Walt Brown (creationist)

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For other persons of the same name, see Walter Brown.
Walt Brown
Walt Brown

Walter T. Brown is an American engineer and young earth creationist (YEC), who is the director of his own ministry called the Center for Scientific Creation. Brown has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also served in the US military, from which he retired in 1980.

Brown wrote In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood, in which he claims to provide evidence against evolution and for creation science and flood geology (including hydroplates). It is divided into three sections, the first of which explores discoveries made by scientists that Brown says do not fit the theory of evolution. The second section outlines various alternate explanations to geological and astronomical subjects such as the mid-oceanic ridge and comets, which Brown asserts modern science cannot explain. The third and final section presents a variety of other questions encountered in the creation-evolution controversy.

Philosopher Robert T. Pennock describes Brown's position as being typical, other than the unique feature of his hydroplates hypothesis, of YECs in desiring to explain all major terrestrial features in terms of a catastrophic Biblical flood.[1]

Walter Brown is briefly mentioned as one of the leaders of the creationism movement in The Skeptics Dictionary.[2]

Contents

[edit] Biography

Since retiring from the military in 1980, Brown has been the Director of the Center for Scientific Creation and has worked full time in research, writing, and speaking on origins theory.[3]

In 1998, Brown was appointed to a committee reviewing Arizona's state science standards. However evolution was retained in the Arizona state science standards after a final decision in August, 1998.[4][5]

[edit] Criticism and debate

TalkOrigins reports that Walt Brown has had contentious relations with other creationist organizations.[6][7] Answers in Genesis has a standing offer to Brown to publish some of his material in their journals[8] but Brown has declined.[7] The old earth creationist organization Answers in Creation has published material rebutting Brown's hydroplate theory.[9] The Christian American Scientific Affiliation website features a debunking of Brown's video "God's Power and Scriptures Authority" by Steven H. Schimmrich of Kutztown University.[10]

Brown also has repeatedly claimed that no "evolutionist" will engage in a written debate with him,[11] but has been accused of discouraging or avoiding such debates.[12][7][13] An abortive attempt at such a debate was held in 1989 and 1990 in the pages of Creation/Evolution, the National Center for Science Education journal, before Brown refused to continue.[14] Joe Meert of Gondwana Research, a journal promoting research related to the origin and evolution of continents, had a signed contract for such a debate with Walter Brown in 2000. Brown apparently disputed the terms of the signed contract and it did not take place;[15] although Brown has his own account of the situation.[16] Walt Brown has taken part in at least some verbal debates, including one with Georgia State University biology professor Fred K. Parrish.[17]

[edit] Books

Self-published by Brown (as the Center for Scientific Creation):

[edit] References

  1. ^ Pennock, Robert T. (February 28, 2000). Tower of Babel: The Evidence Against the New Creationism. The MIT Press, 451 pages. ISBN 026266111X. , p13
  2. ^ Creationism and creation science, The Skeptics Dictionary: A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions, Robert Todd Carroll, Wiley; 1st edition, August 15, 2003, ISBN 0471272426
  3. ^ "About the Author," Center for Scientific Creation, In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood (7th ed.) (online edition). Accessed 27 December 2007. ISBN 1932307222
  4. ^ Evolution Included Into the Arizona Science Standards, Steve Rissing, ACEPT Newsletter, Volume 3 Spring 1999
  5. ^ Evolution education now added to state high school standards, Jayson Peters Arizona State University State Press, Aug. 25, 1998
  6. ^ talkorigins.org Walter Brown's Debate Offer
  7. ^ a b c More on Walter Brown's debate offer, Jim Foley ,TalkOrigins, September 30, 2004
  8. ^ Maintaining Creationist Integrity: A response to Kent Hovind, Carl Wieland, Ken Ham and Jonathan Sarfati, Creation Ministries International website, 11 October 2002 updated 16 December 2002 and 2 August 2006
  9. ^ Creation Science Rebuttals: Center for Scientific Creationism Walter Brown's Hydroplate Model, Glenn R. Morton, Answers in Creation website, copyright 2003
  10. ^ Re: Walter Brown Jr. Video, Steven Schimmrich, American Scientific Affiliation, March 9, 1998
  11. ^ The Global Flood as You've Never Seen It, Christian Broadcasting Network News, 30 November 2007. Accessed 27 December 2007.
  12. ^ Fossil Hominids: Response to In the Beginning, Jim Foley, TalkOrigins website, February 21, 2002
  13. ^ Claim CA342, Mark Isaak, Index to Creationist Claims, TalkOrigins, Copyright © 2004
  14. ^ A Final Response to Walter Brown, Jim Lippard, Creation/Evolution, Issue 27 (Volume 10, Number 2 - Summer 1990)
  15. ^ Walt Brown's Pseudochallenge, Joe Meert, Gondwana Research website, updated March 26 2006
  16. ^ Summary of Joe Meert/Walt Brown Communications Concerning a Written Debate, "Peggy", TrueOrigin website
  17. ^ I Was Suckered Into A Debate—And Survived!, Fred K. Parrish, Creation/Evolution, XXII, 1988.

[edit] External links

[edit] Brown

[edit] Critical of Brown