Posted on 03/07/2006 2:34:37 PM PST by SirLinksalot
Darwin smacked in new U.S. poll
Whopping 69 percent of Americans want alternate theories in classroom
--------------------------------------------------------
Posted: March 7, 2006 5:00 p.m. Eastern
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
A new poll shows 69 percent of Americans believe public school teachers should present both the evidence for and against Darwinian evolution.
The Zogby International survey indicated only 21 percent think biology teachers should teach only Darwin's theory of evolution and the scientific evidence that supports it.
A majority of Americans from every sub-group were at least twice as likely to prefer this approach to science education, the Zogby study showed.
About 88 percent of Americans 18-29 years old were in support, along with 73 percent of Republicans and 74 percent of independent voters.
Others who strongly support teaching the strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary theory include African-Americans (69 percent), 35-54 year-olds (70 percent) and Democrats (60 percent).
Casey Luskin, program officer for public policy and legal affairs with Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture said while his group does not favor mandating the teaching of intelligent design, "we do think it is constitutional for teachers to discuss it precisely because the theory is based upon scientific evidence not religious premises."
The Seattle-based Discovery Institute is the leading promoter of the theory of Intelligent Design, which has been at the center of challenges in federal court over the teaching of evolution in public school classes. Advocates say it draws on recent discoveries in physics, biochemistry and related disciplines that indicate some features of the natural world are best explained as the product of an intelligent cause rather than an undirected process such as natural selection.
"The public strongly agrees that students should be permitted to learn about such evidence," Luskin said.
The Discovery Institute noted Americans also support students learning about evidence for intelligent design alongside evolution in biology class – 77 percent.
Just over half – 51 percent – agree strongly with that. Only 19 percent disagree.
As WorldNetDaily reported, more than 500 scientists with doctoral degrees have signed a statement expressing skepticism about Darwin's theory of evolution.
The statement, which includes endorsement by members of the prestigious U.S. National Academy of Sciences and Russian Academy of Sciences, was first published by the Discovery Institute in 2001 to challenge statements about Darwinian evolution made in promoting PBS's "Evolution" series.
The PBS promotion claimed "virtually every scientist in the world believes the theory to be true."
Bad luck?
Don't worry. I'm sure I've committed it too, whatever it is.
Standby for sermon [or crap; depending on your point of view...]
NIV Matthew 12:31
And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
So, just what IS this - blasphemy against the Spirit - anyway?
Matthew Henry, in his commentary, said the following...
Matt 21:31-32 Here is a gracious assurance of the pardon of all sin upon gospel terms. Christ herein has set an example to the sons of men, to be ready to forgive words spoken against them. But humble and conscientious believers, at times are tempted to think they have committed the unpardonable sin, while those who have come the nearest to it, seldom have any fear about it. We may be sure that those who indeed repent and believe the gospel, have not committed this sin, or any other of the same kind; for repentance and faith are the special gifts of God, which he would not bestow on any man, if he were determined never to pardon him; and those who fear they have committed this sin, give a good sign that they have not. The trembling, contrite sinner, has the witness in himself that this is not his case.
I found a pretty good explanation online: http://members.tripod.com/~robertwells/unforgivable.html
We talkin' 80% proof?? ;^)
The really amazing statistic is hidden in this article; that 31% of the people don't wish for students to have a balanced understanding of the issue.
Time will tell...
(Time is always the answer to anything related to "E")
Not if it came from ILM or PIXAR!
I adopted that tagline from a convert from Islam who was one of the Iranian terrorists who helped the Ayatollah return from exile and was instrumental in setting up the government.
He is now an evangelical Christian and feels Islam is the anti-Christ.
It works for me. But I expected someone to call me on it in just the manner you have done.
Thanks for fulfilling prophecy!;)
Science is the closest approximation to the truth* as is humanly possible.
*For all non-absolute definitions.
If you HAVE to water it down.
MY 'calling', as I see it, is to shed a bit of Light into the world of various assumptions.
MANY folks have heard some of the terms we use, all their lives, but do not have a clue as where to find the straight skinny, so to speak.
So, you get what the Bible says (that is, if I can find it... ;^)
Sorry about snapping...but the truth of the matter is that regardless of how much detail I give you, you will remain unconvinced.
You believe in Creation, which is faith in the words written in the Bible, faith is defined as the belief in something sans physical proof of its existence.
I can't show you anything that will move you away from your belief in something that you've never seen, because your belief will always reject the reality of what you see, and that's fine with me.
I believe in something other than you do on this subject; I am not only perfectly comfortable with my beliefs, but in my relationship with the Creator.
That's all...I just believe in something other than what you believe in.
For instance: you saw NOTHING about 666 in the definition of Anti-Christ.
(Whole different subject)
It's easy to demonstrate, and it's been done.
Some don't believe that it leads to the conclusion that others believe it does.
"OKKkkkkkaaay......."
Evolution is not predictive in the sense that it is a complex system where the determination of the specific future changes in a population can not be predicted with a high level of confidence. The farther into the future we attempt to look the less likely any prediction we make will be accurate.
It is predictive in the sense that we can predict what features we should find in fossils that fit in between two others, what DNA sequences will tend to look like given two related organisms, what a specific mechanism will produce if given a controlled environment. This last is highly important since it gives us verification that during controlled experiments evolutionary mechanisms do work and allows us to predict what we should find in nature.
So how do you explain the fact that people, the other great apes, and no other animals, have precisely the same mutation (a frame shift) in the gene for an enzyme needed to make ascorbic acid (vitamin C)?
Fair enough.
I understand the frustration of people who think they know something about the Bible but don't.
If you have a chance, check out ExodusFromDarkness.com. It's the Site of Dr. Daniel Shayesteh, the former Islamofascist turned evangelical I mentioned. He's a wonderful, gentle man now, and gives all the glory to Christ.
You believe in Creation, which is faith in the words written in the Bible, faith is defined as the belief in something sans physical proof of its existence. I can't show you anything that will move you away from your belief in something that you've never seen, because your belief will always reject the reality of what you see, and that's fine with me.
I didn't mean for you to try to give me 'enough data' to change my mind; I was looking into how YOU were convinced one way, and not trying to explain how I am convinced the other.
For me, I WAS a believer in E, before I got asked a guestion I could not answer.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.