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Beyond the Fish Wars (Intelligent Design is Bad Theology)
San Francisco Gate ^ | 8/25/2005 | Rev. Jim Burklo

Posted on 08/25/2005 3:17:05 PM PDT by curiosity

We've seen the little symbols on the backs of cars: The "Jesus fish" and the "Darwin fish." The Jesus fish eating the Darwin fish. The Darwin fish eating the Jesus fish. It makes for entertainment while commuting, but this front of the culture wars won't be won or lost on the freeway.

The creationists realized that they were not getting enough traction in their bumper- sticker campaign against the theory of evolution. So biblical literalists have come up with a new strategy: leave the word "God" out of the public argument, and come up with one that sounds more scientific. It's called "intelligent design." President Bush has endorsed it as one of the theories of life's origins that should be taught in public schools.

But it isn't a theory at all. "Intelligent design" posits that the structure of life is so complex and delicate that it is unimaginable that it could have come into existence without having been designed by some intelligent force. Therefore such an intelligence must be responsible for it. But this is a conclusion that can be reached only by assuming that it is true in the first place -- a classic tautology, or example of circular reasoning, which has no place in science.

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


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: allcrevoallthetime; anothercrevothread; christianity; crevolist; crevorepublic; darwinism; enoughalready; evolution; groan; intelligentdesign; makeitstop; notagain; religion
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To: JamesP81
Now, I don't have a problem in principle with evolution being taught in school as long as it's taught that it's a theory, and not fact.

No problem. It is call the evolutionary theory. Be happy.

81 posted on 08/25/2005 9:34:10 PM PDT by WildTurkey (When will CBS Retract and Apologize?)
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To: JamesP81

" The bottom line is that evolutionists have more faith than me and most of my friends in the church. "

Evolution has evidence to back it up. Creationism does not. It's not about faith at all.


82 posted on 08/25/2005 9:37:51 PM PDT by Moral Hazard ("Now therefore kill every male among the little ones" - Numbers 31:17)
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To: JamesP81

Put your mind to rest. Here is some on-line course material that provides the correct explanations and meanings.


http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/evolution98/evol1.html


83 posted on 08/25/2005 9:41:08 PM PDT by WildTurkey (When will CBS Retract and Apologize?)
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To: razorbak

Numbers 31:17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

Numbers 31:18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.


84 posted on 08/25/2005 9:42:12 PM PDT by Moral Hazard ("Now therefore kill every male among the little ones" - Numbers 31:17)
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To: xzins; Alamo-Girl
His views on other issues do not affect the validity of the arguments in this particular article.

But, you want a conservative theologian who is pro-evolution. Okay. There are plenty. Try this one for starters:

http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=74825

If you want a protestant, try this guy:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1437272/posts

85 posted on 08/25/2005 9:43:40 PM PDT by curiosity (.)
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To: JSDude1
and scientists have found seashells on top of very high mountains

Since it is a FACT that the continents drift and force the mountains up, that has to be the stupidest statement yet on this thread.

86 posted on 08/25/2005 9:44:04 PM PDT by WildTurkey (When will CBS Retract and Apologize?)
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To: Moral Hazard
Attacking the Bible isn't going to get you anywhere.
87 posted on 08/25/2005 9:47:04 PM PDT by curiosity (.)
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To: curiosity

What I reject is that his is a foregone conclusion.

Thanks for the links. I'll check them out.


88 posted on 08/25/2005 9:49:19 PM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It!)
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To: curiosity

"Attacking the Bible isn't going to get you anywhere."

Where did I attack the bible?


89 posted on 08/25/2005 9:51:04 PM PDT by Moral Hazard ("Now therefore kill every male among the little ones" - Numbers 31:17)
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To: Moral Hazard
You quoted a couple difficult passages in an attempt to discredit it. Your motive is perfectly obvious.

If your objective is to turn people of faith away from science, keep doing what you're doing.

90 posted on 08/25/2005 9:57:41 PM PDT by curiosity (.)
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To: xzins
The interview with Father Oakes was posted on FR here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1452924/posts

You might want to check this post out, because there are links there to a couple other articles by him that you might find interesting

I particularly his article about original sin (which he takes an extremely traditional, patristic view of).

91 posted on 08/25/2005 10:02:51 PM PDT by curiosity (.)
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To: Moral Hazard

They don't even have to die to get their 37 virgins.


92 posted on 08/25/2005 10:04:04 PM PDT by WildTurkey (When will CBS Retract and Apologize?)
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To: curiosity
You quoted a couple difficult passages in an attempt to discredit it. Your motive is perfectly obvious.

Whenever y'all have a problem with our quotes, y'all attack us for quoting the bible. Are you afraid of the bible?

93 posted on 08/25/2005 10:05:53 PM PDT by WildTurkey (When will CBS Retract and Apologize?)
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To: curiosity

"You quoted a couple difficult passages in an attempt to discredit it. Your motive is perfectly obvious."

Well there were people here who seemed to think the bible should be taken literally with regard to the story of creation. I'm just pointing out some of the stuff that believing in the bible entails.

Frankly I think that any religion that endorses genocide against children shouldn't be looked to for guidance anyway.


94 posted on 08/25/2005 10:07:17 PM PDT by Moral Hazard ("Now therefore kill every male among the little ones" - Numbers 31:17)
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To: WildTurkey
Whenever y'all have a problem with our quotes, y'all attack us for quoting the bible. Are you afraid of the bible?

This isn't about frear. This is about turning off people of faith from science. If that's your goal, then keep dredging up difficult passages from the Bible with which some of us have struggled.

95 posted on 08/25/2005 10:21:20 PM PDT by curiosity (.)
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To: Moral Hazard
Frankly I think that any religion that endorses genocide against children shouldn't be looked to for guidance anyway.

When trying to convince us Christians of your point of view about science or politics, it's best to keep such things to yourself.

If you're trying to turn us off, then keep doing what you're doing.

96 posted on 08/25/2005 10:23:43 PM PDT by curiosity (.)
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To: curiosity
" If you're trying to turn us off, then keep doing what you're doing."

OK, how about God killing children himself, rather than instructing Moses to do it:

Exodus 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast
97 posted on 08/25/2005 10:38:20 PM PDT by Moral Hazard ("Now therefore kill every male among the little ones" - Numbers 31:17)
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To: Moral Hazard

1 Cor 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.


2 Pet 3:15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
2 Pet 3:16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.


98 posted on 08/25/2005 11:14:17 PM PDT by razorbak
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To: xzins

Thanks for the ping. My issue with evolutionists (not necessarily evolution itself) is that they say evolution is provable. I don't see it. How can you prove beyond reasonable doubt that all complex creatures living on earth, great and small, evolved from some one celled micro-organism? Unless you have a time machine it's pretty impossible.


99 posted on 08/26/2005 5:02:17 AM PDT by Conservative til I die
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To: Conservative til I die

The evo side is generally quiet about abiogenesis not being part of the natural selection model.

It's a separate discussion.


100 posted on 08/26/2005 5:06:46 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It!)
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