Honestly the big creationist don't seem ever to be very convinced by their own garbage. It is the same way when you listen to those big mega-church TV evangelists. They don't believe that crap their selling but it sells. Why is there still a huge market for religious fundamentalism in the USA. I think most people trace it back to the original colonists that were largely people seeking religious freedom and very religiously conservative. Throughout US history there has always been a subculture of religious grifters taking advantage of the fundamentalist nature of Americans. I think it waxes an wanes and it hasn't always been "bad" as religious fundamentalist certainly help drive social reform in the later parts of the 19th century. Of course it also lead to grifters like Joseph Smith.
I don't think science scares the shit out of fundys. They clearly love modern technology like radio, TV and the internet because it helps them make more $$. The clearly love mass production of products to sell their followers. Once again if creationism was the norm of science and evolution was seen as counter to societal norm and profitable to market, I have no doubt they'd be selling evolution like no tomorrow. You can't sell societal norm to people that you are selling religious fundamentalism because the underlining message of Christian religious fundamentalism is that normal society is sinful, and the wrath of God is coming to those that don't conform (a Judeo-Christian philosophy that predates Jesus) and those in the right standing will be saved or rewarded. Creationism is basically a convenient counter normal society idea that is easy to mass market, relate to the bible and sells well. Thus it fits in well with the fundamentalist message. If counter gravity theories were marketable to the same level they'd sell them too.
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