Arguments

3. Unsolved Mysteries

YECs love to use the Johnnie Cochrane method of debate: attempt to find (or create) inconsistencies in your opponent's theory and then act as if any weaknesses (real or imagined) in your opponent's theory are proof of your theory. In effect, he wants you to choose between "every conceivable aspect of geology and astronomy is absolutely 100% perfectly correct" and "the Bible is the literal truth".

Many have called this the "unsolved mystery fallacy", because it's a type of false dilemma fallacy which presumes that any unsolved mystery automatically means that the Bible is 100% literally true and the Earth is 10,000 years old. It makes no attempt whatsoever to explain the connection, but none of the YECs seem to think this is a problem. Why does every unsolved mystery automatically lead to such a bizarre conclusion? They never explain, and that failing is only made worse by the fact that most of their "unsolved" mysteries are actually solved very easily.

What about human skulls and gold chains found in seams of coal? (Oops!)

Classic YEC false dilemma. Humanity has been mining coal seams for thousands of years, reaching back into the Bronze Age. Moreover, the more primitive mining operations were invariably open-pit operations. So why should he be surprised that jewellery or fossilized remains have been found in coal seams? Considering the fact that we've been hitting these coal seams for millenia, I would be shocked if we didn't find the occasional skull or tool. Hell, I'm surprised we haven't found more.

This type of argument is so typical of creationists: always leap to the most absurd interpretation of any phenomenon, and ignore painfully obvious mundane explanations. It's their modus operandi, since their goal is to destroy science rather than work with it.

What about tree trunks running vertically through "millions of years" of sedimentation?

Another classic YEC false dilemma. Where does this guy think coal seams come from? Coal is often formed from peat, which in turn is formed in bogs and swamps. Got that? Bogs and swamps. Trees exist with their bases and root systems buried under thick swamps or bogs today, so should we be shocked to find an upright tree in a coal seam? Not at all.

Ah, but what about the "millions of years of sedimentation?" Well, when peat compacts into a coal seam, the process is not identical to the formation of, for example, limestone. When creationists say that a tree trunk was found cutting across millions of years of sedimentation, what they're really saying is that the tree trunk was found cutting across what would have been millions of years of sedimentation if it weren't coal. I'm sure that in his mind, this proves something.

Continue to 4. The Big Bang

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