There are SO FEW that can both do work in a secular field and come up with a worthwhile result AND remain batshit insane.

Sure, it’d feel good to kick them out of the degree “club” but I’m not sure it’s a net-gain for the perception of science in this very superstitious world.

Maybe a degree should be like a license. It could be revoked for misconduct. After all, it brings disrepute to the school. The school could say “We didn’t teach him that! He obviously learned nothing when he was here.”

Absolutely! I said this myself the other day at Friendly Atheist, and a number of people disagreed with me. I have no problem with revoking a doctorate in science. if someone becomes unhinged and begins teaching creationism.

I just came across a couple of relevant stories recently. Firstly, a NYT article about a young man who last year was awarded a PhD in geosciences at the University of Rhode Island. His doctoral dissertation was on the Cretaceous era, and his adviser said his work was “impeccable”. The only problem is that he doesn’t actually believe what he wrote; he’s a young earth creationist. He said he was “separating the paradigms” (see, he talks like a secular person, so he must be edumacated). He’s now teaching earth science at Liberty U, which is cashing in on the credibility of the secular university that awarded the degree.

I also just read that a few years ago, a creationist got a PhD in evolutionary biology at Harvard. They didn’t want to give it to him, but Stephen Jay Gould defended him. If true, I have to see it as a seriously misguided effort to be fair.

I’m vehemently opposed to this. As Ron said, it brings disrepute to the school, devaluing all future degrees. It also lends a false credibility to the institutions for which the creationist subsequently goes to work. And cracker factories like DI and AIG can say, “See? There are real scientists, with real degrees, who uphold our views.” It’s just a very bad idea.

Frankly, I’m opposed to the presence of conservative evangelicals at secular universities in general (a growing phenomenon). They’re there under false pretenses – they don’t approve of the curriculum, and are only there to get the degree so that they can compete successfully afterward in a world they consider to be “fallen” and “depraved” – and they’re taking away spaces from kids who may not do as well on standardized tests, but would contribute more to the life of the university and would make more worthwhile contributions to society afterward. Of course, there’s no way to implement this, but – pulling science degrees from creationists? I wouldn’t hesitate. Where’s the petition?

The key is that ID (or whatever they are calling it these days) CANNOT be substituted for real biological science. Neither can incorrect biblical history being taught. Etc… If you do that, you don’t get credit! Period! Exclamation Mark!

Not quite.

Ray is a New Zealand non-Aboriginal.