The "modern" cockroach has existed for approximately 145 million years. Not all species are apparently destined to disappear at some point. During the cockroach's long tenure on this planet, other species have come and gone. One species, Homo sapiens, appeared about 250,000 years ago.

My question(s) for each of you...

Will we, like cockroaches, manage to survive for millions of years as the planet changes?

Or...

Are we one of the species that cockroaches will watch rise and fall?

Forward!

caniscandida wrote...

"Is it ethical for a creationist to get a legitimate degree in biology or geology from a prestigious secular university, and then to go forth and teach creationism and intelligent design as though he represented acceptable scientific opinions endorsed by the department from which he got his degree?"

He should be free to get the degree, but it would be pure dishonesty for him to claim the degree-granting department considered creationism and intelligent design acceptable scientific opinions. You did say it was a "prestigious secular university". Regardless of his religious affiliation, there is probably a religious law that forbids lying.

Mr. Ross is clearly a bit smarmy, but I have to give him some credit for pursuing the degree. He has made some attempt to understand his oponent's view. He exposed himself to information that might have undermined his religious faith. I'm rather surprised he could get the advanced degree and still hold on so tightly to his young Earth beliefs. Not necessarily a positive endorsement of the university's courses or requirements for a degree!

Any attempt to prevent individuals like Mr. Ross from pursuing certain science degrees would likely backfire by further driving a wedge between science and religious fundamentalists.

I would say a greater problem is the tendency for religious fundamentalists -- or any other fundamentalist -- to isolate themselves from contradictory information. Indeed, universities should encourage them to enroll in courses about geological history, evolution, et cetera. The fundamentalists might find out the science actually makes sense.

I would go so far as to dare a religious fundamentalist to study evolution with an open mind. It will shake their world view.

Forward!

Thanks, WiscIdea, for your thoughtful comments on this difficult subject.

On "a religious law that forbids lying": Ha.  You are right, of course, almost every moral code forbids lying.  And yet, we manage to do it, all the time.  Lying is our favorite sin.  Nay, it is fairly necessary, else civilization would crumble.

You write:
<<
I'm rather surprised he could get the advanced degree and still hold on so tightly to his young Earth beliefs. Not necessarily a positive endorsement of the university's courses or requirements for a degree!
>>

That is a very good observation.  Why did his prohibitive religious beliefs not emerge earlier, during his course work?  Why did his examination questions not identify him as an anti-scientist?

And that is what he is, an anti-scientist.  Degrees from universities are not really documents telling us how much work a student has done, and what kind of work that person is prepared to do.  They do indeed tell us that kind of information.  But more important, they tell us something significant about what the degreed person really sincerely believes.

If you have a Ph.D. in geology from Penn State, say, that means not only that you are in control of all kinds of geologic knowledge and methodologies.  It also means that you "profess" that science; you sincerely believe that that science tells us something significant about the universe.  And by the same token, a "young Earth" cosmology would be a violation of what you personally, morally, considerately, devotedly believe in.

Chickens are our cousins! So are other sensitive animals! Enough is enough! No more factory farms!