Is creationism a conspiracy theory?

Is creationism a conspiracy theory? Our colleague Paul Braterman of the University of Glasgow thinks so: In an article, Why creationism bears all the hallmarks of a conspiracy theory, he notes creationist

claims that the scientific establishment promoting evolution is an arrogant and morally corrupt elite.

This so-called elite supposedly conspires to monopolise academic employment and research grants. Its alleged objective is to deny divine authority, and the ultimate beneficiary and prime mover is Satan.

“Creationism,” he adds, “re-emerged in this form in reaction to the mid-20th century emphasis on science education.” “Creationists go to great lengths to demonise the proponents of evolution, and to undermine the overwhelming evidence in its favour.” Further, they “immunise themselves from fact-based criticism. They label the study of the past as based on unprovable assumptions, thus disqualifying in advance the plain evidence of geology.”

I can add only that creationists have to think that everyone else thinks as they do, in terms of vast conspiracies; otherwise, it would be hard to imagine 99 % of the world’s biologists engaged in a gigantic conspiracy. But if everyone is involved in a conspiracy, ….