Walter T. Brown (Aug 1937) is an American engineer and young earth creationist, who is the director of his own ministry called the Center for Scientific Creation. According to his self-published book, Brown has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a B.S. from West Point and he served as an officer in the US military until he retired in 1980.[1] The Skeptic's Dictionary considers him to be one of the leaders of the creation science movement.[2] He currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Since retiring from the military in 1980, Brown has been the director of the Center for Scientific Creation and has worked full time in research, writing, and speaking on origins theory.[1] In 1998, Brown was appointed to a committee reviewing Arizona's state science standards. However, evolution was retained in the Arizona state science standards after a final decision in August 1998.[3][4]
In Brown's In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood he suggests evidence against evolution and for creation science and flood geology (including hydroplates). It is divided into three sections, the first of which explores discoveries made by scientists that Brown says do not fit the theory of evolution.[5] The second section outlines various alternate explanations to geological and astronomical subjects such as the mid-oceanic ridge and comets, which Brown asserts modern science cannot explain. The final section presents a variety of other questions encountered in the creation-evolution controversy.
In 1989, the Creation/Evolution journal of the National Center for Science Education published a critique of Brown's theory. Jim Lippard, graduate student of philosophy begins with a criticism focusing primarily on fossil evidence of human evolution.[6] Brown addressed several of Lippard's points in his response,[7] and three further articles were printed: Lippard,[8] Brown,[9] and ending with Lippard, where he asserts that Brown made serious errors, including using "mistaken claims about what others have written."[10] The series of articles does not discuss Brown's Hydroplate Theory, apart from Brown's claim that Lippard "dismisses or ignores the bulk of the book and specifically addresses only a very small fraction of its substance."[9]
Philosopher Robert T. Pennock describes Brown's position as being typical, other than the unique feature of his hydroplates hypothesis, of young-earth creationists in desiring to explain all major terrestrial features in terms of a catastrophic Biblical flood.[11]
TalkOrigins reports that Walt Brown has had contentious relations with other creationist organizations.[12][13] Answers in Genesis has a standing offer to Brown to publish some of his material in their journals[14] but Brown has declined.[13] The old earth creationist organization Answers in Creation has published material rebutting Brown's hydroplate theory.[15] The Christian American Scientific Affiliation website features a debunking of Brown's video "God's Power and Scriptures Authority" by Steven H. Schimmrich of Kutztown University.[16]
Brown also has repeatedly claimed that no "evolutionist" will engage in a written debate with him,[17] but has been accused of discouraging or avoiding such debates.[13][18][19] An abortive attempt at such a debate was held in 1989 and 1990 in the pages of Creation/Evolution, the National Center for Science Education journal, before Brown refused to continue.[10] Joe Meert of Gondwana Research, a journal promoting research related to the origin and evolution of continents, had a supposed signed contract for such a debate with Walter Brown in 2000. It has been said Brown disputed the terms of the signed contract and it did not take place.[20] Brown has mentioned on his website that the actual reason for the debate not taking place was that the debater wanted to add religion and since Dr. Brown is not a theologian, he wanted the debate to be strictly science.[21] According to Georgia State University biology professor Fred K. Parrish, who was "tricked" into an April 1985 public debate with Brown, Brown debates around the U.S. and has a set of preconditions (such as Brown speaks first, the debate moderator sits on his side, etc.).[22]
Self-published by Brown (as the Center for Scientific Creation):