Claim CA114.22:

Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) was a creationist.

Source:

Morris, Henry M. 1982. Bible-believing scientists of the past. Impact 103 (Jan.), http://www.icr.org/index.php?module=articles&action=view&ID=185

Response:

  1. Pasteur wrote little on the subject of evolution or creation. He was apparently skeptical of the popularity of Darwin's theory, but he accepted evolution. Along with most French scientists of his time, he probably did not accept natural selection as its cause. Cuny (1965, 122) quotes him:
    Virulence appears in a new light which cannot but be alarming to humanity; unless nature, in her evolution down the ages (an evolution which, as we now know, has been going on for millions, nay, hundreds of millions of years), has finally exhausted all the possibilities of producing virulent or contagious diseases -- which does not seem very likely.

References:

  1. Cuny, Hilaire. 1965. Louis Pasteur: The man and his theories. Translated by P. Evans. London: The Scientific Book Club.
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created 2004-2-22