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To: Junior
When biologists use the term "fit" it means within a specific environment.

Was Nazi Germany a specific environment?

Selection is done by nature, not by man.

Is man part of nature?

Yes, the Nazis eliminated a large chunk of the gene pool; however it was only based upon their definition of "fit" and not the way nature sees it.

You're anthropomorphizing nature. Nature sees nothing. Nature is blind chance, matter in motion. Remember? So Hitler's acts must be just as much a case of matter in motion as any other natural phenomenon.

The Nazis, in their zeal, could have eliminated whole genetic traits the species would find useful in situations wherein the species comes under environmental stress

So? Who cares? Nature sure doesn't. The Nazis survived longer than the Jews, and under evolutionary theory they must be superior to the Jews.

794 posted on 07/08/2004 10:59:40 AM PDT by Aquinasfan (Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
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To: Aquinasfan
Was Nazi Germany a specific environment?

Yes, it was. It was created by the Nazis.

The Nazis survived longer than the Jews, and under evolutionary theory they must be superior to the Jews.

No, the Nazis survived longer than the Jews in a specific, Nazi-created environment. You are deliberately ignoring the fact that survival is dependent on environmental conditions, and thus it is completely relative because you have this boneheaded notion that evolution can be blamed for the holocaust and you ignore any factors that don't support your conclusion. Yes, there was an environment that selected Nazis over Jews. That environment was deliberately created by the Nazis. That environment no longer exists, it was destroyed as a result of reaction to the actions of the Nazis. Ultimately, while the Nazis managed a short-term environmental change that was detrimental to the Jews, their actions resulted in other coming in and deliberately changing the environment into a Nazi-hostile one. Nazis now do not survive as well as Jews. Therefore Jews are now superior to Nazis in the current environment.

If you really want to bring evolution into it, you would have to ultimately conclude that the Jews were superior to the Nazis, as the Jews are still around today, while the Nazis are not.

I could organize an effort to round up all Christians, put them into death camps and have them executed. That would make an environment hostile to Christians. Would that make non-Christians superior? What if Christians decided to round up all non-Christians, put them in death camps and have them executed? That would create an environment hostile to non-Christians. Would that make Christians superior?

Evolution is not a plan for living your life or a plan for structuring a society. It's just a descriptor. It explains what happens. It doesn't say that things should be made to happen.
797 posted on 07/08/2004 11:15:29 AM PDT by Dimensio (Join the Monthly Internet Flash Mob: http://www.aa419.org)
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To: Aquinasfan
he Nazis survived longer than the Jews, and under evolutionary theory they must be superior to the Jews.

Excuse me? The Nazis are dead and gone (except for a few nutcases chasing blues singers in Illinois). The Jews have their own country and are flourishing throughout the world, including in areas where they are not quite welcome (Europe, the Middle East).

Some Jews died, but the group survived.

810 posted on 07/08/2004 12:44:27 PM PDT by Junior (FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC)
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To: Aquinasfan
The Nazis survived longer than the Jews

Odd; I see plenty of Jews, and only a few pathetic remnants of the Nazis.

858 posted on 07/09/2004 5:52:11 AM PDT by steve-b (Panties & Leashes Would Look Good On Spammers)
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