Creation Science Commentary -
TTMCLS - Things That Make Christians Look Stupid: Wisdom Teeth
Review by Greg Neyman
First Published 25 Jan 2006
One of the series of articles on Creation Science Evangelism website (the “Hovind” site) is creatively titled “Things that make evolutionists look stupid” (TTMELS for short). The article in question for this review concerns “Wisdom Teeth.”1
Wisdom Teeth
He opens by making a statement about wisdom teeth being vestigial. This is misleading. They may be in the process of becoming vestigial, but they still serve a useful purpose. They are described as an example of a vestigial trait, but not fully vestigial.
Hinton goes on to give his main body of evidence...that of a study by a creationist orthodontist, who studied Neanderthal skulls. He assumed, as do all young earth creationists, that Neanderthals are human, of the same species as us. Unfortunately for them, we now have the evidence from DNA studies of humans and Neanderthal, which clearly show that Neanderthals were a distinct species. Thus, the orthodontist's entire study is invalid...he is comparing apples and oranges. If the Neanderthal species were still alive, he could apply his study to their wisdom teeth!
An issue that Hinton ignores actually supports the vestigial, evolutionary interpretation. Not all humans have wisdom teeth. Some only have two, whereas others may have more than the normal four. It appears to be evolution in flux.
How does Hinton characterize evolutionists in this article? Here are a few quotes:
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Assuming that our not using these teeth means that they are useless is absurd. It is like saying the brains of evolutionary scientists are useless vestigial organs just because they do not use them.
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Once again, the stupidity of evolutionists is by no means harmless. Listening to such follies as their teaching that wisdom teeth no longer have a use leads to poorer health and shortened lives.
It is interesting to note that "listening to evolutionists" (the last quote above) will lead to poorer health and shortened lives. He goes on to say "Modern man's lifestyle, music, art, clothing, and food is all unnatural and synthetic. A price must be paid for such rebellion. Part of that price is poor health, which includes poor dental health." Sounds like Hinton is advocating becoming a native in order to live longer! However, our educated, western civilization has some of the longest life spans, much longer than that of native populations, proving his words untrue. (For example, life expectancy in the Western world is 77-81, but can be as little as 37 years (in Zambia) in poor countries. Neanderthal, who Hinton appeals to in this article, had an average life span of only 20 years! Using Hinton's reasoning, Neanderthals should have lived into the hundreds!)2
Conclusion
If we are to love the unsaved, and win them for Christ, calling them “stupid” is not the proper way to do it. This will turn more away from the Gospel, and harden their hearts. Driving them away from the Gospel is working against Christ. Hovind and Hinton, which side are you on?
1 www.drdino.com/articles.php?spec=87
2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy
If you are not a Christian, and you have been holding out on making a decision for Christ because the Church always preached a message that was contrary to what you saw in the scientific world, then rest assured that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, and you can believe in Christ and receive salvation, while still believing in an old earth. Click here for more.
Are you a Christian who believes in young earth creationism? Now that we have shown the many difficulties of the young earth creation science model in this and many other articles, how does this impact your Christian life? If you are a young earth creationism believer, click here.
