ELI5 - Why Creationism Fails

Basic question: What is the best way to work out what is correct?

Do you gather all the available evidence, then figure out an explanation that fits all the facts?
or
Do you claim that you already know the answer, ignore all the facts that contradict your answer, and search for things you can tell yourself to cheer yourself up?



PRATTS (POINTS REFUTED A THOUSAND TIMES)

Creationists don't have any facts at all to support their belief that everything was magically created about 6000 years ago.

All they can do is try to cast doubt on Evolution.

They have a few dozen points that they trot out every time, in the hope that these can outweigh the millions of facts supporting Evo.

They are called PRATTS for good reason - they have been conclusively shown to be wrong, misleading or deliberately deceptive.

But, it's all they've got, so they keep desperately trotting them out.



Evo Is Just A Theory

Why Are There Still Monkeys?.

Where do you get the increase in genetic material?.

Mutations are just random.

2nd Law of Thermodynamics.

Science Is A Belief System Too.

Sometimes Science Is Wrong ....

Piltdown Man.

There are Things Evo Hasn't Explained Yet (God of the Gaps)

But the world looks designed

Some things are too complex to have evolved.

The world is perfectly tuned for Life.

Were you there?.









EVO IS THE BEST EXPLANATION SO FAR

The Theory of Evolution is an explanation of what we see in nature If you don't "like" Evo, it's not enough to come up with negative criticisms.

You need to suggest a better explanation - one that fits the observable facts.

Until you can come up with a better explanation, and provide evidence to back it up, you're just dealing with unsubstantiated ideas.

10 Things Explained by Evolution.

Cancer and Evolution.

Why is it so hard for Christians to understand evolution?.

Science.

Evolution of Religions.





IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE?

Creationism.

Intelligent Design.

What The Law Says.

God put the fossils there as a test of our faith.





THE WORLD IS A LOT MORE THAN 10,000 YEARS OLD

Geology

Continental Drift

American ignorance.

Old Earth Breaks the Theology

Grand Canyon as example of Creationist mis-information





THE BIBLE IS WRONG

Replacing the Fairytales.

Fiction all made up .... .

... by really ignorant people.

Garden of Eden.

God of Evil.

God's Limited Power.

Noah's Ark.

The Problem(s) With Heaven.

Cain and Abel and God.

Power of Prayer.

What Works - Prayer or Science?.

Which bits do you believe?.

The Bible tells me it's true.

What can we check?.

The myths about Dec 25.





DIVERSIONARY TACTICS

If It Wasn't For The Bible, There Would Be No Morality.

But Evo doesn't say how the world began, or how life got started.

Darwin = Satan.

What will happen to your soul?.

The Magic Phrases That Creationists Hide Behind.





(FAILED) APPEAL TO AUTHORITY

Various Creationist groups have gone round collecting names of 'scientists' who they claim support the idea of Divine creation. But, as usual, their signatories don't stand up to the scrutiny of the Internet. Wikipedia has a detailed analysis of the claims.

As a tongue-in-cheek response, the National Center for Science Education started "Project Steve", a list of living scientists a list of scientists with the first name "Steve" (or non-English variants of the name) who support evolution, and who gave consent to the use of their name. As of 09 February 2012 the list contained 1187 signatures, of which two-thirds are qualified biologists. The signatories to Project Steve are overall far more consistently active scientists and researchers with real credentials. By comparison, in 2012, "A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism" had only 12 signatories whose names would have qualified them for the Steve list per 2012. The twelve constitute a motley crew that contains two non-scientists (Meyer, Cheesman), certified crackpots (Gift), and one single biologist named C. Steven Murphree, who, to add insult to injury, later repudiated his involvement with DI and signed Project Steve instead.

Taking the issue more seriously, a group of clergy are running a similar scheme, called the Clergy Letter Project, but this one is gauging religious support for Evolution, and deploring the dishonesty of the Creationist groups. Currently it has over 13,000 signatures.



but ..but ... ATHEISTS ARE BAD

Atheists hate religion.

Stephen Fry.

The difference between Atheists and Fundies.

Other Haters.





THE LOSING BATTLE

Why Religious People Lose Their Faith.

Losing the Battles.

The Young Are Atheists.

Demons and Witches? Really?.

Vatican condemns Creationism.

a Mormon Evolves.

A Baptist Minister explains why he became an atheist

The Flying Spaghetti Monster.





RELIGIONS ARE DANGEROUS

(Or, why religious leaders are not respected by society at large)

1000's of gods.

Child Abuse.

Hypocrites in Charge

Cherry Picking Morality.

Christians Behaving Badly.

The Rigid Righteous.

The Evils Done In Name of Religion.

Brainwashing.

Waiting for the Rapture.

How To Believe.

Stupid People Doing Stupid Things.

It's All Part of God's Plan