Duane Gish

Dr Duane Tolbert Gish (born February 17 1921) is an American young earth creationist and biochemist who is best known as vice-president of the Institute for Creation Research.

Biography

Gish, a twin, was born in White City, Kansas, the youngest of nine children. He received a BS degree from UCLA in 1949 and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1953. He is the author of several books and articles espousing the tenets of creation science.

Gish was an Assistant Research Associate at Berkeley, and an Assistant Professor at Cornell University Medical College, before joining The Upjohn Company as a Research Associate in 1960. According to Sydney Fox:

Duane Gish has scientific credentials. As a biochemist, he has synthesized peptides, compounds intermediate between amino acids and proteins. He has been co-author of a number of publications in peptide chemistry.¹

Thus many creationists give special credence to his detailed critiques of chemical evolution.

In 1971 he joined the faculty at the newly established Christian Heritage College and its research division, which later became the Institute for Creation Research.

In his efforts to promote the tenets of creation science, Gish frequently debates prominent and well-known evolutionary scientists, with mixed results. For example, in reporting Gish's televised evolution/creation debate with fellow biochemist Russell Doolittle before 5,000 people at Liberty University on 13 Oct 1981, Science described the debate as a ‘rout’ in favour of Gish.² The next day, the debate was reported by Washington Post under the headline "Science Loses One to Creationism". The sub-headline cited Doolittle's remark: "How am I going to face my wife?" which indicates that Doolittle himself acknowledged defeat. However, at a debate at the University of Sydney with Professor Ian Plimer from the University of Newcastle in 1985, he was beaten and publicly stated he would never debate Professor Plimer again. Scientific opinion, however, is not formed on the basis of public debates. It has been remarked by many that if Gish had a valid hypothesis, then he would do better to put it through the normal scientific verification process - peer review - rather than pandering to public opinion through debates. The fact that he has not done so casts great doubt on the validity of his theories.

In addition, Gish has been severely criticized by evolutionary biologists for the debating tactics that he allegedly employs. The talk.origins archive describes him as "a master of quick wit, the ad hominem, the strawman, and the non sequitur argument". Gish has been denounced by his critics as being either intentionally dishonest, or simply deluded by his religious convictions. Gish responds to these critics by claiming that the people who make these charges are anti-creationists who simply will not concede to any scientific point against evolution.

In responding to one of his critics, Gish stated:

The subject of origins, especially when cast in the context of an evolutionary versus a supernatural origin, is very contentious and obviously encourages an all out effort to destroy the opposition by whatever means available. We creation scientists nevertheless are shocked by the vicious unprincipled attack against our integrity and science. … I never attempt to challenge the integrity or good character of my opponents. But when subjected to this sort of abuse I do point out to the audience that to resort to such tactics is an admission that my opponent's position is weak.

External links

• Duane Gish, Ph.D. — Creation Scientist (http://www.icr.org/creationscientists/gish.html)
• Creationism: Bad Science or Immoral Pseudoscience? (http://mypage.direct.ca/w/writer/gish.html), Joyce Arthur, Skeptic, Vol. 4, No. 4, 1996, pp. 88–93.
• Gish's response to the above (http://mypage.direct.ca/w/writer/gish-response.html)

Notes

1. Sidney W. Fox, The Emergence of Life: Darwinian Evolution from the Inside (NY: Basic Books, 1988), p. 46.
2. Lewin, R., Science 214:638, 1981.