SKEPTIC of SGU discuss 2 CREATIONIST ARGUMENTS

From SGU (Skeptics Guide to the Universe) this week:

The SGU Rogues received the following message from Paul, a listener in Linwood, WA.  They use it to illustrate a logical fallacy (i.e., assuming your conclusion):

"Radio halos proves young earth.  BTW, where is the missing link?  Still missing?  Have a blessed day, and know that God STILL HOLDS YOU IN HIS HEART.  Enjoy your shows very much.  Always amused when man tries to disprove the glory of God's creation.  Take care."

Rogue:  "argument from ridiculous nonsense.'
Rogue:  "there might be some problems with the argument."
Rogue:  "can we get the factual problems out of the way first?"
"we actually did a segment on the 'radio halos.'  Bob, I think you did 'the Polonium Halos' - so just refer you to that previous segment on SGU where went into that in detail.  But no, it doesn't prove a young earth.  That has been completely scientifically demolished.  The Polonium halos are completely consistent with a 4 billion year old earth."
Rogue:  "We've talked about the missing link more than once on this show.  There's no such thing as "THE" missing link.  There ARE, of course, gaps in the fossil record, but you'll never fill in all the gaps to an arbitrary level of detail.  We have found connections between many major groups, including.... I don't know if he's specifically referring to a human- ape missing link.  But we have found and keep finding more examples of hominids filling out the space between humans and our closest ape ancestors.  So this evidence FOR evolution.  This is not a problem for evolution.
"But what do you think about his other sentiments here?"
Rogue:  " 'Have a blessed day' - I got a big problem with that."
Rogue:  "He's offered no evidence that the day is blessed."
Rogue:  "You have no joy in your life, Evan."
Rogue:  "Apparently not, based on that clip you played earlier."
Rogue:  "But he is amused when man tries to disprove the glory of God's creation."
Rogue:  "EVERYthing is the glory of God in his paradigm, so there's no way to prove or disprove... ANYthing."
Rogue:  "I think the main thing to me is, he's assuming his conclusion.  He's making a circular argument here.  He's assuming that God created the earth.  And we're trying to disprove something that he knows to be true:  the glory of God's creation.  The question is, 'Did God create the earth?  Is the earth a product of creation? or evolution?'  That is a question that we can address scientifically.  He's stating his amusement in such a fashion where he's assuming his conclusion.
"Now, I don't know if Paul is sincere in stating that he enjoys our show; and he may be listening to our show , if for no other reason than to 'listen to what the other side has to say.'  And we have been emailed by other people who said that they started listening to our show to hear what the skeptics had to say; and that over time, we slowly won them over.  And in fact, there's a couple who were creationists who listened to our show to mock us.  And then now they're staunch skeptics who reject creationism."
Rogue:  "That is awsome!"
Rogue:  "That is very satisfying."
Rogue:  "We should not give up hope that Paul will eventually come around if he IS listening to our show and absorbing much of it.
"So Paul.... this is my challenge to you:  You brought up 2 challenges to evolutionary theory (1.  The missing link and 2.  Radio halos).  Investigate them honestly.  Take a look at them.  We talked about it.  Do the same research that we did.  And then come back to us.  Email us back, if you're listening to this, and tell us what you think about those arguments after doing some actual research, and looking into what the scientists have to say about these two points.
"Because what we're saying is you're completely, factually wrong on these two points about radio halos and the missing link.  You got it wrong, in my opinion, because you're listening to propaganda, to secondary hostile sources.  You are not listening to what scientists are actually saying.  If you do, you'll see that we are completely right on those two points, and you're completely wrong.
"And if you think that that's incorrect, please explain to me in detail, without gratuitous reference to your conclusions.  Explain to me why those arguments debunk evolution.  We'll be happy to go a round with you on that.
"And that was the real reason why I wanted to talk about this news item."
Rogue:  "Throw down the gauntlet."
Rogue:  "Yeah!"
Rogue:  "Poor guy."

