Creationism and Conspiracy Theories
If Christians need an example of how the label “conspiracy theorist” is being used to discredit any opinions that dissent from mainstream narratives, look no further.
If Christians need an example of how the label “conspiracy theorist” is being used to discredit any opinions that dissent from mainstream narratives, including the mainstream position that the Bible is outdated and that Christianity is false, look no further than this article from Snopes (the internet’s first well-known “factchecking” website):
“Many people around the world looked on aghast as they witnessed the harm done by conspiracy theories such as QAnon and the myth of the stolen US election that led to the attack on the US Capitol Building on January 6. Yet while these ideas will no doubt fade in time, there is arguably a much more enduring conspiracy theory that also pervades America in the form of young Earth creationism. And it’s one that we cannot ignore because it is dangerously opposed to science.”
Even if you hold to an “old earth” view of creationism, please pay attention to how widely held Christian beliefs are being maligned as “conspiracy theories.” I wrote about conspiracy theories at length in an earlier post, but I want to reiterate here that Christians and non-Christians alike must strive to discover what is actually true about our world and reject those who label others as “conspiracy theorists” simply because they hold minority viewpoints (in this case, 40% of American adults are said to hold to young earth creationism!).
Finally—and this is important—notice the claim at the end of the excerpted paragraph above: “[young earth creationism] *is dangerously opposed to science.*” Similar claims throughout the article:
“[T]heir creationism is completely hostile to science, while paradoxically claiming to be scientific.”
“[T]he present-day creationist movement is a fully fledged conspiracy theory. It meets all the criteria, offering a complete parallel universe with its own organisations and rules of evidence, and claims that the scientific establishment promoting evolution is an arrogant and morally corrupt elite.”
“Like other conspiracy theorists, creationists immunise themselves from fact-based criticism. They label the study of the past as based on unprovable assumptions, thus disqualifying in advance the plain evidence of geology.”
The author of this article is not relying on science to “debunk” the claims of young earth creationists (at least not on what “science” has historically been understood to mean); rather, the author’s position reflects a belief in what is more rightly called “scientism,” which is worthy of greater treatment in another post. For now, though, pay close attention to how anyone who does not hold to the author’s position is said to be “dangerously opposed to science.” I have heard this phrase (and many variations of it) almost countless times over the past year. Anyone—literally anyone, including actual scientists—who questioned the mainstream narrative on covid was maligned as an anti-science conspiracy theorist. It should not be surprising, then, that these same dismissive labeling tactics are also employed when it comes to young earth creationism.
To my Christian brothers and sisters, please see through the labels that are continually being employed to discredit dissenting views. Take the time to carefully search for what is actually true about covid, creationism, and so much more. We owe it to our neighbors to think carefully and critically if we hope to love them well.