by Herb Silverman

Feb. 5, 2014

The atheist community is deeply divided about religious fundamentalism and creationism, but not about whether such preposterous claims have any validity. They disagree on whether scientists should debate fundamentalists about the “science” of the Bible. I think both sides have reasonable arguments in the debate on whether to debate.

Here are arguments against debating: What’s to debate? Evolution is–true! That a man named Noah put pairs of all species from a 6000-year-old earth in an ark he built when he was 600 years old is–false! Sharing a stage with creationists just lends them credibility. In any case, evidence will eventually win. Debates are often more about oratory skill than evidence. Preachers and pseudoscientists usually have more debating experience and skills than do scientists. Should we also debate Holocaust deniers or members of the Flat-Earth Society? 

To read the rest of this Huffington Post story, click here.

Herb Silverman is founder and President Emeritus of the Secular Coalition for America, AHA board member, and author of Candidate Without a Prayer: An Autobiography of a Jewish Atheist in the Bible Belt.