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'''Quote mining''' is the fallacy of undermining a proposition by taking words out of context from a supporter of that proposition.  

'''Quote mining''' is a term typically used by evolutionists to attempt to justify a knee-jerk allegation made by an evolutionist that a quote of a prominent evolutionist admitting one or more of the many weaknesses of the evolutionary paradigm is being taken out of context when in most cases it is certainly not. This reflexive denialism and/or obfuscation occurs because Darwinism is an errant religion often practiced by dogmatists and it is not [[science]]. The Darwinist and atheist philosopher of science [[Michael Ruse]] admitted: "[[Evolution]] is a religion. This was true of evolution in the beginning, and it is true of evolution still today.”<ref>[http://creation.com/15-questions 15 questions for evolutionists]</ref>

Quote mining is a form of [[quote out of context|quoting out of context]], and it is similar to the fallacy of [[appeal to authority]].

Another objection sometimes made is that it is wrong to ignore evidence which supports a partisan viewpoint when evidence which disproves it is found. This is clearly an anti-scientific notion, as it violates the modern principle of [[falsifiability]]: no amount of evidence in favor of a scientific theory has merit if even a single counterexample can be found (see [[Thomas Kuhn]]).

Despite the [[Suppression of alternatives to evolution|heavy handed tactics]] used against Darwinism dissenters, Darwinists often appeal to alleged scientific consensus as a way to attempt to justify their empirically weak and counterfactual paradigm. So when quotes of evolutionists admitting weaknesses of evolutionist are pointed out, this can cause a significant amount of [[cognitive dissonance]] within evolutionists.  It is also upsetting to Darwinist zealots who don't want the major and minor shortcomings of evolutionary beliefs mentioned to others.  

[[Evolutionists]] are notorious for expressing objection when their quotes are taken out of context and used against them. This is because scientific truth is determined from scientific evidence, not from authority, so any argument using merely quotations from authority (whether or not it is true), as opposed to the evidence in the scientific literature, is simply irrelevant. They have tried to make ''quote mining'' a [[pejorative]] term, but the neologism has yet to be recognized by major dictionaries

 

 

[[Evolutionists]] are notorious for expressing objection when their quotes are used against them. This reveals the [[dogma]]tic nature of their [[faith]], because real scientists always welcome evidence which contradicts mainstream theories (see [[scientific method]]).

While the entire fields of law and politics encourage quoting an adversary to [[discrediting attack|discredit]] him, [[evolutionist]]s do not feel their quotes should be used to criticize evolution, and have invented the term "quote mining" to criticize that practice.

They have tried to make ''quote mining'' a [[pejorative]] term, but the neologism has yet to be recognized by major dictionaries

==Intelligent Design Journalist Denyse O'Leary on False Charges of Quote Mining ==

==Intelligent Design Journalist Denyse O'Leary on False Charges of Quote Mining ==

==Quote mining and the creation-evolution controversy==

==Quote mining and the creation-evolution controversy==

Scientists and their supporters used the term ''quote mining'' as early as the mid-1990s in newsgroup posts to describe quoting practices of certain [[creationists]].<ref>[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/quotes/mine/project.html The Quote Mine Project], John Pieret (ed), [[TalkOrigins Archive]]</ref><ref>[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/ce/3/part5.html The Revised Quote Book], E.T. Babinski (ed), ''TalkOrigins Archive</ref><ref name=qmproject>According to the [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/quotes/mine/project.html Quote Mine Project] at ''TalkOrigins Archive'', the first record of the term in [[talk.origins]] was a posting by Lenny Flank on March 30, 1997, with a February 2, 1996 reference in another [[Usenet]] group, rec.arts.comics.misc</ref> It is used by members of the scientific community to describe a method employed by creationists to support their arguments,<ref name="forrest">{{cite book | last = Forrest | first = Barbara | authorlink = Barbara Forrest | coauthors = [[Paul R. Gross]] | title = Creationism's Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design | url = http://www.creationismstrojanhorse.com/ | accessdate = 2007-03-09 | year = 2004 | publisher = [[Oxford University Press]] | location = Oxford | page = 7| isbn = 0195157427 | quote =In the face of the extraordinary and often highly practical twentieth-century progress of the life sciences under the unifying concepts of evolution, [creationist] "science" consists of quote-mining — minute searching of the biological literature — including outdated literature — for minor slips and inconsistencies and for polemically promising examples of internal arguments.  These internal disagreements, fundamental to the working of all natural science, are then presented dramatically to lay audiences as evidence of the fraudulence and impending collapse of "Darwinism." }}</ref><ref name=counter>"The Counter-creationism Handbook",

