Creationism - National Center for Science Education

Barnes proposed an exponential decrease in the earth’s magnetic field as proof of youngearth
creationism. Barnes’s hypothesis was immediately criticized for denying the wellestablished
evidence for a series of shifts and reversals in the magnetic field over the
geological ages, but creationist Russell Humphreys has recently modified it by suggesting
that this whole series of reversals occurred within a brief period of time as a result of the
Flood (1986).
An even more sensational example of creation-science hypothesizing is Barry
Setterfield’s claim that the speed of light has decreased exponentially since creation
(1987). By means of this hypothesis, Setterfield solves the problem posed to young-earth
creationists by the existence of stars located millions of light-years distance from earth.
By also claiming that atomic decay rates and other physical constants have also slowed
exponentially, he likewise accounts for the whole Genesis scenario of the formation of
oceans and atmosphere, and movement of land masses. Setterfield’s hypothesis has been
enthusiastically championed in Bible-Science Association articles, but many other
creationists—notably at ICR and CRS—have strenuously opposed it as scientifically
naive.
Creationist theory will no doubt continue in this process of elaboration and
diversification in response to new challenges by “evolutionist” science and in response to
its own internal processes of cultural evolution. Opposition to evolution is deeply rooted
and very broad. Creationism is resistant to refutation from science and logic since it has
developed its own science and logic, with which it can counter all arguments.