Why evolution is a political question

During the May 3 Republican presidential debate, moderator Chris Matthews asked the candidates “How many of you don’t believe in evolution?” Sen. Sam Brownback, Gov. Mike Huckabee, and Rep. Tom Tancredo all raised their hands indicating that they did not believe in it. Rep. Barney Frank raised the same question in 2004 when he accused me, his opponent that year, of questioning the theory of evolution. Liberals are confident that those who question the theory of evolution will be held up for public ridicule and scorn. Many liberals pride themselves on questioning everything in life except when it comes to the theory of evolution, which they accept as bedrock science. But is it?

The theory of evolution is just that, a theory. There is not a shred of evidence to indicate that mankind evolved from the amoeba, which evolved into the fish, which evolved into the bird, which evolved into the mouse, which evolved into the monkey, which evolved into man. While there is evidence of inter-species evolution, there is no proof of the basic thesis presented by Charles Darwin which is that one species evolves into another. In fact, science seems to favor creationism, also just a theory, as recent DNA evidence indicates that mankind is descended from one mother.

It could be therefore argued that the theory of evolution, since it is not science in the sense that there is no documented or empirical evidence to back it up, is based as much on religious belief as is creationism. Both theories are based on faith as opposed to scientific certainty and, I would argue, creationism contains better science. Yet the liberal establishment demands that the federal government mandate by law that only evolution is to be taught in the public school science class.

I would argue that Intelligent design, which is the theory that mankind was created by divine intervention, could be introduced into education in tandem with the theory of evolution without getting into any particular religious scenario, such as the Genesis story in the Bible, and without endorsing any particular religious denomination. If intelligent design were to be given equal time with evolution, the faith of the atheist would be no more compromised than that of the theist. In fact, such a presentation would be more honest and balanced since scientific inquiry is supposed to be open to all plausible theories.

The theory of evolution is a political question in American politics because liberal supporters demand that the federal government mandate it’s teaching and insist on a gag order when it comes to any discussion of intelligent design in the classroom. This is contrary to American traditions of free speech and the free and open expression of ideas. This also violates the right of the taxpaying citizen to have a say in the education of their own children and supplants the ability of local educators and elected local school board officials to determine curriculum.

Teaching intelligent design alongside evolution would open doors to important thought and inquiry. When the young student contemplates the possibility that mankind is more than just an evolving animal, amoral and bound to nature like other animals, than perhaps the student becomes aware of the uniqueness and value of every single human life. Implied in the theory of a divine creator is that there is a larger purpose to life and that there is a moral code. Intelligent design sets the stage for the individual to look to a higher power than the government, which is perhaps why liberals so adamantly oppose it. In these times of rampant school violence and moral relativism, the teaching of intelligent design, in a non sectarian way and alongside the teaching of the theory of evolution, would serve many positive purposes besides a simple striving for truth.

The problem with naturalistic evolutionists is that they assume that because there are demonstrable variations, or evolution, within a specie (micro-evolution) that this somehow proves that there is evolution between kinds (macro-evolution).

Micro-evolution is not the controversial issue - even the strictist of Creationists accept this type of evolution. No one is arguing that there is never any “change” in the universe. Rather, it is the macro-evolution that is the controversy - that naturalistic evolution occurs between kinds (inorganic to organic, plant to fish, fish to mammal, etc.). Naturalistic evolutionists always assumes that because mirco-evolution occurs (which no one disputes) that this automatically proves that macro-evolution also occurs.

Actually many creationists "believe" in macro-evolution.

Here is an example:

John Woodmorappe, in his article The non-transitions in ‘human evolution’--on evolutionists’ terms agrees that a variety of fossil species, including:

Homo ergaster, Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, and Homo neanderthalensis can best be understood as racial variants of modern man--all descended from Adam and Eve, and most likely arising after the separation of people groups after Babel.

This is a species-level change (macro-evolution). But for it to happen as Woodmorappe suggests, the change from modern man to Homo ergaster would require a rate of evolution on the order of several hundred times as rapid as scientists posit for the change from Homo ergaster to modern man! This is in spite of the fact that most creationists deny evolution occurs on this scale at all (what they call macro-evolution).

