Posts Tagged ‘quest for right’

In which I utterly and irrevocably refute The Quest For Right

May 19, 2008

Here it is. Are you ready? Using author C. David Parsons’ own words, I am going to utterly disprove his whole thesis beyond any hope of recovery. Here it comes. Make sure you don’t miss it. This is from his own website:

The vain assertions of geologists are pitted against classical physics, the old physics of cause and effect, and the scientific record of creation, the Bible.

The emphasis is mine, but the inanity is not. Mr. Parsons claims that the bible is a scientific record, without providing any evidence in favor of the claim (and ignoring several mountains of evidence against it.) Has he gone off the deep end? Does he really believe his books could ever be used in a public science classroom bound by the Establishment Clause? Whatever the answers to these questions, the inane statement above should be enough for anyone but the YEC wingnuts to utterly dismiss him.

Here’s a couple of interesting reviews and blog posts (thanks to ADParker of the RichardDawkins.net forums for posting these there.)

Quest For Right – A Review – Not favorable.
The Quest For Wrong – Brief, but satisfyingly devasting.
Quest For Right Is Doing It Wrong – Read this one. It’s hilarious, and provides a nice window into the kind of arguments in the book.

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The Quest for Right (It’s pretty wrong)

May 16, 2008

C David Parsons, author of a series of creationist textbooks called The Quest for Right, left a comment on one of yesterday’s posts. In it, he described the bizarre content of his books, in which he apparently takes on atomic theory and quantum mechanics, as if they both are cornerstones of modern evolutionary theory. I’ll let his words speak for themselves:

The backbone of Darwinism is not biological evolution per se, but electronic interpretation, the tenet that all physical chemical and biological processes result from a change in the electron structure of the atom which, in turn, may be deciphered through the orderly application of mathematics, as outlined in quantum mechanics. A few of the supporting theories are: degrading stars, neutron stars, black holes, extraterestrial water, antimatter, the absolute dating systems, ant the big bang, the explosion of a singularity infinitely smaller than the dot of an “i” from which space, time, and the massive stellar bodies supposedly sprang into being.

The philosophy rejects any divine intervention. Therefore, let the philosophy of Darwinism be judged on these specifics: electron interpretation and quantum mechanics. Conversely, the view that God is both responsible for and rules all the phenomena of the universe will stand or fall when the facts are applied. The view will not hinge on faith alone, but will be tested by the weightier principle of verifiable truths – the new discipline.

The Quest for Right is not only better at explaining natural phenomena, but also may be verified through testing. As a result, the material in the several volumes will not violate the so-called constitutional separation of church and state. Physical science, the old science of cause and effect, will have a long-term sustainability, replacing irresponsible doctrines based on whim. Teachers and students will rejoice in the simplicity of earthly phenomena when entertained by the new discipline.

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