‘SCIENTISTS’ BALDERDASH BEATS GURUS: An international team of researchers have conducted a survey to see whether people have higher regard for statements made by scientists compared with spiritual leaders, even if the people don’t understand what has been stated. To do this they presented people with apparently erudite statements that were really nonsense generated by a computer algorithm that puts together modern-day buzzwords and technical terms into grammatically correct but meaningless sentences. The statements were neither overtly scientific or religious. The team surveyed 10,195 participants from 24 countries, asking them to rate how credible they found the statements. The sources of the statements were ascribed to either a person with a fictitious name and described as “a spiritual authority in world religions” or to someone else with a different fictitious name yet described as “a scientific authority in the field of particle physics”. Overall, the survey revealed people gave higher credibility rating to the “scientific authority” source than the “spiritual leader”, even by people who identified as being “religious”. The research team called this phenomenon the “Einstein effect” and summarised their results: “across all 24 countries and all levels of religiosity, scientists held greater authority than spiritual gurus”. They then concluded: “These findings suggest that irrespective of one’s religious worldview, across cultures science is a powerful and universal heuristic that signals the reliability of information”.
References: Science Alert 13 February 2022; Nature Human Behaviour published online 7 February 2022, doi: 10.1038/s41562-021-01273-8.
ED. COM. This last statement may also sound like it came out of the balderdash producing algorithm, but it does make sense if you understand the term “heuristic” which means enabling someone to discover or learn something for themselves. Therefore, these researchers were claiming that people see science, and therefore the teachings of scientists, as the way to find the truth. It is interesting that even people who considered themselves religious put scientists above spiritual leaders. This has provably happened in the Christian church over the past century and a half, as the evolutionary words of Darwin, Lyell, Dawkins and Attenborough and their followers have been elevated above the Word of God on Six Day Creation, Noah’s Flood and other Biblical issues.
It pays to remember that when something is not true, it won’t ever be made true by being said by scientists, no matter how many university degrees they may have. To find the truth you need to go to the One who is the truth – The Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke the truth and backed up His words with actions that only the Creator could do.
Finally, don’t let anyone bluff you with ‘heuristic’ balderdash or big words. If something looks or sounds like balderdash it probably is, and being said by a scientific or religious authority will not change that. God’s Word uses plain language, meant for all to understand. If someone claiming to have scientific or religious authority tries to make it more complicated than it is, or change the plain meaning to suit current popular theories, don’t let them confuse you. If someone tries to bluff you with big words don’t be intimidated. Politely ask them to explain. If they can’t give you an answer in plain language, they probably don’t know what they are talking about.
We were recently called upon to deal with this issue when we were asked about a book by Ken Coulson, a Science PhD who proposed a new theory that to many appears to reconcile Darwin’s and Lyell’s theories with Genesis. The same author also made claims about dogs and evolution. For our response to both his claims see the questions:
What do you think of the book ‘Creation Unfolding’ by Ken Coulson? Is it evolutionist? Answer here.
Dogs have undergone many changes since people have been breeding them. Surely this is evolution? Answer here. Also see the item on dog genes in this newsletter below.
Further questions related to the issue of scientific authority:
A School Chaplain claims students lose faith unless we teach God used evolution. How do you reply? Answer here.
Can you show me one error made by Richard Dawkins? Answer here.‘https://mailchi.mp/creationresearch.net/creation-research-email-update-23rd-february-2022?e=ce21bf0337
John MacKay
All posts tagged John MacKay
‘Welcome to a world where Chinese leaders are rewriting the Bible to suit communism and make Jesus a sinner like everybody else. Where Trudeau is reportedly behaving as a Communist dictator while Boris in England is removing every last restriction concerning Covid. What a crazy mixed up world where facts are so often FACT CHECKED by experts who portray truth as fiction and sell us lies as fact and persuade governments to punish any who expose their falsehoods. Down under we are looking at MASKS possibly being removed next week but who knows what else after that. Yet a little freedom is a step in the right direction and very much appreciated.
Beware Chinese Communist leaders – God’s Word warns of harsh downfall to any individual or nation who dares interfere with His Word – it’s the beginning of the end of what you do. Beware Trudeau when you treat people like your own pet ants, they will turn and bite, and Boris you could probably do with a little more discretion but you are heading in the right direction mate; and all you scientists who spend your life denying the obvious truth that “God created, that He alone is truth, and He did come to this earth as the sinless Christ to give us the only freedom that truly exists both now and for eternity”.’https://mailchi.mp/creationresearch.net/creation-research-email-update-23rd-february-2022?e=ce21bf0337
RICH DIVERSITY OF FOSSILS FROM “THE ‘DEAD’ HEART OF AUSTRALIA”. A team of researchers in Australia have been studying a mass of exquisitely preserved fossils found in the Central Tablelands in the Australian state of New South Wales. The deposit contains a great variety of plants and animals, including insects, spiders, fish and a bird feather. The fossils are so well preserved that microscopic structures and soft tissues can be clearly seen. Scientists were also able to identify pollen grains on the insects, and the stomach contents of fish. According to Matthew McCurry, of the Australian Museum, who led the study, “Our analyses suggest that the fossils formed when iron-rich groundwaters drained into a billabong, and that a precipitation of iron minerals-encased organisms that were living in or fell into the water.”