(Then the Rogues went on to discuss an interview with someone)

My resonses:
1.  I don't know what "radio halos" are.  My question is, why do creationists conclude that they prove a young earth theory.
2.  Do skeptics/scientists rightly conclude that because so many gaps in the fossil record have been filled by discoveries over the years, that therefore ALL gaps could be filled if we had unlimited access to the complete fossil record?  Or might there be gaps purposely left by a Creator so that people would necessarily have to rely on their faith for answers?

I don't know what I believe about these questions.  But I do know that, AS AN EVOLVED & CREATED BEING, I must necessarily take into account that I'm part of this "system" before I can honestly assess what is really going on here.  (Q problem?).

IOW, how can the created know the whole story of creation?  And how can the evolved know the whole story of evolution?

Of course, my analysis above is, in turn, subject to this same dilemma:  Would it be different (or worse?  or better?) if it were written from a completely objective point of view?

I'm led to complain, "Who set this up, anyway?  Why is it so completely impossible to be sure about anything?"  I have often recently awakened with the thought that the only sure thing is that I awaken each day, wondering if there's anything else I can be sure of.

There is nothing.

*sigh*

And now I go through my day, hoping for a call or email from David about the mine.

DONE

It's the 3rd of a 4 day weekend, which happens every year at Thanksgiving time.  I recall the feelings I've had in prior years, when I've spent these four days mostly alone.  I like the "luxury" of having almost 4 whole days to do absolutely nothing.

It's not that I'm all that busy the rest of the year/week/my life..... but this feels good.

I should really be elated.  The last call I had from David regarding the mine deal is that the arrangements for the finally payments of the money are..... DONE.

David says this is a word his colleagues have never used before when describing the status of the deal.

David expects the first money to be wired to him on Monday or Tuesday, November 30/December 1.

We shall see.

I've taken the positive nature of this status seriously enough to formulate a plan for the appropriation of the money I get.  I still don't know how much it'll be, and David doesn't know either.

If it's enough to divvy it up, I plan to do so according to my spreadsheet called "WINDFALL."

So anyway, I like the DONE feeling.

I happen to be watching Princess Bride right now.  Others have quoted from the movie, but of course I don't recall the quotes or why they were important to them.  But soon after I turned it on, the cute blond lead replied to the princess (who said something about life being difficult - I really don't remember) with this statement:

"Life is full of pain.  Anyone who says differently is selling something."

I reasoned when I heard this that there must be SOMEone who enjoys life without pain, and is not really selling anything.  I think about two people who seem to be living in opposition to this movie quote:  My father, who enjoyed a lot of his life, and my ex-wife Teresa who, in the wake of our divorce, declared that she was still happy.

But viewed from another perspective, the message of religion (specifically Mormonism) is that we "are that we might have joy."  Are they under an illiusion?  Are we really under a life of pain, and are we deluding ourselves if we think we can be truly happpy?

I don't know.  But perhaps we can be inherently happy in spite of the pains of life, and without thanks to any religion.  Perhaps religion is faking the message - SELLING the message - that happiness can only be found within their message, and by living their recommended way of life.

Perhaps..... EVERYthing.  Dammit.

Well, I have to anticipate a possibly "NOT DONE" status on Monday/Tuesday.  I've been disappointed almost every week for the last 2 years.

And by the way..... YES, the money will help me in a lot of ways.

BUT HEAR THIS, READERS:  (lol - that's funny)

READ THIS, READERS:

I cannot WAIT to work with David.  Because what he has told me about the nature of the work we'll be doing is A GODSEND to me.  I have never liked corporate America.  Yes, I bought into it to varying degrees along the way.  But it was so REFRESHING (there's a better word, I'm sure) to hear about being on the GIVING end of transactions, rather than the SELLING end.

And I can do some good to others.  Help them realize their dreams.  Take some first steps.  Move with them.  I think this will be SO VERY GOOD for me as I wind down my career in this life.

I'm 65.  I might have done it earlier in some way.  But as I evaluate my life, I don't see any other solution.
I'm willing to work.
I'm excited about the nature of this work.
David believes in me.
I can do the work, earn the money, and enjoy the nature of the work.

Sigh.

I have to wait at least until Monday, maybe until Tuesday.

Stay tuned.