North Texas Skeptic - Vol 13 No 08 - 1999

Magazine Overview

This issue of The North Texas Skeptic, dated August 1999, Volume 13 Number 8, is published by The North Texas Skeptics and focuses on skeptical analysis of various claims. The cover headline is 'The prince and the frog,' with other featured articles including 'Will America burn?' and 'A medium tale.'

The prince and the frog: A Modern Parable

This article, by John Blanton, discusses Richard Dawkins' views on creationism and evolution. It recounts an incident in September 1997 where Dawkins was interviewed by an Australian film crew, whom he later realized were producing creationist propaganda. The crew challenged him to provide an example of a genetic mutation or evolutionary process that increases information in the genome. Dawkins initially refused to discuss the question further but relented due to the crew's travel claims. He later addressed this 'Information Challenge' on his webpage, exploring Claude Shannon's concept of information theory and its relation to genetic information.

The article explains that creationists contend mutations and natural selection only remove information. Blanton argues that mutations can add information, though often useless or harmful, but beneficial mutations can also occur. He uses an analogy of a general's messengers to illustrate how natural selection, by eliminating useless information, can effectively increase the 'real information content' for survival, a concept he attributes to Darwin.

Blanton notes that creationists, including Young Earth Creationists (YECs) and Old Earth Creationists (OECs), generally reject naturalistic explanations for the origin of species, finding the idea of life as an 'accident of nature' repugnant. He suggests that the creationist movement views debates like the one with Dawkins as a 'game of tag,' where scoring points is more important than scientific rigor. Dawkins is presented as one of the few scientists willing to engage with creationists directly, despite the 'indignities' he suffers.

Will America burn? A Skeptical Look at the Prophecies of Dumitru Duduman

Written by Danny Barnett, this article critically examines the prophecies of Dumitru Duduman, a Romanian prophet and faith healer who predicted war, economic chaos, and destruction for America. Barnett notes that Duduman's prophecies gained traction, particularly around the year 2000, and were distributed via leaflets, including at Preparedness Expo '99 in Dallas.

The article details Duduman's life story, including his background as a Romanian army officer, his arrest and torture for smuggling Bibles, and his eventual exile to the United States in 1984. According to Duduman's autobiography, 'Through the Fire Without Burning,' he received an apocalyptic message from the angel Gabriel predicting that America would burn. This vision involved Russian spies discovering nuclear warehouses, internal conflict in America, and subsequent attacks from Cuba, Nicaragua, Mexico, and other nations, leading to the explosion of nuclear sites.

Barnett highlights inconsistencies between Duduman's autobiography and later publications by The Prophecy Club, such as the list of attacking nations and the specific timing of events. For instance, the role of Communists in starting a revolution in America is explicitly mentioned only in the later publication '35 Prophecies, Dreams, & Visions For America.' The article also scrutinizes Duduman's 'proofs' of his prophecies, which included minor personal events like receiving a bed or a bucket of honey, and questions the credibility of these claims, especially given the discrepancies.

Barnett applies the skeptical test for prophets, emphasizing clarity, specificity, and verifiability. He points out that Duduman's prophecies, particularly regarding the timing of events and the identity of aggressors, lack precision. The article concludes by noting that Dumitru Duduman died in Romania on May 5, 1997, making further interviews to clarify discrepancies impossible.

A Medium Tale

This short, humorous anecdote, presented as having circulated on the internet, satirizes a seance. Mrs. Pitzel persuades her husband, Milty, to attend a seance with Madame Freda, a medium who claims to channel spirits. Milty, missing his deceased grandfather ('Zayde'), participates. During the seance, Madame Freda channels Milty's Zayde, who speaks of being in bliss with 'Bubbie' in the afterlife. After a series of questions from Milty, the spirit is about to depart when Milty asks, 'Zayde, when did you learn to speak English?' The punchline implies the absurdity or artificiality of the spiritual communication.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are skepticism towards extraordinary claims, critical analysis of scientific and pseudoscientific arguments, and an examination of religious and spiritual phenomena. The editorial stance is clearly that of a skeptical organization, aiming to apply rational inquiry and evidence-based reasoning to topics ranging from evolutionary biology and creationism to prophetic claims and spiritualism. The newsletter encourages critical thinking and challenges assertions that lack verifiable proof or contain internal inconsistencies.