In the United States (and exported around the world) “creation science” proponents claim that Christian special creationism can be supported through the data and theory of science. Such claims vary from ideas that even many nonscientists find difficult to believe, such as a young (6,000 years old) Earth, to more persuasive – but equally unscientific – ideas dealing with the complexity of biology and the orderliness of the Universe – the so-called “anthropic principle”. Because factual claims of creationists have been refuted through science, “intelligent design” creationists largely have avoided making fact claims, and have attempted to shift the public focus to philosophy of science. Partly as a result of this approach, more of the public has been confused into thinking that creationism can be made a science.

A presentation at
denkfest Zürich
a conference on critical thinking and skepticism
organized by the Zürich Freethinkers