Based on what I read from your link, these X-clubbers were trying to influence the opinion of scientists.
Yes, although it's surprising to see you word it that way. Most evolutionists try to portray them as a group
of scientists. Good to see you making progress.
It also seems that they were involved in the political process to some extent.
Nice understatement work.
They even probably tried to influence the politics of the Royal Society of scientists to forward what they thought was a viable theory.
Oh that's even better. Like Stalin tried to
influence the government of the USSR.
Perhaps you didn't read so much. Or maybe you know something I don't. Maybe the
influence of the X Club is being grossly overstated as a part of some propaganda plot? Can you let us in on it, or is it verboten?
The real question is not if there were prominent non-scientists trying to influence scientific thought and theories. That happens now with the National Academy of Scientists, and the National Science Foundation on one side and the Discovery Institute, Focus on the Family and Trinity Broadcasting on the other. Oh wait...one side HAS scientists...my bad. Seriously, there are also non-scientists on the side of evolution who try to influence science standards.
The real question, when one deals properly with history: what happened?
When one deals improperly therewith: what can we say happened?
Seems you ran out of steam before you got around to anything beyond the DI & Focus on the Fam. etc. having scientists and the other side having non-scientists.
Regardless, the existence of politically powerful adherents to one side or the other is irrelevant to the truth or falseness of a particular hypothesis. The Discovery Institute is trying to influence science education through the political process. You would not say that their use of that venue guarantees the falseness of their hypothesis, would you? Therefore, the existence of the X-Club says NOTHING about the theory of evolution being fact, fantasy or something in between.
This is just history. The merits of evolutionism being what they are, it's interesting to investigate how it ever became accepted by educated people. Until we see a
Histories Mysteries episode explain this, I s'pose we'll have to investigate on our own.
If you have evidence to contribute, I hope you'll share. And this includes box 2 evidence in the other thread. Right now it's looking like their arguments were largely, perhaps entirely circular at the time. It's no wonder politicians liked them.
As the X Club held their meetings at
the Athenaeum Club it's hard to imagine they didn't rub elbows with serious policy-makers from the very start.
All I've seen so far is that their influence and wealth continued to grow. I noticed their propaganda machine had trouble initially, and they had some infighting - other than that, they appear to have been extremely successful. At this point, I'd be very interested in any setbacks they may have experienced.
