The discipline of history investigates what actually happened in the past as far as that is known from records or other evidence. Scientific history is what could have happened in the past without being inconsistent with the data or laws of science. Note the difference: scientific history is about possibilities; real history is about actualities.
Scientific history is open to abuse by historical ideologies which are mere possibilities but are promoted fervently by their adherents. Such historical ideologies arose in the 19th century with Marxism and naturalism. Ideologues use the language of science to claim the high ground which will only be given up if others show the impossibility of their ideologies.
It is analogous to a judicial court in which the defendant is “innocent until proven guilty.” The prosecution must show that every reasonable construal of the evidence is against the defendant; otherwise the verdict must be “not guilty.” On their telling the only thing evolutionists need to do to defend themselves is show that evidence presented against them can be construed neutrally or in their favor. They do not have to present any evidence that supports their case. Judicial courts give an advantage to the defendant but science should not have an inherent bias.
The problem is one of flawed logic. Scientific history is flawed unless it is grounded in what actually happened in the past, not merely what could have happened. Creationists use the Bible as the source of history to ground the practice of scientific history. Conventional scientists have nothing on which to base their historical science so they adopt ideologies instead: naturalism and scientism. The advantage of evolution to their mind is that it is possible and consistent with “science” which they define ideologically.
It would be a mistake to accept the naturalistic terms of the debate and try to show that naturalism is impossible. It should be rejected on the basis of logic and the avoidance of ideology. Naturalistic science is captive to ideology.
The Bible is a trustworthy chronicle of history, not merely a spiritual revelation. This is important to critics who accuse creationists of being sectarian. The Bible is in the first place a book, not religious object. Much of it is a chronicle of a particular people, and the earliest part chronicles universal history. Even the first chapter of Genesis comes to us as Adam’s chronicle, and although he did not observe it all, he was in the best position to know what happened.
Evolution is not real history; it is imaginary history. We have real history as our starting point. That is our best argument.
October 2013