Meet the Creationist

PZ Myer:

A scientist, Charles L. Rulon, debated an ID creationist, and here are the opening remarks he gave to justify joining in the debate. He first gave a list of reasons to not
debate, which I'll summarize in my own words here:

It pits oratory against science in a venue where you'll be judged on your rhetoric.

It gives publicity to creationists.

Creationists can generate more lies more quickly than you can refute.

Debates artificially give equal time to two sides, falsely elevating creationist trivia to equality with scientific substance.

The debates are often used to recruit members to fundamentalist Christian organizations.

OK, these are all very good reasons, and I agree with them. However, after giving all these reasons to shun debate, Rulon says this:

Today the United States is being confronted with large numbers of scientifically ignorant, politically active Christians who are locked into ultra-religious, anti-scientific views and who want to force these views on others through our elected officials, our courts, and our schools. That's why I'm here today.

I don't know how the debate went, but I doubt that it went well if he began the whole mess with that kind of non sequitur. His reason for going ahead with the debate did not negate the several reasons he had just given for not debating; he missed the whole issue.

Here's the situation: we must engage the public in open discussion of science, and one reason is to combat the ignorance Rulon mentions in his last paragraph. This isn't questioned by any of us who regularly battle with creationists. The question is one of how you're going to engage them, and Rulon's list is a set of arguments that says the generic 'debate' format is inappropriate.

I've been asked to participate in these debates before. Here are some constructive
suggestions on how to respond.

...

Myer follows up with some excellent advice for knowing when it is a trap, trick, or opportunity. And what to do to help or turn the tables...by which we mean make it a serious event, not a circus.