The rich diversity of the fossils, including many rainforest plants indicate they lived in a warm, moist environment. McCurry commented: “The fossils we have found prove that the area was once a temperate, mesic rainforest and that life was rich and abundant here in the Central Tablelands, NSW.” The fossil site is dated as 16 million years old, putting it in the Miocene epoch, considered to be a time when Australia was starting to dry out, and the landscape was changing from widespread rainforest to scrubland and arid regions.
Sources: Science Alert and SciTech Daily 7 January 2022, ABC News 8 January 2022 Science Advances 7 January 2022, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abm1406
ED. COM. The description “The ‘Dead’ Heart of Australia” comes from the headline in Science Alert and SciTech Daily. While this may inspire visions of scientists toiling in a lifeless desert in a remote area of outback Australia, the Central Tablelands is a farming and woodland region in the mountain range that runs parallel to the eastern seaboard. This region may not be lifeless, but it is no longer a rainforest. It has a temperate climate with frosty winters, and the areas that are not farmed are dry sclerophyll forest, consisting mainly of gum trees and scrubland. This fossil site, with its rich diversity of plants and animals, is a good reminder that climate change is real and Australia has dried out significantly, but it happened without any human industry.
For those who don’t speak Australian, a billabong is an oxbow lake. However, merely falling into a lake would never preserve the delicate structures and soft tissues found in these fossils. The exquisite preservation of these fossils could only happen if they were rapidly and deeply buried before any decay processes could destroy the delicate structures. Such fine preservation and the huge variety of organisms, including fish, land animals and land plants, fits well however with it being a washed in deposit, where floodwaters have washed across the landscape collecting and mixing whatever was living there and then dumping it quickly.
PS – Climate change has been happening ever since God warned Noah that there would be hot times and cold times as long as the earth endured. See Genesis 8:22.’https://mailchi.mp/creationresearch.net/creation-research-email-update-9th-february-2022?e=ce21bf0337
‘With all the ruckus in the Mid-East try your hand at the test below as The Creation Guy, John Mackay, and the world-wide Creation Research team share both blessings and difficulties in this 19th May email.
MIDDLE EAST IQ TEST
Q. Which nation did God promise He would make great?
Answer: The descendants of Ishmael – the founder of the Arabs (Genesis 21:18)
Q. What is the only nation in the world that can claim God-given land rights?
Answer: The descendants of Israel, aka Jacob, grandson of Abraham via Isaac. (Genesis 15:18-21, 26:1-5 and 35:9-12)
Q. What is the basic cause of the conflict in the Middle East?
Answer: A man listened to his wife instead of listening to God. Read about Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 16.
Q. What caused Abraham to ignore God’s promise to give him and Sarah a son?
Answer: Abraham’s Sin
Q. MULTICHOICE: What is the solution to conflict in the Middle East?
Take the oil wealth off the Arabs?
Send more American smart weapons to Israel?
Get all Christians to support Israel?
None of the above?
Only Answer: It certainly was none of the above which don’t deal with the basic problem of sin that afflicts both Arabs and Jews. As you pray for the peace of Jerusalem, show real love when you share with both Arabs and Jews that their only hope lies in Jesus Christ, who alone can provide forgiveness of their sin. And remember there are Christians in both nations (Arab and Jew) who are doing it tough at present and need your support.
As you do so, remind your friends and enemies that the Creator God has kept His promise to both groups of Abraham’s descendants. The Arabs are certainly great nations actually enriched by the wealth of oil purchased by the rest of the world, and the Jews are certainly tenacious about their God-given land rights, all of which points to another of God’s promises – Christ will be returning as Lord and Judge of all the earth so make sure you are ready!
PS: The Middle East situation is a good illustration of the scriptural principle that the origin of something always determines the meaning, so beware any who skip Genesis in order to preach the Gospel. It can’t be done!’https://creationresearch.net/
The following is the 2021 Easter Creation Conversations between John Mackay and Joseph Hubbard.
Genesis 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Most of us want clean air, clean drinkable water and a rubbish free environment. However, what the climate scammers are pushing really has nothing to do with any of the three. The climate scammers want to restrict our living standards and tax us for the privilege of living a lifestyle technology has provided so far. The climate scammers want to replace God the Creator.
Drought and famines have occurred on this earth for millenniums. Here are some Scriptures showing such.
Genesis 12:10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
Genesis 26:1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
Genesis 41:56, 57 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. 57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.
1Kings 17:7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
Famine is usually caused by the lack of rain so one should get the point by now that God is in control! This Climate Scam is all about doing away with God, more taxes, and more government intervention into the lives of the people. In the following video John MacKay speaks to that point. Even though this was a talk he gave in Scotland back in 2007 it is as relevant today as it was then.
Genesis 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee…
Matthew 27:29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
In my own opinion, Australian Creationist, John Mackay destroys the Professor in this debate. The ultimate question is; how did LIFE come from non-life?!
whatyareckon 