I think we also have to call the denialists on their pretending that the weight and preponderance of the evidence doesn’t matter. I compare it to a murder trial where the prosecutor tells the jury that they must convict the defendant because:
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His wallet with driver’s license was found at the murder scene.
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His DNA was found on the murder weapon found at the murder scene.
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A neighbor saw the defendant running from the murder scene seconds after all of the neighbors heard a gun shot.
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The victim’s blood was all over the defendant’s clothes when he was apprehended.
But the defendant’s attorney says to the jury, “My client COULDN’T have murdered the deceased because I have this quotation from his girlfriend, ‘My boyfriend was with me all evening and I am absolutely, positively certain of that! Besides, everybody knows that he is a paragon of virtue who could not possibly have murdered anyone. Besides, all of that stuff you’ve been told is just circumstantial evidence based on the fact that all of the neighbors, the prosecutor’s office, the forensic lab, and the police are all biased against him. But most of all, were any of you actually there to see who committed the crime? No! Nobody knows who killed the deceased. So there is not a shred of evidence for the murder charges!’ Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is exactly what his girlfriend said and anybody who says that she didn’t say that is lying After all, lying is all that they do.”
Then the defendant’s attorney summarizes the case: "My client’s girlfriend is the most honest person who ever lived and is an authority on forensic evidence because she has read dozens of crime novels. So her sworn testimony outweighs everything the prosecutor claims. Besides, the prosecutor spends all of his time accusing people of crimes and he even gets a big salary to do exactly that! That’s all he ever does! Not once has he ever come into this courtroom to say that somebody was innocent. So he is OBVIOUSLY biased. It should be clear to anyone with common sense that the police, the forensic lab, the neighbors, and even the news media are biased and have conspired against my client. Remember, truth is not a matter of numbers or some alleged consensus!
That is all too close to what these kinds of debates are like. Young Earth Creationism depends upon being able to keep a straight face. I have far more respect for the rare and candid YEC who simply looks at me and admits:
“I don’t know much about the scientific evidence. I just know that my trust is in the Bible and when I read it, it sounds to me like the earth is young and that God made all of the animals exactly like they are today. God spoke and they suddenly appeared full-grown and ready to multiply. That’s what I believe because I trust the Bible with all of my heart and I don’t think God wanted us to think much beyond our first impression when we read a Bible passage. Clearly, God created everything and wants me to love and obey him. That’s what I know. Jesus loves me and died for me. I’m going to focus on that.”
I wish more Young Earth Creationists would say that! I love that kind of honesty.