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Study strengths, weaknesses of evolution
The Kansas City Star ^ | May 8, 2005 | Jonathan Witt

Posted on 05/08/2005 10:20:27 AM PDT by GarySpFc

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Jonathan Witt has a doctorate in English from the University of Kansas and is a senior fellow and writer in residence with the Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture.
1 posted on 05/08/2005 10:20:28 AM PDT by GarySpFc
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To: GarySpFc

While (Professor of Creative Writing) Witt is quite confident that modern biology is totally wrong, it’s all too clear that he doesn’t even understand the basics.


2 posted on 05/08/2005 10:26:03 AM PDT by balrog666 (A myth by any other name is still inane.)
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To: GarySpFc

I must say I am SHOCKED that the KCStar ran this. You should check out the Wichita Eagle editorial on the subject. "Fringe" I believe was how they started it. It was hateful and arrogant.


3 posted on 05/08/2005 10:40:57 AM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Legislatures are so outdated. If you want real political victory, take your issue to court.)
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To: balrog666
I appreciate your cogent analysis of the issues, your insightful ad hominem remark, and your nonexistent defense of the Theory.
4 posted on 05/08/2005 10:41:28 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (The fourth estate is a fifth column.)
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To: ClearCase_guy
Here is another ID story from another culture. Do you support this type of ID, or must it be your own version?

Earth Diver

At first all was water. A water-fowl thought that there must be earth below. So all the water-fowls dived for it. Finally Turtle said he would try. He made himself a waterproof suit to travel in under water. Then he got much rope. He said, "If I jerk on the rope pull me out. If there is no earth I shall come to the surface all alone." Finally they pulled him up. He was helpless when he came to the surface. His mouth and ears were all plugged up with mud. They saw mud under his nails. They got a little mud this way. They dried it and made an island. It grew and became the world.

Wintu Indian creation story, north-central California

5 posted on 05/08/2005 10:47:10 AM PDT by Coyoteman
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To: GarySpFc

[In fact, alternatives aren't even on the table in the proposed science standards.]


Peerhaps it's time to have teachers cover the most popular alternatives in every branch of science. They could teach intelligent design with evolution, astrology with astronomy, alchemy with chemistry, and levitation, ESP, and alien abduction with physics.

But we shouldn't limit ourselves to just the alternatives in the field of science. We should also be mandating the teaching of Spanish, Chinese, German, Arabic, Latin and Hebrew in English class, and in politics and history class we need to teach, with equal fervor and enthusiasm, the competing theories of Communism vs Capitalism, slavery vs liberty, monarchism vs Jeffersonianism and despotism vs democracy.


6 posted on 05/08/2005 10:53:54 AM PDT by spinestein (Do I really need the sarcasm tag?)
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To: GarySpFc

In other words, he's totally irrelevant and offers no insight into evolutionary theory.


7 posted on 05/08/2005 10:59:47 AM PDT by ValenB4 (Viva il Papa, Benedict XVI)
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To: GarySpFc

[University of Chicago paleontologist Michael Foote concluded, “We have a representative sample and therefore we can rely on patterns documented in the fossil record.” He didn't mean that we will find no more species. He does mean that we have enough fossil data to see the basic pattern before us.

In other words, some evolutionists see the fossil record as a real problem.]


HUH?! Wrong conclusion. “We have a representative sample and therefore we can rely on patterns documented in the fossil record.” means there is no problem for the validity of evolution in the fossil record.


8 posted on 05/08/2005 11:02:24 AM PDT by spinestein
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To: Coyoteman
has no business driving,

What does this have to do with the points in the story that evolution does not exists as the evols would have us believe? Even Darwin himself was puzzled and dismayed at the lack of transitional fosils in the fosil record and said that more digging should prouce them. However, more digging hasn't produced them, on the contrary more digging has only shown that darinism is wrong, which is why evos have produced several other theories to explain evolution, neo darwinism and, the latest, punctuated equilibrium, both of these are mutation theories. In other words instead of gradual evolutionary changes they occur suddenly by mutation.

These two theories are full of holes also. What is known for sure but seldom admitted to in public by top evo scientists is the fact that natural selection doesn't work except in the case of variations, or if you prefer, micro evolution. Outside infulences on a species cannot change the species because the DNA of a species decides what the next generation will be like, not weather conditions of some other outside influence

In other words, if I cut my index finger off and the next 2,000,000 generations cut their index finger off, the babies being born would still have index fingers because the simple act of cutting off a finger will not change the DNA pattern that causes babies to have index fingers. This is something all scientists know today but, as I said, few evos will admit to knowing this and they still allow natural selection to be taught in schools

I am not a creationists, nor, do I think , a person who believes in ID, but I will tell you what I don't believe in, I don't believe in evolution as it is taught today, and I don't believe it for good reason. That reason being that it has been proven false and a new theory needs to be formed, even if that theory is the "we don't know how things got to be the way they are" theory until they can actually discover how it does work.

Lying, producing false records, false species and generally making the evidence fit the theory has been the general practice of evos and I suspect they will continue to do so until they are finally forced out of existence by the truth.

The truth being, no one knows, including creationists, how we got here and why there are so many different species on the planet.

9 posted on 05/08/2005 11:09:25 AM PDT by calex59
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To: balrog666
"While (Professor of Creative Writing) Witt is quite confident that modern biology is totally wrong, it’s all too clear that he doesn’t even understand the basics."

What do you expect?? He's with the "Discovery Institute"---a major advocate of "intelligent design".

