Pseudoscience is a term evolutionists like to use against creation science. It is a derogatory term frequently used against any concept that disagrees with those concepts that are widely held by institutionalized science. It is largely a way of trying to keep the designation of science within institutionalized science.
The word “pseudoscience” basically means fake science and it has two legitimate uses. The first is deliberate fraud on the part of the proponents. The second legitimate use of this term is in referring to fictional science. For example, inventing some scientifically sounding terminology in a science fiction story to make what is going on at least sound scientific.
One of the major problems with this label is that its application has no official source. That is there is no governing board that determines what qualifies as pseudoscience. Consequently, there is no place where the label can be appealed. It is simply used as a derogatory term, and anyone who has the label applied to positions that they hold is put into the position of explaining why it is not a legitimate label. It is made worse by the fact that those who apply the label will usually reject any argument that they are wrong.
The application of this label also ignores the fact that there is both good and bad science, and bad science is not necessarily fake science. If someone follows the scientific method, but because their methodology is sloppy, they come to bad conclusions, it does not mean that they were engaging in fake science. They were engaging in poorly done science but that does not make it fake.
It is also interesting to note that those who use the term “pseudoscience” have a hard time providing clear-cut criteria by which to apply the label, which does not apply to some theories that they accept, such as universal common descent evolution. The fact, of the matter, is that this is simply a label that is applied by those who use it against a scientific viewpoint that they disagree with.
The regular use of such derogatory terms is a lazy way of dealing with those who disagree with you and in many cases results from the inability of the person using the term to successfully defend the position they have.
It is sad that the use of such derogatory terms shows up in the discussion of science. If science is to really be considered a search for truth as opposed to pushing a particular agenda, then there should be no place for such derogatory terms. It is interesting that the two most common places where they do show up, are those areas dealing with origins and so-called climate change. This is because each of these is actually an elitist tool that has little to do with real science. Consequently, they cannot stand to have any competition or even be questioned. This is the main reason why in these areas the use of derogatory terms is so common.
The best way to handle these types of derogatory labels is to ignore them as much as possible. When the situation calls for it, point out the derogatory nature of labels such as pseudoscience and explain why it is mistaken. However, it is best to simply ignore them whenever possible, because one of their purposes is to be a distraction from real issues while making the user feel superior.