Carl Baugh

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Carl Edward Baugh (born October 21, 1936) is an American young earth creationist. He and several others are known for claiming to have discovered human and dinosaur footprints together in rocks near the Paluxy River in Texas. Baugh's research has put him at odds with other young earth creationists. His claims are completely rejected by the scientific community as pseudoscience.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Born in Kenedy, Texas, Baugh graduated in 1955 from Abilene High School in Abilene, Texas. Baugh presides over the Creation Evidence Museum he established in July 1984 in Glen Rose, Texas, near the Dinosaur Valley State Park. He also appears on a weekly Trinity Broadcasting Network show called "Creation in the 21st Century" and is president and Ph. D alumnus of the Pacific International University, which many have accused of being a diploma mill.[1][2]He has been given television exposure by the tele-evangelist Kenneth Copeland. He has authored several books on such topics as the age of the universe, dinosaurs coexisting with humans and critiques of evolution.[3]

[edit] Controversy and criticism

In his 1992 book, Panorama of Creation, Baugh claims that a layer of metallic hydrogen surrounded the early earth. Furthermore, he professes that hexagonal water, or, "Creation water" as he calls it, is capable of healing. Such claims were addressed by scientists as pseudoscience[2], and his theories and degrees are not accepted in academia.

Creationists such as Answers in Genesis have criticized Baugh's claims.[4]

Baugh's claim to have found human and dinosaur footprints together in rocks near the Paluxy River has been proven false by various studies in several scientific discplines. Massimo Pigliucci, citing various research, wrote "there is no controversy surrounding the prints, only the creationists' stubborn refusal to bow to the evidence."[5]

Baugh has claimed several degrees, at one point professing to earning three doctorates.[6] All three "doctorates" are from unaccredited "schools." One is an honorary "Doctor of Philosophy in Theology" from the California Graduate School of Theology (not accredited). His 1989 "doctorate" comes from Pacific International University (not accredited), a distance education only "school" Baugh was the president of. His dissertation titled "Academic Justification for Voluntary Inclusion of Scientific Creation in Public Classroom Curricula, Supported by Evidence that Man and Dinosaurs Were Contemporary" was reviewed at the "Talk Origins Archive" website as including "descriptions of his field-work on the Paluxy river 'man-tracks', speculation about Charles Darwin's religious beliefs and phobias, and biblical evidence of Adam's mental excellence."[1] In 2005, Baugh completed a Doctorate degree in Theology from the unaccredited Louisiana Baptist University.[7]

[edit] Pacific International University

See main article Pacific International University

Baugh is currently the president of Pacific International University, of which he is also a 1989 alumnus. The university has no accreditation and offers doctorates for a lump sum payment.[8] The fees range up to 2,500-3,000 USD for a Doctor of Theological Studies degree. The school has an "administrative office," but no campus, so no classes are held on site.[9] There are no minimum educational requirements to apply other than two references, one academic and one church related.[10] Nonetheless, the university notes it "is in good standing with the American Accrediting Association of Theological Institutions, Inc. (North Carolina) and is also a member of the Association of Christian Colleges and Theological Schools (Louisiana)," but for legal reasons makes it known that "these memberships do NOT constitute accreditation by the U.S. Office of Education."[11] In the United States, without recognition from the United States Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, such "accreditations" are considered "bogus" by the academic community.[12] It is unknown if the school is currently operating.

[edit] Education

[edit] Bibliography

  • Dinosaur Promise Publishing (paperback) - 1987, 152 pages, ISBN 0-939497-01-8
  • Panorama of Creation Hearthstone Publishing, Ltd. (paperback) - 1992, 91 pages, ISBN 1-879366-01-0
  • Jurassic Park: Fact Vs. Fiction (with Bill Uselton) Hearthstone Publishing, Ltd. (paperback) - 1993, 30 pages, ISBN 1-879366-35-5
  • Footprints and the Stones of Time (with Clifford Wilson) Hearthstone Publishing, Ltd. (paperback) - 1994, 162 pages, ISBN 1-879366-17-7
  • Why Do Men Believe Evolution Against All Odds? Hearthstone Publishing, Ltd. (hardcover) - 1999, 160 pages, ISBN 1-57558-049-7

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ George Brown. Protecting Australia's Higher Education System from Australian Universities Quality Agency
  2. ^ a b A Matter of Degree-Carl Baugh's Alleged Credentials from talk.origins (Originally published in NCSE Reports Vol 9, No. 6, Nov-Dec. 1989.)
  3. ^ Greg Neyman. Creation Science Exposed: Creation Evidence Museum Lacks Evidence!. Answers in Creation.
  4. ^ What About Carl Baugh?
  5. ^ Massimo Pigliucci. Denying Evolution: Creationism, Scientism, and the Nature of Science (Sinauer, 2002): ISBN 0878936599 page 246
  6. ^ A Matter of Degree: Carl Baugh's Alleged Credentials by Glen J. Kuban, NCSE Reports Vol 9, No. 6, Nov-Dec. 1989. (Updated August 2006)
  7. ^ a b Tobia, P.J. "Reading, Writing and Jesus: What nearby schools don’t know about the Bible class they soon may be teaching", Nashville Scene, October 19, 2006. Accessed December 19, 2007. "While there are a few reputable legal and theological minds from solid universities associated with the group, they are far outnumbered by the likes of Carl Baugh, who holds a Ph.D. in theology from Louisiana Baptist University, an unaccredited online school."
  8. ^ Pacific International University-Fees from Pacific International University
  9. ^ Pacific International University-Contact Information from Pacific International University
  10. ^ Pacific International University-Application from Pacific International University
  11. ^ Pacific International University-Recognition
  12. ^ Fact Sheet for Diploma Mills from Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

[edit] External links

[edit] Official

[edit] Critical of Baugh

[edit] Education resources