Posted on 06/21/2006 8:33:46 AM PDT by PatrickHenry
In a veiled attack on creationism, the world's foremost academies of science on Wednesday called on parents and teachers to provide children with the facts about evolution and the origins of life on Earth.
A declaration signed by 67 national academies of science blasted the scriptural teaching of biology as a potential distortion of young minds.
"In various parts of the world, within science courses taught in certain public systems of education, scientific evidence, data and testable theories about the origins and evolution of life on Earth are being concealed, denied or confused with theories not testable by science," the declaration said.
"We urge decision-makers, teachers and parents to educate all children about the methods and discoveries of science and to foster an understanding of the science of nature.
"Knowledge of the natural world in which they live empowers people to meet human needs and protect the planet."
Citing "evidence-based facts" derived from observation, experiment and neutral assessment, the declaration points to findings that the Universe is between 11 and 15 billion years old, and the Earth was formed about 4.5 billion years ago.
Life on Earth appeared at least 2.5 billion years ago as a result of physical and chemical processes, and evolved into the species that live today.
"Commonalities in the structure of the genetic code of all organisms living today, including humans, clearly indicate their common primordial origin," it said.
The statement does not name any names or religions, nor does it explain why it fears the teaching of evolution or the scientific explanation for the origins of planetary life are being sidelined.
Signatories of the declaration include the US National Academy of Sciences, Britain's Royal Society, the French Academy of Sciences and their counterparts in Canada, China, Germany, Iran, Israel and Japan and elsewhere.
It comes, however, in the context of mounting concern among biologists about the perceived influence of creationism in the United States.
Evangelical Christians there are campaigning hard for schools to teach creationism or downgrade evolution to the status of one of a competing group of theories about the origins of life on Earth.
According to the website Christian Post (www.christianpost.com), an opinion poll conducted in May by Gallop found that 46 percent of Americans believe that God created humans in their present form within the last 10,000 years or so.
Scientists say hominids emerged around six million years ago and one of their offshoots developed into anatomically modern man, Homo sapiens, about 200,000 years ago, although the timings of both events are fiercely debated.
Nearly every religion offers an explanation as to how life began on Earth.
Fundamentalist Christians insist on a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis in the Bible, in which God made the world in seven days, culminating in the creation of the first two humans, Adam and Eve.
A variation of this is called "intelligent design" which acknowledges evolution but claims that genetic mutations are guided by God's hand rather than by Charles Darwin's process of natural selection.
US President George W. Bush said last August that he believed in this concept and that he supported its teaching in American schools.
The academies' statement says that science does not seek to offer judgements of value or morality, and acknowledges limitations in current knowledge.
"Science is open-ended and subject to correction and expansion as new theoretical and empirical understanding emerges," it adds.
That'w why I specifically mentioned the Asian vs African apes, and the Old and New World monkeys. Different food, parasites, diseases, predators, etc.
The pattern of genetic markers tracks the independently-established phylogeny, not geography.
I gave you the problems with Behe's attack on evolution. He said there was no scenario under evolution at all by which certain things could evolve. That was laughably wrong and 55 years out of date. He said there was no research on molecular evolution. That too was already wrong when he wrote it in 1995. And so forth.
If you don't have a good memory of cases, whatever gives you the confidence to assert they are "frauds"? "Outright," no less?
I generally don't make bald assertions (let alone broad, let alone slanderous ones) about matters on which "my memory eludes me". It can be pretty embarassing.
The speed of light was not the point of the ST. It was a mere example.
Naw, it's the basics that don't make sense to me, not the details.
It is exactly opposite.
The evidence for evolution is so vast I am not sure I have enough time left in my life to read all of the existing literature. And more is being added daily.
There is vastly more evidence for evolution than say even gravity. I don't see many folks here refuting that existence of gravity even though it is a theory as well.
Khmer Rouge embraces Jesus
The Khmer Rouge followed a harsh brand of communism, killing nearly two million people in their bid to return Cambodia to Year Zero. Now they have a new faith: evangelical Christianity.
Hundreds of former fighters have been baptised in the past year. The Khmer Rouge's mountain stronghold, the town of Pailin in south-west Cambodia, has four churches, all with pastors and growing congregations. At least 2,000 of those who followed Pol Pot, the guerrillas' former leader who died six years ago, now worship Jesus.
Many new converts were involved in the bloody battles, massacres and forced labour programmes that led to the Killing Fields. [end excerpt]
-- http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1254908/posts
If they are truly repentant, these Khmer butchers will go to Heaven, but most of their victims are headed to a worse place than the killing fields forever. Agreed?
But as to your premise as of who, in that situation, would enter the kingdom of heaven, then yes, you are correct, and I agree.
I am telling you such a transformation is not possible apart from divine intervention. And, divine intervention is possible to each one who would simply and sincerely ask it of the Creator. It really is an amazing thing.
What of those innocent who suffered at the hands of the brutal regime? Each person has an inborn knowledge of the Creator. Apart from children under the age of reason, if these people chose to embrace the Creator then they too would enter heaven as well. The tragic manner in which these innocent victims experienced death has no bearing on whether or not they entered heaven. Like you and me, it is what an individual personally chooses to do with the knowledge of the Creator that is the sole determining factor as to whether or not one enters eternity in heaven.
"If they are truly repentant, these Khmer butchers will go to Heaven, but most of their victims are headed to a worse place than the killing fields forever. Agreed?"
What a disgusting sentiment. I hope you were being sarcastic.
The overwhelming majority of people will be of the same the religion as their families. The vast majority of Christians come from Christian families, Jews from Jewish families, etc. Seems like being born into the right family is one the keys to staying out of the Hot Place.
It also presents a dilemma, I would think, for a Jew thinking of converting to a fundamentalist sect. He must adopt a belief that his dead loved ones are doomed to Hell for eternity.
In Ken H's defense, I don't think he was saying that at all. But I'll let him speak for himself.
Actually, I was making that exact case you found disgusting.
I come from such a family. You are correct, it is not an easy thing.
Why do you think they're frauds?
"Actually, I was making that exact case you found disgusting."
You think that the victims of the Khmer Rouge are on average worse off in the long run those Khmer Rouge who have converted to Christianity?
First, let me say that converting to Christianity - to me - sounds way too much like someone converting to some religion. Religion, and its practices are generally man made ritualistic attempts to reach the Creator. Bah! I am speaking of the act of our Creator having already reached down from heaven to offer each of us the gift of salvation to those who would simply and sincerely accept that gift.
But again, what of those innocent who suffered at the hands of the brutal regime? As I stated, each person has an inborn knowledge of the Creator. Apart from children under the age of reason, if these people chose to embrace the Creator through a personal relationship then they too would enter heaven as well. The tragic manner in which these innocent victims experienced death has no bearing on whether or not they entered heaven. Like you and me, it is what an individual personally chooses to do with the knowledge of the Creator that is the sole determining factor as to whether or not one enters eternity in heaven.
I realize that these things are not easy to grasp, but nonetheless they are the truth and are reasonable upon close examination and consideration.
Utterly disgusting.
nonChristians?
You are correct, it is not an easy thing.
If I truly believed my parents were doomed to Hell, I cannot imagine how horrified I would be. If I converted, it would be out of abject fear. For not only would I have to believe they were in Hell, I would also have to embrace it as righteous and just.
We have been told again and again that "abiogenesis" has nothing to do with evolution. I have said that I remember from the textbooks I was taught from in the 60's that the "Protein sea" and "a bolt of lightning" were Step 11 and step 12.
Now, here is evidence that I didn't make it up.
They DO connect the 2. Sure as shootin'.
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