Creationism Kills the Economy. Really?

The recent, greatly anticipated debate between secular science apologist Bill Nye and young earth creationist Ken Ham certainly lived up to its billing. (Replay at debatelive.org.) My general take is each man argued his position on origins and geology pretty well. But the nitty-gritty arguments for old earth evolution or young earth biblical science are not the biggest headline. Broader warnings from Nye are what grabbed my attention the most.

Most importantly, Nye was not at all convincing when it came to his chief concern as a "mainstream" scientist out there in "the real world" who's greatly worried about science education of America's youth and it's effect on our nation's future.  Specifically, he failed at showing a viable connection between skepticism of evolution and a weakening American economy. That's because there is no connection.

To the contrary, Ham easily demonstrated that Darwin doubters, even young earth creationists, contribute greatly to the advancement of practical scientific technologies. Among many notable examples, the inventor of medicine's MRI. So when it comes to actionable breakthroughs in mathematical engineering--nothing if not real science--any beliefs that these pioneers might have related to historical science of biological origins or the age of the earth is utterly perfunctory. Fretting about such beliefs as some kind of economic threat is a childish distraction. Evolution critics can help advance pragmatic, exciting science and improve our way of life as much as anyone, as long as they do the work their respective specialties demand. And Chicken Little's dollar will not fall because of them.

Secularists often say there is insufficient evidence to connect religious beliefs with clearly demonstrable events perceivable by all who live in "the real world."  And so they confuse today's thinking, religious believers with the ancient mindset of, say, Ancient Greece; of believing in a capricious deity or in deities who magically zap the world with no intelligible rhyme, reason, or natural causation.

But it's Bill Nye who actually makes the muzziest of arguments, trying to force two entirely disjointed things together; doubts about Darwin and a collapse of the economy. Not really fitting for The Science Guy.