Scientists and their supporters used the term ''quote mining'' as early as the mid-1990s in newsgroup posts to describe quoting practices of certain [[creationists]].<ref>[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/quotes/mine/project.html The Quote Mine Project], John Pieret (ed), [[TalkOrigins Archive]]</ref><ref>[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/ce/3/part5.html The Revised Quote Book], E.T. Babinski (ed), ''TalkOrigins Archive''</ref><ref>According to the [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/quotes/mine/project.html Quote Mine Project] at ''TalkOrigins Archive'', the first record of the term in [[talk.origins]] was a posting by Lenny Flank on March 30, 1997, with a February 2, 1996 reference in another [[Usenet]] group, rec.arts.comics.misc</ref> It is used by members of the scientific community to describe a method employed by creationists to support their arguments,<ref name="fomrrest">{{cite book | last = Forrest | first = Barbara | authorlink = Barbara Forrest | coauthors = [[Paul R. Gross]] | title = Creationism's Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design | url = http://www.creationismstrojanhorse.com/ | accessdate = 2007-03-09 | year = 2004 | publisher = [[Oxford University Press]] | location = Oxford | page = 7| isbn = 0195157427 | quote =In the face of the extraordinary and often highly practical twentieth-century progress of the life sciences under the unifying concepts of evolution, [creationist] "science" consists of quote-mining — minute searching of the biological literature — including outdated literature — for minor slips and inconsistencies and for polemically promising examples of internal arguments.  These internal disagreements, fundamental to the working of all natural science, are then presented dramatically to lay audiences as evidence of the fraudulence and impending collapse of "Darwinism." }}</ref><ref name=counter>"The Counter-creationism Handbook",

  Mark Isaak, ISBN 0520249267 p 14</ref><ref>[http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/rncse_content/vol22/2089_quotemining_comes_to_ohio_12_30_1899.asp Quote-Mining Comes to Ohio], [[Glenn Branch]]</ref> though it can be and often is used outside of the [[creation-evolution controversy]]. Complaints about the practice predate known use of the term: [[Theodosius Dobzhansky]] wrote in his famous 1973 essay "Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution" that {{quotation|Their [Creationists'] favorite sport is stringing together quotations, carefully and sometimes expertly taken out of context, to show that nothing is really established or agreed upon among evolutionists. Some of my colleagues and myself have been amused and amazed to read ourselves quoted in a way showing that we are really antievolutionists under the skin.}}

  Mark Isaak, ISBN 0520249267 p 14</ref><ref>[http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/rncse_content/vol22/2089_quotemining_comes_to_ohio_12_30_1899.asp Quote-Mining Comes to Ohio], [[Glenn Branch]]</ref> though it can be and often is used outside of the [[creation-evolution controversy]]. Complaints about the practice predate known use of the term: [[Theodosius Dobzhansky]] wrote in his famous 1973 essay "Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution" that {{quotation|Their [Creationists'] favorite sport is stringing together quotations, carefully and sometimes expertly taken out of context, to show that nothing is really established or agreed upon among evolutionists. Some of my colleagues and myself have been amused and amazed to read ourselves quoted in a way showing that we are really antievolutionists under the skin.}}

The [[Institute for Creation Research]] (ICR) described the use of "[a]n evolutionist's quote mistakenly used out of context" to "negate the entirety of [an] article and creationist claims regarding the lack of transitional forms" as "a smoke screen".<ref>[http://www.icr.org/article/1202/ Does Convincing Evidence For Evolution Exist?]</ref>

The [[Institute for Creation Research]] (ICR) described the use of "[a]n evolutionist's quote mistakenly used out of context" to "negate the entirety of [an] article and creationist claims regarding the lack of transitional forms" as "a smoke screen".<ref>[http://www.icr.org/article/1202/ Does Convincing Evidence For Evolution Exist?]</ref>

Both [[Answers in Genesis]] (AiG) and Henry M. Morris (founder of ICR) have been accused of producing books of mined quotes. ''TalkOrigins Archive'' (TOA) states that "entire books of these quotes have been published" and lists prominent creationist Henry M. Morris' ''That Their Words May Be Used Against Them'' and ''The Revised Quote Book'' (published by Creation Science Foundation, now AiG, and available from the AiG website)<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/TheWord/downloads/aig_resources.asp The Word Downloads], [[Answers in Genesis]]</ref> as examples, in addition to a number of online creationist lists of quote-mines.<ref>[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/quotes/mine/project.html The Quote Mine Project], John Pieret (ed), ''TalkOrigins Archive''</ref> Both AiG and ICR quote mine [[Stephen Jay Gould]] on intermediate forms.<ref name=gouldmine/>

Both [[Answers in Genesis]] (AiG) and Henry M. Morris (founder of ICR) have been accused of producing books of mined quotes. ''TalkOrigins Archive'' (TOA) states that "entire books of these quotes have been published" and lists prominent creationist Henry M. Morris' ''That Their Words May Be Used Against Them'' and ''The Revised Quote Book'' (published by Creation Science Foundation, now AiG, and available from the AiG website)<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/TheWord/downloads/aig_resources.asp The Word Downloads], [[Answers in Genesis]]</ref> as examples, in addition to a number of online creationist lists of quote-mines.<ref>[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/quotes/mine/project.html The Quote Mine Project], John Pieret (ed), ''TalkOrigins Archive''</ref> Both AiG and ICR quote mine [[Stephen Jay Gould]] on intermediate forms.

===Stephen Jay Gould on intermediate forms===

===Stephen Jay Gould on intermediate forms===