I found this list of 24 common misconceptions and creationist myths by PvM Panda’s Thumb where it was reposted from Michael Le Page at New Scientist. I highly recommend both for anyone interested in good science.
Shared misconceptions:
- Everything is an adaptation produced by natural selection
- Natural selection is the only means of evolution
- Natural selection leads to ever-greater complexity
- Evolution produces creatures perfectly adapted to their environment
- Evolution always promotes the survival of species
- It doesn’t matter if people do not understand evolution
- “Survival of the fittest” justifies “everyone for themselves”
- Evolution is limitlessly creative
- Evolution cannot explain traits such as homosexuality
- Creationism provides a coherent alternative to evolution
Creationist myths
- Evolution must be wrong because the Bible is inerrant
- Accepting evolution undermines morality
- Evolutionary theory leads to racism and genocide
- Religion and evolution are incompatible
- Half a wing is no use to anyone
- Evolutionary science is not predictive
- Evolution cannot be disproved so is not science
- Evolution is just so unlikely to produce complex life forms
- Evolution is an entirely random process
- Mutations can only destroy information, not create it
- Darwin is the ultimate authority on evolution
- The bacterial flagellum is irreducibly complex
- Yet more creationist misconceptions
- Evolution violates the second law of thermodynamics
