Equal opportunity creationism bashing

The December 12, 2008 issue of Science Magazine (online only to subscribers) suggests that creationism is a growing movement in many Islamic countries. The author, Salaman Hameed, writes that: The Koranic narrative of creation includes a six day account of creation. The length of each day, however, is not clearly…

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Proposed change to DI comment policy re: scientific method and evolution

Topic:  Proposed change to comment policy concerning ill-informed comments regarding A) the scientific method and B) evolution by natural selection. At DI, we’ve had a wide-open comment policy.  Until recently, I have rarely rejected comments.  The ones I have rejected consisted mostly of preaching (see the current comment policy).  I’ve…

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Daniel Dennett puts Rick Warren’s brand of religion under the microscope

In this 2006 lecture at TED, philosopher Daniel Dennett (Breaking the Spell) takes on the "brilliant" contemporary redesign of religion by Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life.   After acknowledging that Warren's book is, indeed, "brilliant" (it has sold 30 million copies and motivated comparable numbers of people), Dennett…

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Those “intelligent design” cheerleaders keep coming back

Steve Fuller, who supported the wrong side at the 2005 evolution trial in Dover, Pennsylvania, has now written a book making the entirely discredited argument that intelligent design is "science." Fuller's book ("Dissent over Descent") has been reviewed (actually, savaged) by philosopher Michael Ruse, whose review "A Challenge Standing On…

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Darwin’s impressive legacy in a nutshell

In 2009, many of us will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of his publication of On the Origin of Species. In these modern times, where Darwin is vilified by millions of people who cherry-pick their apocryphal holy books, it is refreshing and humbling to…

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