Biologist Says Evolution Occurs By Chance

Mail Tribune ^ | 4/23/09 | John Darling

[steve-b]

Genes organize and mutate by random chance, not by divine guidance, says noted biologist, atheist and popular science blogger P.Z. Myers, who will give a talk tonight at Southern Oregon University.

A biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota at Morris, Myers says that from a scientific point of view, God didn't create life, doesn't work in tandem with evolution and doesn't exist.

"We don't need him," Myers said in a phone interview. "I don't at all believe in him — and when we die, we're dead, end of story."

Myers' presentation, "Darwin and Design," will begin at 7 tonight in the Meese Room of the Hannon Library, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd. Admission is $10 general, free for students. It is sponsored by The Jefferson Center of Ashland. Myers will use Darwin for a point-by-point refutation of religious arguments against evolution, most of which, he said, "are warmed-over stuff" from 200 years ago.

Myers, who said he gets 2.5 million hits a month on his blog "Pharyngula" on scienceblogs.com, said of supporters of creationism and intelligent design, "They're wishing and hoping there's a designer out there. Their cardinal sin is ignorance."

He added, "They're very ignorant people, like the people who believed the Earth was the center of the universe. They will disappear. It may take a century. We will all be laughing about it."...

[Slapshot68]

“We don’t need him,” Myers said in a phone interview. “I don’t at all believe in him — and when we die, we’re dead, end of story.””

Speak for yourself.

[Tublecane]

“Genes organize and mutate by random chance, not by divine guidance, says noted biologist, atheist and popular science blogger P.Z. Myers, who will give a talk tonight at Southern Oregon University.”

That’s all well and good. But what caused genes to exist in the first place? And what caused that? And what caused what caused it? And so forth.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Arrogant, benighted twit; thinks he has groped the Unified Theory with both his thumbs in his...eyes.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Well, then so did this biologist’s brain occur by chance. Why pay it any more heed than to the pattern of snake eyes on a fair gambling table?

[rockinqsranch]

“Genes organize and mutate by random chance, not by divine guidance,.....”

He’d be correct if it weren’t for the fact that there is a reason.

[gwilhelm56]

**Genes organize and mutate by random chance, not by divine guidance, says noted biologist, atheist ...**

that settles One thing... You are a SCUMSucking Bottomdwelling LEECH.. you should have been a LAWYER than a “””Biologist””””

[silverleaf]

and he will next prove scientifically that information evolves by chance

[toomuchcoffee]

What strange mutation occured that allows Meyer to talk out of his butt?

[DuncanWaring]

Genes organize and mutate by random chance, not by divine guidance, ...

So sexual reproduction appeared by simultaneous random mutations producing a male part with a half-complement of chromosomes and a female part with a corresponding half-complement of chromosomes close enough in time and space to combine and produce an offspring?

It's far more likely that my 5-year-old grandson will pick the winning numbers for every Powerball lottery drawing for the rest of his natural life.

[Cedric]

A biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota at Morris

Well, whoop dee doo!

[silverleaf]

even Sir Francis Crick couldn’t swallow that, and had to theorize “pan spermia” to find an intelligent designer to replace God

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Impossible to prove. There is no way to rule out divine providence or divine purpose with just empirical data, lab experiments, or statistics. This is philosophically impossible.

[reagan_fanatic]

"I don't at all believe in him — and when we die, we're dead, end of story."

You're going to be in for the mother of all shocks when you pass on, my dear deluded fool.

[toomuchcoffee]

correction ‘Myer’.

[kickonly88]

He (the fool) says ‘we will all be laughing’. Don’t bet on it!

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

One cannot demonstrate through sensible evidence nor by pure logic either the existence or non existence of God. If you believe in one of the other, you are holding to your belief on mere faith alone. The agnostic is the one who admits he does not know. Most religionists admit they believe by faith alone. Atheists believe their idea is rooted in science but never say how. Their only defense is logical fallacy, you can't prove a negative. In other words, they won't try.

Problem for the religionists: of the many variants of those who claim the true God, which is the true one?

Problem for the atheists: how does inanimate matter acquire conscientious?

[steve-b]

One cannot demonstrate through sensible evidence nor by pure logic either the existence or non existence of God.

True. Dogmatic atheists are as annoying as televangelists.

[Claud]

Precisely. This is a classic case of the scientist pretending to be a philosopher.

Anyone who says science can settle the question of God is fatally deluded. End of story.

[Sgt_Schultze]

One day a group of scientists got together and decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one scientist to go and tell Him that they were done with Him.

The scientist walked up to God and said, "God, we've decided that we no longer need you. We're to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't you just go on and get lost."

God listened very patiently and kindly to the man and after the scientist was done talking, God said, "Very well, how about this, let's say we have a man making contest." To which the scientist replied, "OK, great!"

But God added, "Now, we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam."

The scientist said, "Sure, no problem" and bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt.

God just looked at him and said, "No, no, no. You go get your own dirt!"