Fayeteville State University biologist Phil Senter is a born again atheist. According to New Scientist, Senter was a creationist until he studied evolution in high school. Now, he's a professor of dinosaur paleontology who attempts to gently persuade creation scientists by using their own favorite research techniques. From New Scientists:
As an evolutionary biologist and atheist you've used the research techniques of creation science? What are they exactly?
Creation scientists take data from nature and try to reconcile it with a literal interpretation of the Bible, such as the creation of the world in six days. Nowadays many have real scientific training, with PhDs in geology, biology or chemistry, and their procedures often involve testing of hypotheses through observation and experimentation – the essence of science – although mainstream scientists interpret their results very differently…How is it possible to use creation science to evaluate evolution?
Like evolutionists, creationists assess relationships between animals by comparing their morphology [physical characteristics] and their molecules. They continue to doubt the geologic timescale and that all life shares a common origin, but most creation scientists accept other evolutionary concepts such as natural selection and beneficial mutations. Creationists believe different "kinds" of organisms – "baramins" – were created separately about 6000 years ago. They accept that diversification has taken place within each baramin and have methods for determining whether different species belong to different baramins, by finding morphological gaps between species, or large differences in genes or molecules.
"Dinosaur man: playing creationists at their own game"
