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Old 02-October-2007, 11:32 AM
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parallaxicality parallaxicality is online now
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I can answer for myself, though I imagine others on this board will beg to differ.

Whether some deity or deities created the universe according to some ineffable divine plan is simply beyond the scope of science. Science can deduce how the universe was created, but not why. Because science has allowed an interpretation of creation that does not require a deity, some have concluded that no such deity exists. That is their perogative, but it is neither supported nor refuted by scientific evidence, nor can it be.

Most of the people who accept that the universe was constructed according to some form of divine plan or law still accept the evidence presented by the world as valid. These people I do not consider creationists. Nor, I imagine, would they call themselves that.

Among those who believe in a divine plan however, there exists a substantial minority who will accept no authority whatsoever, even that of their own eyes, over that of their holy texts. Among Christians this takes the form of Biblical literalists who, against all the physical evidence of astronomy, geology, cosmology, biology and even chemistry and physics, adhere to a literal interpretation of the first eleven chapters of the Book of Genesis as the first and final word on the universe's origins. These people would probably call themselves creationists, though personally I would not. For me, creationism is a political as well as a religious ideology. In order to be a creationist, one must not only insist that a literal reading of a religious text is the only valid method for discerning reality, but also must insist that to allow any other interpretation to circulate in public is against one's deity's law, and thus to do everything in one's power to undermine and discredit alternate modes of thought, and science in particular. That, to me, is a creationist.
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There is a growing tendancy to think of Man as a rational, thinking being, which is absurd.- Marvin the Martian.

It's gotten to the point where careful investigation is needed just to tell parody from reality. I think that means reality is broken.- Noclevername.

Last edited by parallaxicality; 02-October-2007 at 11:54 AM..