Can biology do better than faith?

New Scientist ^ | November 2, 2005 | Edward O. Wilson

[VOA]

Can scientific humanism do as well or better, at a lower cost?

Not to denigrate the advantages that flow from scientific research...
but knowing what to do with that knowledge did go seriously off
the rails with two great materialistic movements in the 20th century...
and millions died.

[Dutch Boy]

"Yet biologists are unanimous in concluding that evolution is a fact."

Did I miss something? When did the Theory of Evolution become the Law of Evolution?

[RoadTest]

A lot of us prefer to believe God instead of man, because He's never lied. He doesn't have to keep correcting his theories, either.

[mlc9852]

"It is often maintained that Bruno was executed because of his Copernicanism and his belief in the infinity of inhabited worlds. In fact, we do not know the exact grounds on which he was declared a heretic because his file is missing from the records. Scientists such as Galileo and Johannes Kepler were not sympathetic to Bruno in their writings."

http://galileo.rice.edu/chr/bruno.html

[Coyoteman]

FYI. My favorite paragraph:

They support the alternative explanation of intelligent design. The reasoning they offer is not based on evidence but on the lack of it. The formulation of intelligent design is a default argument advanced in support of a non sequitur. It is in essence the following: there are some phenomena that have not yet been explained and that (most importantly) the critics personally cannot imagine being explained; therefore there must be a supernatural designer at work. The designer is seldom specified, but in the canon of intelligent design it is most certainly not Satan and his angels, nor any god or gods conspicuously different from those accepted in the believer's faith.

[308MBR]

The main thrust is there is a genetic basis for behavior in all animals, including human animals. This is the main reason the successful classes in the USA could abdicate all their wealth to the "poor" and "minorities" and leave the country, and within two years the place would turn into Haiti.

The USA was designed for people from successful societies to enter, join, work hard and make something of themselves without the burdens of a State Church and an aristocracy. I have pity for the hungry and oppressed people of the world, but by and large they are the products of dysfunctional societies, typically matriarchal, tribal, communal, dictatorial theocratic, or a combination of the four. When they migrate to a really successful capitalistic and paternal society and refuse to integrate (or are just born from a culture of perpetual victim-hood within a successful society, endowing themselves with the attitude they are owed something for past perceived slights) they should be shipped back home.

Check out the Dutch oath of loyalty.

[Just mythoughts]

Science is what it is, evolution is man's (the "gods" of the supposed modern era) interpretation of what science is.

As it is Written, there is nothing "NEW" under the sun and there is nothing new about denying the Creator.

[elfman2]

"Did I miss something? When did the Theory of Evolution become the Law of Evolution? "

In short, evolutionary theory as a complete explanation for biological diversity (and the origin of life if you include abiogenesis as part of evolutionary theory) is just a theory with incomplete evidence to consider it a fact. Evolution as the process of life changing through variation and natural selection though is a fact. Explained more here: Fact and Theory

[Dutch Boy]

I'm not disregarding any of the science. I'm questioning that there was a not so subtle leap from theory to fact.

Personally, I do not believe we can from the ooze by a single organism. I'm more in the camp that we were placed here by God and nature was allowed to be nature. What I mean by that is nature has a way of adapting, cross breading and sometimes extinction. Of course I have absolutely nothing to back it up but my own philosophy.

[PatrickHenry]

Thanks for the ping. This is a good weekend thread. I'm cranking up the ping machine ...

[PatrickHenry]

EvolutionPing

A pro-evolution science list with over 310 names. See the list's explanation at my freeper homepage. Then FReepmail to be added or dropped. See what's new in The List-O-Links.

[Alter Kaker]

When did the Theory of Evolution become the Law of Evolution?

Evolution is a observed fact. Evolutionary Theory is what explains how and why evolution occurs.

[canuck_conservative]

Once again, to all those who believe in Creationism and reject Evolution:

How do you explain dinosaurs?

(The question that never gets answered!)

[CarolinaGuitarman]

"As it is Written, there is nothing "NEW" under the sun and there is nothing new about denying the Creator."

And Creationists will always trot out the lie that evolution is a denial of God. Some things never change.

[VadeRetro]

Can biology do better than faith?

Biology is better at what biology does.

[jwalsh07]

Most of the religious right opposes the teaching of evolution in public schools, either by an outright ban on the subject or, at the least, by insisting that it be treated as "only a theory" rather than a "fact".

Right off the bat, the scientist from Harvard Yard makes a false assertion absent any proof at all. But what the hell, he's only lying about the evil "religious right" so how bad can it be?

[Senator Bedfellow]

One may, I suppose, take issue with the word "most", but then the rest is rather difficult to dispute...

[jwalsh07]

There is something deep in religious belief that divides people and amplifies societal conflict.

One need only examine the 20th Century to understand just how 'right' this particular assertion is.

I mean after all "something deep in religious belief" evidently motivated the non believing commies Mao, Stalin and Pol Pot to murder tens of millions. Would that be categorized as "societal conflict"?

[jwalsh07]

Evolution, small e is fact, the TOE is just that, a theroy.

Like wise, intelligent design, small id, is a fact.

Facts are tricky things sometimes.