Teaching Science (Another Derbyshire Classic!)

National Review Online ^ | August 30 2005 | John Derbyshire

[furball4paws]

The theory of Evolution is "Origin of Species" from other "species". Before there was life there couldn't be evolution. Wake up Man.

OTOH, I think there will some day be a continuum of theories that include the Big Bang, Abiogenesis and Evolution. They will besubsumed by the Theory of Everything. BUT, they will still be separate theories in their own right.

[mlc9852]

LOL - I'm finally looking forward to my birthday! It could get interesting.

[longshadow]

:They will besubsumed by the Theory of Everything. BUT, they will still be separate theories in their own right.

Or, to use my favorite phrase lately: "Different phenomona; different processes; different theories." It takes an truly stunning investment of ignorance to not get it.

[jimmyray]

See this:

http://www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center/cosmic_evolution/docs/splash.html

Plenty of other examples exist. take it up with the scientists!

[js1138]

You have a truely tasteful freepmail.

[Junior]

Have you read Genesis?

Yes, and Leviticus, where it does lump locusts into critters with four legs. And it does specifically say that the coney chews its cud, not its fecal matter. If the book is the Word of God, you'd've thunk He'd have made sure such details were gotten right.

[Gumlegs]

You didn't bother actually reading what I posted, did you?

[Gumlegs]

Even with lightning rods and other such measures, lightning can still go where it wants to, or rather where God wants it to. The kerfluffle about lightning rods quickly died out even among the most pious.

However, the claim that men are repurposed monkeys is something you can expect to see substantial resistance on.

So, in your view, God can ignore lightning rods, but He can't use evolution if He chooses. Sounds like rather an impotent God to me.

Now, about the mixed fabrics, beards, and buttons ...

[general_re]

Nonsense. Silly man - don't you know that American history began 4.4 billion years ago, when the earth cooled?

[PatrickHenry]

Or, to use my favorite phrase lately: "Different phenomona [sic]; different processes; different theories."

The Grand Master has directed me to inform the 405^th Freeper that a more appropriate formulation might be:

Different phenomena; different processes; different but compatible theories.

[Junior]

Show me all of the contradictions, and I'll show you MANY fulfilled prophecies that attest it's veracity.

No. You'll show us prophesies the Bible says were fulfilled. There are a number of ways to retroactively prophesy: the prophesy being written after the event it prophesizes -- the Book of Daniel appears to be an example; making the prophesy vague enough that it could apply to numerous events (Revelation has been used to predict the "end times" for centuries); or squeezing an actual prophesy to fit an event it might not actually cover (the virgin/young lady controversy, for example).

Many of us who critique the Bible have actually read it through numerous times, and have read commentaries from Christian, Jewish and non-believer scholars alike. A lot of the apologetics one gets on these threads consist mainly of wishful thinking and a belief the individual espousing them has been granted some special insight by God Himself. The plain words of Scripture speak for themselves.

[Junior]

The folks in the region ate locusts (hence their inclusion as "clean" foods). I'm sure during their gustatory activities someone would notice the animal actually had six legs.

Now, it is possible the information was mistranscribed but then the Bible would no longer be inerrant. All that's left for the inerrantists is to handwave all the contradictions away.

[aculeus]

Big bump.

[Oztrich Boy]

What type of life is there on Earth. How are they classified. Why are they classified as such. What are their components and structure. etc...

Science as stamp-collecting

[Oztrich Boy]

People like you have to believe the symmetry of solar eclipse is a result of random chance. The sun is 400 times bigger than the moon, yet the exact distance from the moon to form a perfect eclipse. If you think that happened by accidernt, you and the author of this tripe are morons.

When you throw a stonr into the water, it allways lands in the middle of the ring of ripples. That symmetry can't be random chance ergo Sparky the Omnipotent Wonder Yak Exists

[Junior]

...lightning can still go where it wants to...

Electricity follows the path of least resistance.

[b_sharp]

"Tell me Derbyshire, which of the two theories, phyletic evolution (advanced by Dawkins), or punctuated evolution (advanced by Stephen Jay Gould), is "settled", "consensus" science? They cannot both be true."

Why not?

[Oztrich Boy]

Of course, and argument consists of "a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition, not just the automatic gainsaying of what the other person says"

It is NOT!

[ml1954]

...this guy is first-class moron...this idiot..atheistic fools....you and the author of this tripe are morons.

You've convinced me...of something.

[Oztrich Boy]

Both Stalin and Lysenko were LAMARKIAN evolutionists.

And LAMARKIAN evolution is prefectly consistant with Intelligent Design.