Posted on 10/24/2005 5:27:52 PM PDT by gobucks
PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- Hundreds of supporters of "intelligent design" theory gathered in Prague in the first such conference in eastern Europe, but Czech scholars boycotted the event insisting it had no scientific credence.
About 700 scientists from Africa, Europe and the United States attended Saturday's "Darwin and Design" conference to press their contention that evolution cannot fully explain the origins of life or the emergence of highly complex species.
"It is a step beyond Darwin," said Carole Thaxton of Atlanta, a biologist who lived with her husband, Charles, in Prague in the 1990s and was one of the organizers of the event.
"The point is to show that there in fact is intelligence in the universe," she said. The participants, who included experts in mathematics, molecular biology and biochemistry, "are all people who independently came to the same conclusion," she said.
Among the panelists was Stephen C. Meyer, a fellow at the Discovery Institute, a Seattle-based think tank that represents many scholars who support intelligent design.
He said intelligent design was "based upon scientific evidence and discoveries in fields such as biochemistry, molecular biology, paleontology and astrophysics."
Many leading Czech thinkers, however, boycotted the conference, insisting the theory - which is being debated in the United States - is scientifically groundless.
Intelligent design holds that life is too complex to have developed through evolution, implying a higher power must have had a hand. Critics contend it is repackaged creationism and improper to include in modern scientific education.
Vaclav Paces, chairman of the Czech Academy of Sciences, called the conference "useless."
"The fact that we cannot yet explain the origin of life on Earth does not mean that there is (a) God who created it," Paces was quoted as telling the Czech news agency CTK.
Correct.
The Intelligent Design scientist starts with an observation from nature.
Wrong. There's no such thing as an intelligent design scientist. ID is a completely bogus pseudo science designed to sell books to dishonest radical fundamentalists who think they are sneaky enough to get superstition and myth taught in science class without real scientists ever noticing the difference.
I would have said "He says 'I don't understand - it cannot be explained - it must be intelligently designed - the designer is aliens or Grauch Marx or God (shhhhh) - packs up his science certificate from the diploma mill and goes to Wednesday evening prayer".
You have such a way with words!
You forgot the < / sarcasm > tag
Is that about the 700 scientists or the bit about FR.
The bit about FR.
Good luck getting an answer.
That's an interesting question.
If I were a creationist I would say 'God' fits that bill.
Since I'm not a creationist, I would have to agree with you that God was created by man.
>Has it ever occurred to you that since NONE of us was present to observe when "it" all began, all we have is conjecture? We are all operating by faith in some way. You choose to believe there is no Creator, therefore no meaning for life, no "higher power" to answer to at the end of your life.
Millions of people all around the world beleive in God, are religious, and have no trouble reconciling this faith with
the scientific theory of evolution and other scientific principles.
> That is why you fight so hard for what even the staunchest supporters can still only call a theory and not fact.
Playing word games with "theory" and "fact" just makes your point seem superficial and silly. A theory is not a _guess_. It's a model of the way things work that is borne out by evidence. Technology based on things that are "just theories" surrounds you.
>There is still no observable occurrence of a transmutation on record, anywhere, anytime.
I have no idea what this means.
Simply stated, Intelligent Design is a quantifiable, verifiable, observable fact.
Whoe! Back up the turnip truck! You lost me there. How did you get from the reptile vs. mammal heart design to ID? Is this one of those equations with lots of numbers, followed by "Then a Miracle Happened," followed by lots more numbers?
If not, you have let out a step. Try this one again, slower this time.
SIR!
Zero is a quantity.
>Zero is a quantity.
How come freep hasn't upgraded to a forum system supporting threads? discussion in the forums with replies are incredibly hard to follow.
You can trace a single strain by following the "To nnn" link at the bottom of each post. Forward referencing isn't there yet.
If you cleaned out the garbage, there wouldn't be anything left.
I'm you'll use the Acme products to the best of your ability just like that wiley canine (or was that coyoteman?).
good post.
Why'd they pick on Prague?
I'm certain on closer examination that these "700 scientists" are not scientists at all.
Never forget that every absurdity has its champions...and it doesn't make it any less an absurdity.
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