Actually, to me it is a proof of how the human brain tries to connect fact and fiction. It is what my brain tends to do too, basically. But when I create a explaining theory about something I try to base it on all kinds of factual information and I'm trying to verify my theories every time the subject appears again in my life. To me it's about the open or closed memory-box theory. If you accept something as the truth (like the discriminating theory that colored people are less smart). You put that in a box and close the box, throwing away the key. The preconception is set. If you have an open mind, you also tend to make judgements (like, this person is not so nice, because he looks evil). My first reaction can be that I have no interest in meeting the person, even tend to avoid that. If I, by chance, am forced to meet the person, it might be the nicest person that I ever met (or just nice). Because I did not locked the box, I change the content, but again I leave the box open. The nicest result though is that I learned for the future that I shoul be more open and not so judgemental when I meet people.

I think you did the right thing at least saved your sanity and your mind from blowing a gasket.

You can't rationalise that kind of ignorance. So long as she's happy with that belief and it doesn't harm others let her get on with it.

The creationist go along with the flat-earthers - nonsense personified.

Really, You've never heard of young earth creationism? Someone sat down and added up the ages of all of the descendants of Adam when they sired children and calculated the age of the earth according to the same book that thought bats are birds, plants grew before the sun, and a deluge flooded the entire earth for 6 weeks.
I wish I had never heard of them.

I like when they say this all happened over thousands of years. I like asking when the Flood happened. And how long till the next described war.

Aaaaaand then ask them to do the math for how many people can possibly have been fighting given a start of total world population of eight and that any population would have people who would not be combatants such as kids, elderly, infirm, etc.

It's always fun asking, "so...this war was fought by like, ten guys?"

you can't win so why fight?

That was worth reading Thanks

This my favorite "thing to say" when in debate with YEC (young Earth creationism). Especially if my interlocutor drives a car.

Discovering oil requires an understating of deep-time geology, since, for the most part, the oil formed at a particular time and is found between identifiable strata.

If this is not the case, then the best way to discover oil is to just buy cheap land, anywhere in the world, and start drilling test wells. One place should be just as good as another, no need to drill under water.

So if the YEC folks just get their gas from Exxon and don't take advantage of the possibility of much cheaper gas by drilling informed by the YEC paradigm, then they don't really believe in a young Earth. The just want gay people to not get married.

You can't argue with lunacy , I make a point never to debate with these poor deluded creatures..

Then why weren’t dinosaurs on the ark?

OMFG!! The belief system of creationists defies logic - best to just walk away.

Nothing EFFECTIVE that you could reply, if your objective is to enlighten or change minds. On the other hand if your objective is to annoy you could just say something snarky. Any sort of detailed discussion though would just get bogged down in a funhouse hall of mirrors.

That's why I prefer to have these kinds of discussions online. Depending on who you listen to, for every active participant online there are 9 to 99 lurkers, and some of those are influenceable -- in a theist vs atheist discussion some of them are doubting believers trying to sort things out. But they wouldn't dare openly discuss, that would be admitting to themselves and to others, the "sin" of doubt. So I engage, not for the actual posters, so much as for the lurkers. I feel that accomplishes something.

I can't be around people like that. I already take pills to keep my blood pressure down.