Kurt Wise

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Kurt Wise

Kurt Patrick Wise is an American young earth creationist with a background in paleontology.

Noted for being a young-earth Creationist, he obtained his degree from Harvard University under the advisement of the famous evolutionist Stephen Jay Gould. Beginning in August 2006, Wise currently teaches at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he leads the seminary's Center for Theology and Science. He replaces intelligent design creationist William Dembski. [1]

1 Controversy and criticism
2 On Christian colleges
3 Education
4 External links
5 References

[edit] Controversy and criticism

Wise has been called the "most honest" creationist by Richard Dawkins, as opposed to others who purposely deceive their audiences (according to Dawkins).^[1] Yet, he is criticized for his predetermined conclusions in that Wise wrote "if all the evidence in the universe turns against creationism, I would be the first to admit it, but I would still be a creationist because that is what the Word of God seems to indicate."^[1] Thereby, Wise openly admits no matter how much evidence proves evolution and disproves creationism, he plainly admits he would still be a creationist. Dawkins responded that "this leaves me, as a scientist, speechless. I cannot imagine what it must be like to have a mind capable of such doublethink." This is because "we have it on the authority of a man who may well be creationism’s most highly qualified and most intelligent scientist that no evidence, no matter how overwhelming, no matter how all-embracing, no matter how devastatingly convincing, can ever make any difference."^[1]

However, Wise suggests this is not "doublethink" because he does not think the evidence is going to "prove" evolution in any way.^{[citation needed]} Wise contends "evidence" is merely data with an interpretation, and thus Wise begins with "the Word of God" whereas evolutionists begin with the assumption that there is no such revelation.^{[citation needed]} It is from those assumptions of worldview, Wise contends, that determine what one then sees as evidence "for" or "against" one view or the other.^{[citation needed]} Wise is here considering the issues of theory-ladenness, although he is adopting a specific position on this - that evidence may arbitrarily fit any worldview equally well - that is, at the very least, an extremely controversial one in the philosophy of science.

Dr. Wise has also been criticized by other Christians who are old Earth creationists, such as Answers In Creation.^[2]

[edit] On Christian colleges

In an article he wrote for Answers in Genesis, Wise expressed concern for the status of the young Earth belief at Christian colleges and universities where, by his own estimate, "probably more than 90%" of the professors do not believe in a young Earth. He knows of only five regionally accredited Christian colleges that offer young Earth oriented biology degrees and none that offer geology degrees with a young Earth emphasis. He organization cites with concern a survey of Wheaton College students which indicated that while 47% of incoming students believed in a young Earth (about the U.S. national average), only 27% did so at the time the survey was taken.^[3] Wise has said that "we need to train Southern Baptist pastors to equip young people to engage Darwinism from elementary school on. We also need to train Southern Baptists to recognize Darwinist thinking in ways that are subtle that they don't even recognize."