This forum is great

Hi, I've been reading here for a little while. I wanted to say that as a resource, this forum and TalkOrigins must rank as some of the best on the internet.I joined a forum a few months ago on a completely unrelated subject, but the list owner is a YEC and the forum seems to attract large numbers of these people. They slipped in all kinds of assertions and ideas that seemed weird and wild to me, but for the most part I ignored them. "If evolutionists are so confident then why haven't any of them taken Kent Hovind up on his $250,000 offer?" etc etc. And who was Kent Hovind anyway?Once I discovered TalkOrigins, I did indeed find the confidence to start taking these arguments on, after educating myself in what creationism is all about and what their agenda is. There is a lot of good info here too from people who are obviously experts in their fields, and I'm glad I'll be able to come here if I get stuck in an argument with a creationist. It has to be said that none of them seem to want to debate with me LOL, though I give my evidence as politely as possible, so they need not fear being insulted by me.Originally I have to admit I was a bit daunted by the sheer expertise here. I am a high school English teacher, not a scientist. But as such, the idea of children being taught creationist "science" while being kept in ignorance about evolution and so many other related disciplines, fills me with outrage. I think I might find my way to one or two threads where this is being discussed. In the meantime I've been making notes of facts, arguments and rebuttals here for use in case any of the YECs on my other forum give a challenge.RAZD, Jar and all the rest, I love your posts. You guys are brilliant Thanks for all the work you put in here.Linda.

Wow, thanks guys! It's great to hear from you, after I've been reading so many of your posts.I'm still finding my way around the forum, and reading. Not so sure where I can contribute just yet, still looking. There are a lot of scientific discussions that are very informative but which I don't think I'd be able to contribute to in any meaningful way. (Doesn't stop the creationists though LOL.)I think the YECs at my other forum were taking me for a ride at first, because I didn't really know what they were talking about. They would toss out tidbits like the Hovind "offer" and not explain who he is or what the offer is all about. Actually it only took me a few minutes of searching on the internet to find out about this, when I decided it was time to look, and counter what was being said. The YECs could do the same but obviously many of them refuse to consider anything other than what people on websites like AiG say. Very sad. But thanks for the info here too about Hovind, I will have a look.It's difficult for someone like me to argue with YECs because, while they often cut-and-paste from creationist websites without actually understanding the material themselves, it's written by people who deliberately take the facts and twist them around. So it's up to me to find out what the actual facts are. Not having a background in science, that's why TalkOrigins and this forum are so helpful to me. Must be nice to have all that knowledge at your fingertips without having to look it all up. However, I think one characteristic you and I share is a love of learning, that much is clear. The learning never stops and it's such a pleasure. I certainly have learned a lot since I started researching rebuttals to creationist arguments. Also, I can see how valuable my basic education was. Just elementary and high school science, plus a continuing armchair interest in archaeology, astronomy, and any scientific discoveries in the news. Sometimes that's all a person needs. It's scary to see how lacking in even the most basic facts some of these people are.Archer Opterix, can you tell me where this storytelling thread is that Jar mentioned? I can't seem to find it.Thanks again for the welcome! I expect I'll be reading much more than I'll be talking. But I wanted to let you know that people like me do come here and read and learn. You might be arguing with a steadfast YEC who will not accept the facts in front of their eyes, but just keep in mind that someone else is probably finding the info very useful Linda.

That's great, thanks for all the links. I'd seen the thread about the Center of the Garden but wasn't aware that is was what Jar had referred to; I'll check it out.I have also gathered that (unsurprisingly, given this forum's name) there are creationists in the Admin here too. Sorry about the generalisations in my last post. These things are what I've experienced on another forum, but I don't intend to apply them and throw out insults here. Though if I see anyone mentioning Hovind I'll be happy to share what I've found out LOL; however, I suspect others here would do just as well if not better.I am very much a "jack of all trades." I went to a liberal arts college in the US and studied many subjects, and have continued to do so throughout my life. I know a little about a lot of things. Unfortunately, in having such a broad focus, it means that I have no expertise in anything, apart from maybe pedagogy. I probably would show up my ignorance at a forum specifically for English literature graduates, and that's what my degree is in. I'm discovering, here, what a liability this can be at times. I haven't found a thread yet where I feel I can talk with any authority, but at least now that I have registered I will be able to make a comment if I see an appropriate opportunity.Again, my main point in posting here was to say thank you to all the "evos" for the info. I have been making an FAQ for myself to refer to based on it and am soaking everything else up that I read, as much as I am able. Maybe some of it will come in really handy one day? Who knows. As far as I'm concerned you can never learn enough