of waitresses at a restaurant are all biology majors, all are closet IDists, and claim that their professors all take the time to voice their negative opinions about the DI. So clearly true.SamHManning
April 15, 2014
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Barb noted:
It’s a logical fallacy known as argument from authority.
Sometimes people unknowingly project their competence in one field to other fields. I've heard (but have no idea whether this is true) that medical doctors have a reputation for making poor real estate investments. And in the case of politicians, celebrities, and other glitterati, they begin to believe their own propaganda with disastrous results. -QQuerius
April 13, 2014
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Where is hate crime legislation when you need it? Just kidding thats immoral and illegal punishment of thoughts as opposed to motives behind actions. the profs fear iD scientists because for so long evolutionism was taught and received based on authority of the teachers/establishment. YEC was in the people but not a threat but now with iD researchers and shakers and YEC very crusading these days there is a serious fear of the end of the evolutionism as we know it. The ID best seller in the simmer, the great debate, the cosmos show with its desperate need to confront creationism, and how everybody and their aunt must respond to this revolution. Polticians, School Presidents, and the big media. Everyone smells a major crash is coming for evolutionism or its critics. A great intellectual story is being played out before us. Gentlemen place your bets!!Robert Byers
April 13, 2014
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Querius writes, "What disturbs me is when an academic is an expert in one field, but then assumes that this expertise naturally carries over into philosophy, religion, and politics. There’s probably a term for this in psychology." It's a logical fallacy known as argument from authority. I wouldn't expect an evolutionary biologist like Eugenie Scott to write a book about M theory. I also wouldn't expect a cosmologist like Neil deGrasse Tyson to write a book about the breeding habits of freshwater fishes.Barb
April 13, 2014
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Gotta love it! I guess there are still some students who think for themselves. Good to know. It just goes to show that people aren't as dumb and gullible as the evolutionists think we are.tjguy
April 13, 2014
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What disturbs me is when an academic is an expert in one field, but then assumes that this expertise naturally carries over into philosophy, religion, and politics. There's probably a term for this in psychology. What's worse is when academics feel that it's their duty to indoctrinate the captive audiences in their classes about those opinions as an authority figure. This is a serious ethical violation in my opinion. -QQuerius
April 12, 2014
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As far as the culture wars are concerned, most people want to believe in god and all many of them need is some sort of intellectual justification. That's why those video animations of what is going on in every living cell are so powerful. The currency of chance & necessity is demonstrated to be nothing but monopoly money when one attempts to purchase that which is obviously designed.William J Murray
April 12, 2014
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Easy formula for fame and fortune for academia slackers: Get any science degree you can bluff into, then go on a speaking tour for your new book, "Why I hate God." Instant adulation in the pseudo-biology fraternity.phoodoo
April 12, 2014
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The contingent of so called academics that hate intellectual pursuits like the Discovery Institute is staggering really. All of the Jerry Coynes and Neil Shubins and PZ Myers and Donald Pretheros and Eugenie Scotts and Steve Novellas and the like add up to a group that should really embarrass the whole concept of science. Does such a narrow minded, petty group of naysayers exist in anything close to this is other branches of science-surely not. Clearly there is a good living to be made in universities by simply being a loud mouth complainer, and intellectual doorstop. Its an entire cottage industry which relies on mindlessly repeating the same thought stunting catch phrases and blind objections in every media outlet and science podcast they can find (did you know evolution is the most tested, documented theory in all of science? It simply must be true if you say it enough!) The sheer fact of the volume and emotional whining of these non-thinking ostriches show you just how faith based rather than science based their objections are. Where are the Jerry Coynes in the world of string theory, who going around crying online about those who don't believe in string theory? Or the PZ Myers spewers in the geological departments? In an ideal world we might take religion out of the biology classroom, but unfortunately the Shubins and Scotts and Pretheros of the world are just too determined to keep it in there.phoodoo
April 12, 2014
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