But now we see a creationist has not only proposed macro-evolution, but sees it occurring several hundreds of times faster and in reverse!

Another example?

You mention "kinds" in your post. (By the way, "kinds" is a religious, not a scientific term.) Stultis did a good post on this yesterday:

By definition "macroevolution" means evolution above the species level; "microevolution" then being evolution below the species level. Therefore any evolution that breaks the species barrier -- i.e. that results in a new species emerging somehow -- is macroevolution by definition.
The problem here is that virtually ALL modern antievolutionary creationists reject the 19th Century position of "fixed" species. They concede, even eagerly, that in all probability whole Families often represent a single "created kind," within which species diversified by some essentially natural processes. The paradigmatic example is the "horse" kind. By this they mean to include the entire Family of Equidae. That's horses, asses, burros, zebras, the whole kit and kaboodle. That's dozens of species, most with some major genetic distinctions, e.g. differing chromosome numbers and arrangements in most cases.
IOW creationists say they don't accept "macroevolution," but in fact they do. Their rejection of fixed species entails that they do.

So, it looks like many creationists not only "believe" in macro-evolution, but have it going at a much faster rate than scientists posit. And in one case, in the opposite direction!

I didn’t say evolution didn’t happen. I said that the theory as defined isn’t sufficient and there is purposeful efforts to ignore the divide between the theory and the evidence. A good example is the changes that occurred to produce modern man.

Evolution like climate change sometimes occurs very quickly if you accept the bursts of diversification detailed in the fossil record. A good example is the development of the brain in modern man. Evidence for accelerated “purposeful” evolution is still denied or just entirely ignored.

http://www.hhmi.org/news/lahn3.html

I also am troubled by the continued false assertion that humans and apes are so genetically similar. Not only do humans have 46 chromosomes to the apes 48 the gene transcription factors which control how genes are expressed are considerably different.

I believe that there is a concerted effort as there is with other politically sensitive sciences to misled the public about the evidence concerning evolution.

I would recommend you take time to visit your library and read

http://www.amazon.com/Origin-Species-Revisited-Evolution-Appearance/dp/0840768818

I also want to point out I’m not a biblical creationist who believes in a young earth and other equally silly ideas. I just believe that far too much of evolutionary theory is based upon stories and assumptions that aren’t supported by the empirical evidence.

Coulter’s got ‘em. Read for yourself.

Coulter made a fool of herself with the evolution chapters in her book. She should have stuck with politics.

I can remember two more - the “embryo” drawings and the tree moths.

Sorry, no hoaxes there. Try again?

Now, name ONE case that isn’t a hoax, showing one species “evolving” into another,

29+ Evidences for Macroevolution: The Scientific Case for Common Descent.

and then, name one EXPERIMENT that proves the theory.

No theory in science can be proved. Everybody knows that!

But, there are is a lot of evidence for the theory of evolution. A lot of it is here: PatrickHenry's Un-Missing Links: A Guide to Online Resources.

Any more "hoaxes" for us? If there are so many you should be able to find a few.

Hokie alert!

"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side!"

As you believe; so shall you receive.

NIV Exodus 14:5-28
5. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!"
6. So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him.
7. He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them.
8. The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.
9. The Egyptians--all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and troops--pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.
10. As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.
11. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?
12. Didn't we say to you in Egypt, `Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"
13. Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.
14. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
15. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.
16. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.
17. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.
18. The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen."
19. Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them,
20. coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
21. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided,
22. and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.
23. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea.
24. During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.
25. He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt."
26. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen."
27. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea.
28. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen--the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.

NIV Exodus 15:1-4

1. Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: "I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.
2. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.
3. The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.
4. Pharaoh's chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh's officers are drowned in the Red Sea.

NIV Deuteronomy 11:2-7
2. Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the LORD your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm;
3. the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country;
4. what he did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots, how he overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea as they were pursuing you, and how the LORD brought lasting ruin on them.
5. It was not your children who saw what he did for you in the desert until you arrived at this place,
6. and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth right in the middle of all Israel and swallowed them up with their households, their tents and every living thing that belonged to them.
7. But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the LORD has done.

NIV Deuteronomy 20:1
When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.

NIV Psalms 20:7
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

NIV Isaiah 31:1

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD.

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.