Carl Edward Baugh (born October 21, 1936) is an American young Earth creationist. Baugh has claimed to have discovered human footprints alongside non-avian dinosaur footprints near the Paluxy River in Texas. Baugh promoted creationism as the former host of the Creation in the 21st Century TV program on the Trinity Broadcasting Network.
The scientific community considers his claims pseudoscience. The creationist groups Answers in Genesis and Answers in Creation have characterized his claims as incorrect or deceptive. Baugh claims to have multiple doctorates, all of which are from unaccredited schools. He was also the president and a graduate of Pacific International University, an unaccredited university located in Springfield, Missouri.
Biography
Born in Kenedy, Texas, Baugh graduated in 1955 from Abilene High School in Abilene, Texas. He formerly appeared on Trinity Broadcasting Network program Creation in the 21st Century. Baugh was also the president and a graduate of the unaccredited Pacific International University.
right|thumb|Original museum building
In 1984, Baugh started the Creation Evidence Museum in a double-wide trailer in Glen Rose, Texas, near Dinosaur Valley State Park, to promote creationism.
In 2008, a descendant of a family that found many original Paluxy River dinosaur tracks in the 1930s claimed that her grandfather had faked many of them. Others, such as purported dinosaur claws, were identified by University of Texas at Austin paleontologist Wann Langston as crocodile teeth.
In 1996, Baugh presented his "man-tracks" in the widely criticized program The Mysterious Origins of Man. Creationist Ken Ham, of Answers in Genesis, criticized the claims in a review titled "Hollywood's 'Moses' Undermines Genesis," regarding Baugh: "According to leading creationist researchers, this evidence is open to much debate and needs much more intensive research. One wonders how much of the information in the program can really be trusted!" He also has been given television exposure by the tele-evangelist Kenneth Copeland. He has authored several self-published books
In 2001 Baugh and Creation Evidence Museum were featured on The Daily Show where Baugh likened human history to The Flintstones and the show poked fun at his claims about the hyperbaric biosphere, pterodactyl expeditions, and dinosaurs.
He is a promoter of intelligent design. In 2002 he appeared with William A. Dembski at a conference in Texas and has built his more recent web material around ID and Dembski.
Claims
Both scientists and creationists have criticized Baugh's claims. Between 1982 and 1984, several scientists (including J.R. Cole, L.R. Godfrey, R.J. Hastings, and S.D. Schafersman) examined Baugh's purported "mantracks" as well as others provided by creationists in the Glen Rose Formation. Baugh asserted this as evidence against scientifically known ways that rocks form.
In July 2008, Baugh was in contact with Alvis Delk and James Bishop, who claimed to have found a dinosaur-human print fossil. Baugh bought the "fossil" from Delk who used the money to pay his medical bills. On the authenticity of the claims, reporter Bud Kennedy noted, "since no scientists were involved, about all we really know so far is that the museum has a new rock." This was deemed "not a convincing human footprint in ancient rock" by biologist Glen J. Kuban and called a "blatant fake" by biologist PZ Myers.
Creationist organizations such as Answers in Genesis have criticized Baugh's claims saying he "muddied the water for many Christians. . . . People are being misled." Answers in Genesis (AiG) lists the "Paluxy tracks" as arguments "we think creationists should NOT use" [emphasis in original]. Also Answers In Creation reviewed Baugh's museum and concluded "the main artifacts they claim show a young earth reveal that they are deceptions, and in many cases, not even clever ones."
In his 1992 book Panorama of Creation, Baugh claims that a layer of metallic hydrogen surrounded the early Earth. Furthermore, he professes that hexagonal water, or, "Creation water" as he calls it, is capable of healing. Such claims have been addressed by scientists as pseudoscience. These claimed doctorates are from unaccredited schools, two of which are widely considered "diploma mills". His claimed 1989 doctorate and master's degrees in archaeology come from the non-accredited Pacific International University, of which Baugh was also the president. In 2005, Baugh claimed to have completed another doctorate in theology from the unaccredited Louisiana Baptist University. He also claimed to hold an honorary "Doctor of Philosophy in Theology" from the California Graduate School of Theology prior to its accreditation in 1991, but this claim has not been substantiated by the university.