Duane Gish | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Duane Tolbert Gish (1921-02-17)February 17, 1921 White City, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | 5 March 2013(2013-03-05) (aged 92) San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BS) University of California, Berkeley (MA,PhD) |
| Employer(s) | University of California, Berkeley Cornell University Institute for Creation Research |
| Known for | Prominent public speaker oncreationism |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1941–1945 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Bronze Star Medal |
Duane Tolbert Gish (February 17, 1921 – March 5, 2013[1]) was an Americanbiochemist and a prominent member of thecreationist movement.[2] Ayoung Earth creationist, Gish was a former vice-president of theInstitute for Creation Research (ICR) and the author of numerous publications aboutcreation science.
Gish was called "creationism'sT. H. Huxley" for the way he "relished the confrontations" of formaldebates with prominentevolutionary biologists, usually held on university campuses,[3] while abandoning formal debating principles, in a style that came to be known as theGish gallop. A creationist publication noted in his obituary that "it was perhaps his personal presentation that carried the day. In short, the audiences liked him."[4]
Gish, a twin, was born inWhite City,Kansas, the youngest of nine children. He served inWorld War II, attaining the rank ofcaptain, and was awarded theBronze Star.[5] He earned aBachelor of Science degree fromUniversity of California, Los Angeles, in 1949, and he obtained his biochemistry Ph.D. from theUniversity of California, Berkeley, in 1953. He worked as an assistant research associate at Berkeley, and as an assistant professor atCornell University Medical College for eighteen years, joining theUpjohn Company as a research associate in 1960.[6]
AMethodist from age ten, and later afundamentalistBaptist, Gish believed that theGenesis creation narrative was historical fact.[7] After reading the bookletEvolution, "Science Falsely So-called" in the late 1950s, Gish became persuaded that science had producedfalsifiable evidence against evolutionary theory, particularly the origin of life, and that various fields of science offered corroborating evidence in support of the Genesis creation narrative.[8] He joined theAmerican Scientific Affiliation (ASA), an association of Christian scientists, mistakenly assuming the group supported creationism. Through his affiliation at the ASA, Gish metgeneticist and creationist William J. Tinkle, who in 1961 invited Gish to join a newly formed anti-evolution caucus within the ASA.[7]
In 1971, Gish became a member of the faculty atSan Diego Christian College, working in its research division before accepting a position at theInstitute for Creation Research (independent since 1981). He was the author ofseveral books and articles espousingcreationism. His best-known work,Evolution: The Fossils Say No!, published in 1972, has been widely accepted by creationists as an authoritative reference.[6] Gish initially "assigned low priority to the question of [the] age [of the Earth]".[9]
At his death on March 5, 2013, Gish held the position of Senior Vice-PresidentEmeritus at the ICR.[10]
Gish's debating opponents said that he used a rapid-fire approach during a debate, presenting arguments and changing topics quickly.Eugenie Scott, executive director of theNational Center for Science Education, dubbed this approach the "Gish gallop", describing it as "where the creationist is allowed to run on for 45 minutes or an hour, spewing forth torrents of error that the evolutionist hasn't a prayer of refuting in the format of a debate".[11] She also criticized Gish for failing to answer objections raised by his opponents.[12]
However, Gish said a similar thing about his debate opponents, especiallyKenneth Miller. Gish accused Miller of usingspread debating, i.e. speaking very fast and bringing up so many points that there was no chance to answer them all.[13]
Gish was also criticized for using a standardized presentation during debates. While undertaking research for a debate with Gish,Michael Shermer noted that Gish re-used similar openings, assumptions about his opponent, slides, and even jokes. For example, during the debate, Gish attempted to prove that Shermer was indeed an atheist and therefore immoral, even though Shermer said he was not an atheist and was willing to accept the existence of a divine creator.[14]Massimo Pigliucci, who debated Gish five times, said that Gish ignored evidence contrary to his religious beliefs.[15]Robert Schadewald accused Gish of stonewalling arguments with fabricated data.[16]
