David A. DeWitt

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David A. DeWitt is that rare type of Creationist who actually holds real credentials, despite working for the creationist school Liberty University and the pseudoscientific research ministry organization Answers in Genesis. DeWitt is a signatory of the Discovery Institute's A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism.

Research

Professor DeWitt has actual research publications in science journals such as Brain Research, Neurotoxicology, Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Experimental Neurology. His (actual) research primarily revolves around Alzheimer's Disease.

Despite legitimate research, Professor DeWitt has done some (rather poor) research into evolutionary biology in a (failed) attempt to disprove evolution and prove creationism.

In a nutshell, his "research" on evolutionary biology consist of PRATT's, quote mines and Bible references.

Someone with a neurosciences doctorate would be qualified to speak on the evolution of the human brain but this joker does not do any real human biology research relating to evolution.

Career, publications and affiliations

After earning his Ph.D., David A. DeWitt got a job at Liberty University teaching upper level biology courses (Using the term "biology" loosely) and teaching courses at the Institute for Creation Research. Besides teaching biology at Liberty University, he runs the "university's" Center for Creation Studies which pretends to do scientific research.

Science oriented affiliations

• Society for Neuroscience
• Virginia Academy of Sciences

Pseudoscience oriented affiliations

• Answers in Genesis
• Creation Ministries International
• Creation Research Society
• Institute for Creation Research

Publications

Books

• Unraveling the Origins Controversy (2007) Creation Curriculum (Liberty University). 2^nd ed., ISBN 0979632307.
• History of Life: Creation Studies 290 (2010) Creation Curriculum (Liberty University), 5^th ed. ISBN 0979632331.

Pseudoscience articles

These all appear on the Creation.com website (Creation Ministries International). Some have been reprinted from other creationist sources.

• The Origin of Life: A Problem for Evolution
• Stem Cell Decision not the End of Ethical Dilemmas
• Greater than 98% Chimp/human DNA similarity? Not any more
• Cloning misinformation—Dr DeWitt’s rebuttal
• Nothing new under the sun: media report hypes evolution claims
• Chimp genome sequence very different from man
• Impact of a young-earth creationist apologetics course on student creation worldview
• Teaching College Students About Creation
• Creation teaching makes a difference
• Hox Hype
• Startling plant discovery presents problems for evolution
• Why I rejected ‘theistic evolution’
• The Dark Side of Evolution
• Creation teaching makes a difference
• Review of Refuting Compromise

A rebuttal to Why I rejected Theistic Evolution

This section contains parts of DeWitt's article on why he rejects theistic evolution, and the response by those who support theistic evolution.

Original article	Rebuttal
"Theistic evolution is a significant threat to the Christian church. It undermines the very foundation of the Christian faith and causes people to doubt the truth of Scripture."	There is no sort of "significant threat" to the Christian church about evolution. Only Creationists set out with this presupposition to lay out their case. Many Christian denominations have accepted the Theory of Evolution and see no reason why it should interefere with the faith's tenets. Creationists are the only ones who see evolution as a vital threat to their religious faith and see it as casting doubt upon Biblical doctrine.
"Almost all we hear is ‘evolution’—in schools and universities, zoos, museums, television, movies, etc. So if we don't teach the implications of evolution and the problems associated with it in our churches, no-one will know any different. Evolution will seem right because people don't hear the evidence against it and no one questions it."	No one is suggesting that evolution is to go unquestioned. The Theory of Evolution is continually changing with new discoveries. No one denies this, nor do they try to cover this up with excuses. This is not something to be ashamed of. And if evolution seems right to mostly everyone, does it really mean that this will cause the majority of Christians to question their faith?
"There were two things that really turned me to biblical creation instead of theistic evolution. The first were the passages that say that the word of the Lord is flawless. I came to realize that I trusted what the Bible says about salvation, that Jesus rose from the dead, that He could cure the lame, blind, mute and deaf. He turned water into wine—all in an instant. He multiplied the fishes and loaves, walked on water. I believed all of those miracles, that they happened just as they said. I trusted the Bible in all of those places, so why not also in Genesis where it says God created all things by His word in six days?"	Is it the Bible's science or the Bible's spiritual message that is flawless and the most important? Evolution does not deny the possibility of miracles from divine intervention. Science does not suggest nor excludes the supernatural, it simply explains things by naturalistic means in a mechanistic way that can be tested through experimentation and results gathered through empirical observation.

The rebuttal by theistic evolution supporters is very good but creationists will find some sort of way to distort what was said. In any case, game set and match- Theistic evolution.

Peer-reviewed articles

See the main article on this topic: Stopped clock

• Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans are associated with the lesions of Alzheimer's disease by DeWitt DA et al. Exp. Neurol. 1993 Jun;121(2):149-52.
• Immunocytochemical evidence that the beta-protein precursor is an integral component of neurofibrillary tangles of Alzheimer's disease by Perry G et al. Am. J. Pathol. 1993 Dec;143(6):1586-93.
• beta-Amyloid of Alzheimer's disease induces reactive gliosis that inhibits axonal outgrowth by Canning DR et al. Exp. Neurol. 1993 Dec;124(2):289-98.
• Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans are a common component of neuronal inclusions and astrocytic reaction in neurodegenerative diseases DeWitt DA et al. Brain Res. 1994 Sep 5;656(1):205-9.
• Regenerative failure: a potential mechanism for neuritic dystrophy in Alzheimer's disease by DeWitt DA & Silver J. Exp. Neurol. 1996 Nov;142(1):103-10.
• Astrocytes regulate microglial phagocytosis of senile plaque cores of Alzheimer's disease by DeWitt DA et al. Exp. Neurol. 1998 Feb;149(2):329-40.
• Force-velocity curves of motor proteins cooperating in vivo by Shtridelman Y et al. Cell Biochem. Biophys. 2008;52(1):19-29. doi: 10.1007/s12013-008-9021-8.
• Abeta(1-42) and aluminum induce stress in the endoplasmic reticulum in rabbit hippocampus, involving nuclear translocation of gadd 153 and NF-kappaB by Ghribi O et al. Brain Res. Mol. Brain Res. 2001 Nov 30;96(1-2):30-8.
• Co-involvement of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum in regulation of apoptosis: changes in cytochrome c, Bcl-2 and Bax in the hippocampus of aluminum-treated rabbits by Ghribi O et al. Brain Res. 2001 Jun 8;903(1-2):66-73.
• GDNF protects against aluminum-induced apoptosis in rabbits by upregulating Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL and inhibiting mitochondrial Bax translocation by Ghribi O et al. Neurobiol. Dis. 2001 Oct;8(5):764-73.
• Cyclosporin A inhibits Al-induced cytochrome c release from mitochondria in aged rabbits by Ghribi O et al. J. Alzheimers Dis. 2001 Aug;3(4):387-391.
• Aluminum maltolate-induced toxicity in NT2 cells occurs through apoptosis and includes cytochrome c release by Griffioen KJ et al. Neurotoxicology. 2004 Sep;25(5):859-67.
• Peri-nuclear clustering of mitochondria is triggered during aluminum maltolate induced apoptosis by Dewitt DA et al. J. Alzheimers Dis. 2006 Jul;9(2):195-205.