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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 03/07/2008 : 05:01:15
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We've all, or many of us anyway, been through this before, but whaddahell, this is a good article and some here might not be as familiar with the topic as they could be:
One of the most harassed theories today is the Theory of Evolution, which posits that all organisms on this planet are related through a common ancestor, and that it is gradual change over extreme spans of time that accounts for the diversity of species today. With this theory, we can predict and understand how and why organisms behave the way they do. If a person wants to understand why dogs, wolves, and coyotes are capable of interbreeding, but they generally don't, one only has to look to evolution. To understand why birds' “knees” bend backward – look to evolution. Why do we sometimes, when we're particularly upset, find ourselves behaving like apes, and what can we do about it – turn to evolution. How can DNA from a virus infect a human cell – we're talking evolution.
As noted earlier, science restricts itself to material knowledge. And it seeks to develop hypotheses that will assist us in understanding and predicting the nature of our world. Recently, the concept of “Intelligent Design” (ID) as been brought forward as an alternative “theory” explaining the origin of the diversity of life on Earth. The key to ID is the notion that many of the basic parts that all organisms share are too complex to have arisen from gradual change. ID proposes that some external agent or intelligence is responsible for making these critical bits.
But is ID Science? Should it be taught in a science classroom alongside the Theory of Evolution?
Certainly not! As the article clearly explains, the ID fantasy has no predictive nor even explanatory abilities. And as the so-called 'designer' is strictly assumptive, it therefore has no scientific merit whatsoever.
Last one out, turn off the lights....
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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Maverick
Skeptic Friend
Sweden
385 Posts |
 Posted - 03/07/2008 : 23:44:04 [Permalink]
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| In fact, the idea that “some things are too complex” is anti-scientific, since it seems to suggest that we shouldn't try to understand the origins of the complex structures. |
I like this part. We don't know, and so we invoke a supreme being, a hypothesis based on no evidence at all.
Isn't it a bit like if we had, long ago when we still had the geocentric model, decided that the movements of the planets were too complex... and the answer must be that some intelligent being is guiding the planets. That would have been the end of that. Instead, we eventually abandoned the geocentric model for the heliocentric model, which made more sense and so gave us a deeper understanding of the universe, and opened the doors to yet more insight. |
"Life is but a momentary glimpse of the wonder of this astonishing universe, and it is sad to see so many dreaming it away on spiritual fantasy." -- Carl Sagan |
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The Rat
SFN Regular
Canada
1370 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2008 : 18:28:44 [Permalink]
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| Trying to prove the existence of a supernatural god would take more philosophical gymnastics than any sensible person has time for. I'll take the lazy way out thanks, evolution for me! |
Bailey's second law; There is no relationship between the three virtues of intelligence, education, and wisdom.
You fiend! Never have I encountered such corrupt and foul-minded perversity! Have you ever considered a career in the Church? - The Bishop of Bath and Wells, Blackadder II
Baculum's page: http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=3947338590 |
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Baz
New Member
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2008 : 19:33:36 [Permalink]
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To deny evolution, in my mind, is to deny reality. Devout followers of many religions understand this; to assume the multi millenia old writtings of humans as the literal word of a supreme being is ridiculous on it's face; to assume there was no divergence in the various translations simply asks for ridicule.
I'm not a man of faith, but I know many people who are, and who can seperate faith from reality.
Oh yeah, the whole ID thing is a conspiracy, no doubt about it, and at times a fairly clever one. I swear sometimes the Christian fundies want to bring us back to where the Islamic fundies are now. "Our superstitious nonsense is better than yours! Na Na Naya!"
Eeeeee Ghads! |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2008 : 21:10:06 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Baz
I swear sometimes the Christian fundies want to bring us back to where the Islamic fundies are now. "Our superstitious nonsense is better than yours! Na Na Naya!"
Eeeeee Ghads!
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Indeed, they are working with Islamic extremists toward making both religions equally ignorant. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 03/18/2008 21:11:23 |
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Not even worth an hour -- why ID is a load of crap
