Creationist accused of copyright violation, deceiving public

[Victor Eijkhout]

From: http://www.the-times.co.uk/
8 April edition.

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Scientist rocks the boat in Noah's Ark case

FROM REUTER IN SYDNEY

THE battle between science and creationism entered a Sydney
courtroom yesterday, with Noah's Ark at the centre of the tussle.

An Australian scientist and an American marine salvage expert are
suing creationist Allen Roberts under Australian consumer law. Mr
Roberts is accused of breach of copyright and misleading the public in
lectures on his explorations of an archaeological site in eastern Turkey
which many believe is the remains of Noah's Ark.

While lawyers assured the court that the biblical story of creation was
not on trial, the small courtroom was packed with supporters from both
sides of the divide.

David Fasold, a marine salvage expert, claims Mr Roberts, who holds a
US Christian education doctorate, breached copyright by using his
drawings of an archaeological site near Mount Ararat in lecture-tour
literature. Mr Roberts sold lecture brochures in 1992 containing Mr
Fasold's drawing. "I see them as exploiting and embellishing [my
drawing] to try to use it to create the concept that creation science is
balanced science and I object to that," Mr Fasold said.

Ian Plimer, a Melbourne geology professor, claims Mr Roberts misled
paying audiences during lectures by referring to scientific reports of the
site as partly a result of his work, and by selling videotapes of his
lectures. Both actions, he said, broke Australian fair trading laws. "I
have been to the site and looked at his claims and I say they are not
convincing," said Professor Plimer, who has a long history of challenging
creationists.

In his lecture video, played to the court, Mr Roberts said the Turkish site
"appeared to be a boat, the kind any child would recognise", adding that
it was the size of a "battleship" and matched the dimensions of Noah's
Ark in Genesis.

Both sides agree that this case will not have the same impact as the
famous "monkey" trial in the United States in 1925. Then a young
Tennessee biology teacher, John Scopes, was tried for teaching
Darwin's theory of evolution. Scopes was found guilty, but the public
outcry forced Tennessee to moderate its creationist education.
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[Wesley R. Elsberry]

In article <EIJKHOUT.9...@jacobi.math.ucla.edu>,

Victor Eijkhout <eijk...@jacobi.math.ucla.edu> wrote:
>From: http://www.the-times.co.uk/
>8 April edition.
>
>%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
>Scientist rocks the boat in Noah's Ark case
>
> FROM REUTER IN SYDNEY

[...]

> Both sides agree that this case will not have the same impact as the
> famous "monkey" trial in the United States in 1925. Then a young
> Tennessee biology teacher, John Scopes, was tried for teaching
> Darwin's theory of evolution. Scopes was found guilty, but the public
> outcry forced Tennessee to moderate its creationist education.

I don't suppose that we can expect accurate information on an
old US trial from a reporter in Sydney. The Scopes Trial did
not generate a public outcry forcing Tennessee to moderate its
stance. In point of fact, the failure of the ACLU to get the
Butler Act declared unconstitutional led to various other
states considering similar measures. Textbook revisionism or
debarment of evolution was seen in Texas and Louisiana.
Mississippi enacted its anti-evolution bill on 11 March 1926.
Arkansas' anti-evolution initiative passed in 1928.

The real end of the Scopes' saga starts with the 1 April 1966
trial of Epperson vs. Arkansas. On 12 April 1967, the
Tennessee house voted to repeal the Butler Act. Under threat
of lawsuit, the Tennessee senate later also voted for repeal,
and the governor signed.

--
Wesley R. Elsberry, 6070 Sea Isle, Galveston TX 77554. Central Neural System
BBS, 409-737-5222, 1:385/385, ANNs, GAs, Alife, AI, evolution, and more.
Student in Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences. http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry
"sing your faith in what you get to eat right up to the minute you are eaten"-a.