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ACLU Files Suit in Pa. Over Evolution
FOX News ^

Posted on 12/14/2004 7:14:55 AM PST by wkdaysoff

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The state American Civil Liberties Union (search) plans to file a federal lawsuit Tuesday against a Pennsylvania school district that is requiring students to learn about alternatives to the theory of evolution (search).

The ACLU said its lawsuit will be the first to challenge whether public schools should teach "intelligent design," which holds that the universe is so complex that it must have been created by some higher power....

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: aclu; crevolist; lawsuit; scienceeducation
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To: alancarp
The complexity of eyesight is enormous, and while I understand that the forum afforded by this video doesn't allow for the detail necessary, it doesn't appear that the professor has an answer for that in any case.
Saying that is a bit unfair, if you ask me. He got the chance to explain the basics in a possible evolutionary path of the eye in a 4 minute clip. That doesn't, however, mean he has nothing to say about the more intricate works of the nerves and the brain.

It's true that eyesight is a complex system, that we can agree on, but science is already passed the point of saying 'we haven't a clue how that happened'. For a complete description of the eye's evolution, neither this forum nor short movie clips will suffice. You can basically say "what about the [insert anything here] then?" about every biological subsystem all the way back to an early hypothetical self-replicating organism.

As for muscles around the eye, and other parts that perfects vision, even a non-biologist like myself can imagine possible evolutionary pathways. I don't have the time to do the research (which I'm sure already has been done) nor even form a coherent hypothesis though :)

You know, looking at this video link, one would kind of get the understanding that the evolutionary development of an eye function might have been, ummm... directed toward a conclusion?
A general misconception about evolution is that it's completely random. If it were, you'd indeed expect to find lenses and retinas evolving as much on your fingernails. But this is not the case. The selective pressure is the direction on the ToE, and in the eye example that would be perfection of sight. Seeing things better is an obvious selection mechanism.
341 posted on 12/14/2004 1:45:28 PM PST by anguish (while science catches up.... mysticism!)
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To: Right Wing Professor
Of course I do. If I don't believe in God as the creator, I can force evolution to be taught. If I don't believe in the greatness of the American system I can force 'diversity' to be taught. If I do not believe that sex should be between an adult male and an adult female I can force "sex (re) education" to be taught. If I believe it's moral to kill unborn children I can force abortion to be taught.

The only thing I can not get our schools to teach is the traditional values upon which this country is build. Because of A$$s like you. Thanks, hope yall and your kids will be happy speaking texmex or Chinese in the third world sh*t whole you are responsible for creating.

By the way their NOTHING right wing about you except your name.

342 posted on 12/14/2004 1:45:58 PM PST by jpsb
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To: ThinkPlease

And until TOE meets the qualifications I set forth, it is just a fairy tale used as propaganda for atheists and for the indoctrinating of our children away from God.


343 posted on 12/14/2004 1:47:30 PM PST by Right in Wisconsin
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To: Amish with an attitude
Discussing the evolution of an eye or any other complex organ is usless without first determining the origin of the cells of which it consists.
Obviously the origins are at the organisms parent(s) :p
344 posted on 12/14/2004 1:47:57 PM PST by anguish (while science catches up.... mysticism!)
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To: Dimensio

Why do you call me dishonest? I am asking in the context of OOL if evolution played any part or is evolution not in any way allowed in OOL?


345 posted on 12/14/2004 1:48:03 PM PST by Heartlander
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To: Right in Wisconsin; shadowman99
What type of evolution happened? There are 6 different kinds and only one has been proven.

Why don't we go with that one? (Some people. You have to do all their thinking for them)

346 posted on 12/14/2004 1:49:43 PM PST by Oztrich Boy ("Ain't I a stinker?" B Bunny)
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To: Heartlander
I am asking in the context of OOL if evolution played any part or is evolution not in any way allowed in OOL?

The OOL is a seperate matter from evolution.
347 posted on 12/14/2004 1:49:49 PM PST by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
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To: Dimensio

Again, please tell me how your theory of evolution would work without the big bang theory and zillions of years. And not transitional changes, but species changes.


348 posted on 12/14/2004 1:50:11 PM PST by Right in Wisconsin
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To: Modernman

"Why else would He create tens of thousands of beetle species?"

Natures garbage disposals, you gotta have alot of them to get the job done.


349 posted on 12/14/2004 1:50:46 PM PST by Amish with an attitude (Entropy is the greatest foe of evolution)
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To: Right in Wisconsin
And until TOE meets the qualifications I set forth, it is just a fairy tale used as propaganda for atheists and for the indoctrinating of our children away from God.