10 posted on 05/08/2005 11:10:24 AM PDT by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel)
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To: GarySpFc
Take heart Gary. Maybe some out there will realize critiques or necessity are the mother of invention/discovery. Being shown the weakness of engines with friction has inspired many changes.
Who can say what generations to come can do with the challenges of proving macro-transformations if they are so inclined.
11 posted on 05/08/2005 11:15:21 AM PDT by Dust in the Wind (I've got peace like a river. . .)
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To: calex59
In other words, if I cut my index finger off and the next 2,000,000 generations cut their index finger off, the babies being born would still have index fingers because the simple act of cutting off a finger will not change the DNA pattern that causes babies to have index fingers. This is something all scientists know today but, as I said, few evos will admit to knowing this and they still allow natural selection to be taught in schools

Do you really think this example honestly represents natural selection as understood in the scientific community?

12 posted on 05/08/2005 11:17:46 AM PDT by Gumlegs
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To: spinestein

We should note that there are at least 16 different species of shrimp, in the Point Mugu Lagoon. They are different from any shrimp, and breed true. The Point Mugu lagoon was man made in the 1940s when mud was dredged out to make a high place for the Pt. Mugu runways.

Current evolutionary theory shows that there are lean times and fat times. In fat times nearly all members of a population survive, and diversity abounds. In lean times particular members are selected by their accidental advantage, and other characteristics die out.

Creation is a Zero order theory. In the absense of evidence, one postulates continuous existance as it is today. How did it get here? A miracle.

The Darwinian theory was a first order theory. In the absense of evidence, it is reasonable to fit a straight line to two points.

The current evolutionary theory is high order, based on encorporating data from fossiles, modern farm eugenics programs (aka Luther Burbank) and biochemistry.

I merely propose that those who don't accept it be denied "live vaccine" medicine, modern "large breast" chicken and turkey, and be required to pay a premium on the price of all foods, to estimate what the price of food would be if there was no evolution.


13 posted on 05/08/2005 11:19:33 AM PDT by Donald Meaker
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To: calex59
My point in posting Native American creation stories is simple: there is every bit as much scientific basis to those stories as any other creation stories.

Besides, I have grown weary of trying to explain science, and how it works, to people whose minds are already made up and need to either destroy or pervert science to reach their desired ends. No amount of explanation or education will ever change a person's mind when it is ovecome by the zeal of true belief.

So, expect to see a beautiful Native American creation story on many of these CS/ID posts.

CS/ID folks want alternatives? There are lots of alternatives out there besides theirs!

14 posted on 05/08/2005 11:30:15 AM PDT by Coyoteman
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To: spinestein

"Peerhaps it's time to have teachers cover the most popular alternatives in every branch of science. They could teach intelligent design with evolution, astrology with astronomy, alchemy with chemistry, and levitation, ESP, and alien abduction with physics.

But we shouldn't limit ourselves to just the alternatives in the field of science. We should also be mandating the teaching of Spanish, Chinese, German, Arabic, Latin and Hebrew in English class, and in politics and history class we need to teach, with equal fervor and enthusiasm, the competing theories of Communism vs Capitalism, slavery vs liberty, monarchism vs Jeffersonianism and despotism vs democracy."

Excellant idea. Perhaps children will grow up with the tools required to help them make informed decisions.


15 posted on 05/08/2005 11:32:04 AM PDT by Marine_Uncle
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To: Coyoteman

"Besides, I have grown weary of trying to explain science, and how it works, to people whose minds are already made up and need to either destroy or pervert science to reach their desired ends."

I am still waiting for a simple or extremly will defined answer as to if you believe a hula hoop made of polyethlene for instance could have been formed from non organic materials in some early earth model (tons of versions, take the version you feel suitable), and to make things easier on you, you pick the choice of the type plastic amoung thousands of choices that would be formed into a simple geometric design such as a hula hoop, or again to make things simper, lets say hollow ball, er might not be simpler.


16 posted on 05/08/2005 11:46:46 AM PDT by Marine_Uncle
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To: Gumlegs

" Do you really think this example honestly represents natural selection as understood in the scientific community?"

What "version" of natural selection supported by what group of evolutionist would you point to, specifically?


17 posted on 05/08/2005 11:49:56 AM PDT by Marine_Uncle
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To: Marine_Uncle
I am still waiting for a simple or extremly will defined answer as to if you believe a hula hoop made of polyethlene for instance could have been formed from non organic materials in some early earth model (tons of versions, take the version you feel suitable), and to make things easier on you, you pick the choice of the type plastic amoung thousands of choices that would be formed into a simple geometric design such as a hula hoop, or again to make things simper, lets say hollow ball, er might not be simpler.

This is what I mean about trying to explain science to those who must deny or pervert science in favor of their beliefs. Your question is scientifically nonsensical; it has no relevance to anything we have been discussing.

I like your bio page by the way.

18 posted on 05/08/2005 11:59:51 AM PDT by Coyoteman
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To: Marine_Uncle
It doesn't matter.

In other words, if I cut my index finger off and the next 2,000,000 generations cut their index finger off, the babies being born would still have index fingers because the simple act of cutting off a finger will not change the DNA pattern that causes babies to have index fingers. This is something all scientists know today but, as I said, few evos will admit to knowing this and they still allow natural selection to be taught in schools.

Do you want to defend that as accurately representing any scientific version of natural selection?

19 posted on 05/08/2005 12:00:55 PM PDT by Gumlegs
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To: Wonder Warthog
What do you expect?? He's with the "Discovery Institute"---a major advocate of "intelligent design".

The "Discovery Institute" - isn't that the nuthouse funded by the Rev Sun Myung Moon's nefarious CAUSA organization?

20 posted on 05/08/2005 12:02:54 PM PDT by balrog666 (A myth by any other name is still inane.)
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