Doug Batchelor is a Seventh-day Adventist and the author of several books. His primary ministry is Amazing Facts, a
worldwide television, radio, and publishing ministry, which should be read with
an emphasis on “Amazing”, not “facts” (his “amazing facts” stand to “facts” as
“toy horse” stands to “toy”). Batchelor is, for instance, a typical young earth creationist.
Though he rejects evolution because it conflicts with a literal reading of the
Bible, he also thinks evolution can be refuted on scientific grounds, and you
can probably already suspect what sorts of PRATTs he’ll offer us (there’s a good discussion here).
According to Batchelor, Darwin deliberately invented evolution to promote atheism,
and atheism leads to eugenics and racism and the Holocaust and to the rejection of morality, Hitler (never mind that Hitler most likely rejected evolution,
but you see: Batchelor’s claim is an Amazing
Fact™, not a fact), as well as
the end of all hope.
Apart from that objection, Batchelor maintains that carbon dating is untrustworthy since “14C has a half-life of 5,700 years,” which means that
it cannot establish the age of anything older than that, according to Batchelor
(also this).
Everything is uncertain, and all of evolution is based on such tenuous
assumptions (no, he doesn’t understand that the central point of science is
that hypotheses are tested, or that hypotheses about the past predict observations at present). Therefore,
evolution requires more faith than creation.
Also, there have been proposed fossils that have turned out to be fraud,
which shows that evolutionists falsify the fossil record for financial gain,
and which means that the whole fossil record can be rejected out of hand.
No. Instead of listening to those who know anything about
the field, Batchelor praises the “science” performed by RATE,
a group that, according to Batchelor, has been “ignored or censored by
evolutionists” (oh yes, they have been mostly ignored; to Batchelor “censored”
is a synonym for “ignored” when it suits him). Indeed, anyone who questions
modern scientific conclusions are “persecuted”,
according to Batchelor. Just watch Expelled,
I suppose.
“I still love science”, says Batchelor, but rejects it
because it conflicts with the Bible.
Currently he runs his own educational institution, Amazing
Facts Center of Evangelism, which surely doesn’t brainwash kids with the truth
and which does allow dissent, only not from the strict religious creed of the
school, of course.
Now, rejecting science is just a small part of what
Batchelor’s ministry is all about. Here are his musings on the role of women in ministry and in leadership (surprise:
Batchelor is against women in leading positions: it “often comes with bad
results, as was the case with Queen Jezebel, who usurped her husband’s
authority”), but I think we have provided a fair and representative picture.
Diagnosis: Rabid, hateful (yes, hateful) fundamentalist. And
he does seem to be rather influential.
Ok, Dave Brat definitely deserves an entry for this bizarre bit of incoherent religiobabble:
ReplyDeletehttp://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2015/05/04/dave-brat-tosses-a-sarah-palin-level-world-salad/
If not that, then his claim--made just a day before--that ISIS has a training camp in Texas (no evidence, of course) surely deserves mention.
You are wrong about Doug Batchelor.
ReplyDeleteDoug Batchelor has my respect and I am not an SDA.
ReplyDeleteUm...so if Evolution requires more faith than Creation, and let's say, for example, that these two theories are plausible, which is the most likely to happen?
ReplyDeletewas a SDA for 20 yrs,Doug is a hebrew charlatan. wake up and come out of these prostitute churches.
ReplyDeleteSo this is the crazy crap that lady was posting on YouTube. Idiotic things such as young earth creationism and evolution not being true. She doesn't even double check her information she posts on youtube Yec has millions of problems with it and would rather listen to creationists than professionals that have degrees over the subject.
ReplyDeleteDoug Batchelor is a fraud. I know his first wife Karyn. I know that she is the mother of his 3 children Rachael, Micah ( tragically passed away in 2001) and son Daniel. I know that Doug had an affair while married to Karyn producing his first daughter Cheri just 2 months older than Rachael. I know that he and his now wife Karen claim to be the parents of all 6 children. This is a lie and they should admit it. C.P.
ReplyDeleteHypocrite
ReplyDeleteHypocritical considering Mr. Batchelor was married before and tries to hide the fact that his first daughter Cheri was conceived out of wedlock. His first wife Karyn is the mother of his 3 children Rachael, Micah and Daniel and he and his current wife act as if they are the parents of all of the
My parents, sister, & son are all members of the SDA Church, & although I don't attend, & am not baptized, I support their fundamental beliefs. However, it does rub me the wrong way when, during the " Panorama of Prophecy" seminars, when referring to their "family" or " children", it's always presented as if Karen is THE ONLY mother of all the kids, but, in the original copy of "Richest Caveman", he talks about falling in love with a girl in a church he first got involved in! But now, you can barely find the information ANYWHERE, it's been SOOO BURIED, & I'm not sure why a minister of Doug's popularity, & love of God, would lie instead of trusting US TO FORGIVE HIM FOR HIS INDESCRETIONS- we've all been there!!
DeleteMaybe it's because Karyn has been looking after all the children that it does not make sense to point that this or that child has another mother. It's none of the public's business 🤦🏾♀️. You don't need to know whom he fell in love with at first, like what difference would it make to your life? Just let him be. For goodness sake just focus on God instead of mere humans.
DeleteKaren did not like Doug’s son’s from his first marriage. He just needs to be honest. Isn’t that what he preaches? Isn’t that one one the 10 commandments? Thou shall not bear false witness.
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