What criteria? The lie that there are "six types of evolution"? And what's with this common creationist lie that evolution is some attempt to "indoctrinate our children away from God"?
350 posted on 12/14/2004 1:51:39 PM PST by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
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To: Right in Wisconsin
Again, please tell me how your theory of evolution would work without the big bang theory and zillions of years.

"Zillion" is not a number. Evolution requires about 4.5 billion years (give or take) to get where it is now, though estimates of the universe's age are at around 15 billion (someone point out if that's in error), so there's really no challenge there. As for the Big Bang, well, that's irrelevant. It doesn't matter how the universe came to exist, evolution works so long as life exists and replicates itself imperfectly.

You're the one asserting that evolution requires that the Big Bang be true. You need to explain how falsifying the Big Bang would make evolution impossible.
351 posted on 12/14/2004 1:53:56 PM PST by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
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To: balrog666

I'm a fundamentalist.
Grew up in an agnostic family, brothers are all still agnostic, or atheist. Mom and Dad turned to God in their 70's, though.

I'm the black sheep in many ways. The only one down here in the states. That sort of thing.

So...I know a lot of folks who are atheists and agnostics, and have found that if you show a genuine curiousity in people (just for the stories they can tell you, if nothing else), you can get along with just about anybody. Then, once you've established credibility, you can turn to topics of eternal nature. Prior to establishing that trust, though, there's not much good that comes from butting heads with each other.

Great opening line for chatting with friends or strangers:

You know, just before you're born, and God gives you a choice of being smart, rich, or handsome...you'd think I would have chosen at least one of them!

Have a Merry Christmas.


352 posted on 12/14/2004 1:55:17 PM PST by ColoCdn (Neco eos omnes, Deus suos agnoset)
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To: Modernman

I may be a lot of things, but a horse is not one of them!


353 posted on 12/14/2004 1:55:17 PM PST by Right in Wisconsin
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To: Right in Wisconsin
I may be a lot of things, but a horse is not one of them!

I can't begin to explain just how much restraint is required for me not to make a snide comment here.

I'm going off for a bit. I'll be back later with my smarmy, snarky attitude.
354 posted on 12/14/2004 1:56:48 PM PST by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
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To: Right in Wisconsin; Modernman; WildTurkey
Actually, it was the Christians who believed the world was round before the rest of the world.
Actually, it was the ancient pagans who came up with that idea first.

If Eratosthenes was a Christian, what was the point of Jesus?

355 posted on 12/14/2004 1:57:48 PM PST by Oztrich Boy ("Ain't I a stinker?" B Bunny)
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To: Dimensio
I can't begin to explain just how much restraint is required for me not to make a snide comment here.

I understand. Most admirable behavior on your part.

356 posted on 12/14/2004 1:58:09 PM PST by PatrickHenry (The List-O-Links for evolution threads is at my freeper homepage.)
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To: Oztrich Boy

Actually, it was Aristotle who put forth the first coherent set of arguments for the earth's being a sphere. Eratosthenes came a wee bit later. I'll look for a link to Aristotle's argument.


357 posted on 12/14/2004 2:00:07 PM PST by PatrickHenry (The List-O-Links for evolution threads is at my freeper homepage.)
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To: Modernman

Okay, how would evolution occur without the world being zillions of years old and life not being created by chemical reaction?


358 posted on 12/14/2004 2:02:17 PM PST by Right in Wisconsin
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To: ThinkPlease

And how do you know those radio isotopes weren't created at a half-life? How can you be absolutely sure of this?


359 posted on 12/14/2004 2:04:35 PM PST by Right in Wisconsin
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To: Oztrich Boy
Aristotle (384-322 BC) also proposed a spherical earth on geometric grounds, but backed up his assertion with physical evidence:
* Ships disappearing over the horizon appear hull-down in the water.
* Travelers going south see southern constellations rise higher above the horizon.
* Shadow of the earth on the moon during a lunar eclipse is round.
Aristotle's demonstration was so compelling that a spherical Earth was the central assumption of all subsequent philosophers of the Classical era (up to ~300 AD).

He also used the curved phases of the moon to argue that the Moon must also be a sphere like the Earth.

Source: Measuring the Earth.

360 posted on 12/14/2004 2:05:37 PM PST by PatrickHenry (The List-O-Links for evolution threads is at my freeper homepage.)
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