Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Darwin's Sacred Imposter: The Illusion That Natural Selection Operates on Organisms
Institute for Creation Research ^ | Sept. 2011 | Randy J. Guliuzza, P.E., M.D. *

Posted on 09/01/2011 4:59:31 AM PDT by fishtank

Darwin's Sacred Imposter: The Illusion That Natural Selection Operates on Organisms

by Randy J. Guliuzza, P.E., M.D. *

"Suppose in July 1969 two men watched the Saturn V rocket launch the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. One marveled at the power of nature’s cosmic siphon acting on the rocket to lift it off the pad and accelerate it upward. The other said that liftoff was actually caused by a natural phenomenon called “natural projection” that was inevitable if compressed combustible fuels were released and ignited in a cone, directing violently expanding gases downward with sufficient thrust to lift the rocket. When conditions that permit “natural projection” occur, he said, liftoff “just happens.”1

But a NASA engineer standing behind them explained that there was no measurable cosmic siphoning force “acting on” the rocket. Nor did the launch “just happen.” The rocket itself possessed designed features facilitating the exact conditions the second man labeled “natural projection.” Liftoff was due to the purposeful outworking of those innate features.

The engineer pointed out how neither of their concepts—or descriptive words—truly reflected reality. Why? They mistakenly ascribed the rocket’s operative power to entirely imaginary and external things that, in effect, took credit for the rocket designer’s built-in functions."

More at link ...


TOPICS: General Discusssion; Religion & Science
KEYWORDS: creation; darwin; naturalselection; science
My personal phrase is that organisms possess "engineered adaptability". Just as a computational source code has designed features of intentionality embedded into it, organisms have capabilities, given to them by their Creator, that allow them to respond to environmental changes.

These features are NOT developed randomly, since there is large scale stasis in the populations of organisms, i.e. a finch remains a finch, a moth remains a moth.

1 posted on 09/01/2011 4:59:37 AM PDT by fishtank
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: fishtank

Image from article.

2 posted on 09/01/2011 5:00:08 AM PDT by fishtank (The denial of original sin is the root of liberalism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fishtank

“Accurately distinguishing the power controlling actions is very different from quibbling over how to describe an action.”

This is a very good and critical distinction.


3 posted on 09/01/2011 5:08:52 AM PDT by reasonisfaith (Or, more accurately--reason serves faith.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fishtank
It might have been just the natural upward pressure om rockets that produced lift-off. Nature isn't static and the rocket responds to these natural forces, sometimes by lifting off and other times by falling over or going out of control, i.e., a mutation.

But by natural selection the Saturn V has survived.

4 posted on 09/01/2011 6:04:37 AM PDT by count-your-change (You don't have be brilliant, not being stupid is enough.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fishtank

Don’t give up your day job, Randy.


5 posted on 09/01/2011 6:15:35 AM PDT by Oztrich Boy (New gets old. Steampunk is always cool)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oztrich Boy
Don’t give up your day job, Randy.

Fringe-ology professor.
6 posted on 09/01/2011 6:22:57 AM PDT by ZX12R (FUBO GTFO 2012 !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: fishtank

I’m anti-evolution, but there seems to be some serious holes in this guy’s arguments. Natural Selection really isn’t much in doubt, and he seems to have a fundamental misunderstanding of what scientists mean when they talk about it. For example:

““Nature selects” bears a presumption of inherent intelligence that assigns an operative agency external to the organism...”

That’s not accurate. Scientists don’t believe there is any intelligence involved in the mechanism of Natural Selection. If they did, they wouldn’t have half as much to debate with ID proponents!

Scientists also do not say that Natural Selection is the mechanism by which organisms have the ability to adapt. Mutation and normal genetic variation due to reproduction are the main mechanisms that they propose, while Natural Selection is a description of the process these mechanisms are involved in.

The author is reaching too far and has set up straw men to try to get there.


7 posted on 09/01/2011 6:34:12 AM PDT by Boogieman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Boogieman; fishtank

>>> The author is reaching too far and has set up straw men to try to get there.

That’s par for the course from the flat earthers.


8 posted on 09/01/2011 6:40:40 AM PDT by tlb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Boogieman
Natural Selection really isn’t much in doubt

Within a species it certainly occurs. But it is very much in doubt as a mechanism that creates new species; which is what Darwin is all about.

ML/NJ

9 posted on 09/01/2011 6:49:17 AM PDT by ml/nj
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: ml/nj

“But it is very much in doubt as a mechanism that creates new species...”

Hey, I agree with you buddy, but the article is arguing against the very existence of the phenomenon at all, and specifically using examples within species.


10 posted on 09/01/2011 7:39:21 AM PDT by Boogieman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Boogieman
I’m anti-evolution, but there seems to be some serious holes in this guy’s arguments. Natural Selection really isn’t much in doubt...

I think the gist of what they are saying here, is that Natural Selection, as a mechanism in a scietific theory, doesn't explain physical phenomena that isn't already explained by other known mechanisms.

Take Huxley's example of the two plants. If one were to die, we can explain that death in terms of physical processes and known biological mechanisms. The same is true for the plant that is still alive. We can explain the pysical processes that keep it alive, with known mechanisms.

What physical process then, does Natural Selection explain.

11 posted on 09/01/2011 7:44:38 AM PDT by csense
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: count-your-change

Yeah, the Saturn V just grew out of the primordial ooze.

NOT.

\sarc


12 posted on 09/01/2011 7:45:39 AM PDT by fishtank (The denial of original sin is the root of liberalism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: fishtank
These features are NOT developed randomly, since there is large scale stasis in the populations of organisms, i.e. a finch remains a finch, a moth remains a moth.

But birds evolved from dinosaurs. /s
13 posted on 09/01/2011 9:12:40 AM PDT by klgator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fishtank

The author apparently does not know Neutons three laws.

Theology is not science. Nor are the two mutually exclusive.


14 posted on 09/01/2011 9:24:44 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ml/nj

it does create new species it has consistently shown. Even in this day and age where you have a single species divided by a barrier in two different areas where the needs for suvival are different.


15 posted on 09/01/2011 9:29:18 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: longtermmemmory

I didn't know Neuton had three laws.

In fact, until today, I've never heard of "Neuton".

This is truly an uvajed moment.

16 posted on 09/01/2011 11:12:06 AM PDT by fishtank (The denial of original sin is the root of liberalism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: longtermmemmory
it does create new species

SuRRRRe it does.

Answer me two questions.

1. Does evolution of species occur quickly or over a long period of time?

2. Do you believe in basic genetics?

ML/NJ
17 posted on 09/01/2011 3:39:07 PM PDT by ml/nj
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: ml/nj

punctuated or graduated equilibrium?

it is all about death and survival.


18 posted on 09/02/2011 1:53:15 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: fishtank

I. Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.

II. The relationship between an object’s mass m, its acceleration a, and the applied force F is F = ma. Acceleration and force are vectors (as indicated by their symbols being displayed in slant bold font); in this law the direction of the force vector is the same as the direction of the acceleration vector.

III. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Newton’s laws of motion are three physical laws that form the basis for classical mechanics. They describe the relationship between the forces acting on a body and its motion due to those forces. They have been expressed in several different ways over nearly three centuries,[2] and can be summarized as above.

(of course the spelling nazi quips are free for you)


19 posted on 09/02/2011 1:59:37 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: longtermmemmory
Please do not bother replying to me if you won't bother to answer reasonably straightforward questions I put to you.

ML/NJ

20 posted on 09/02/2011 7:43:27 PM PDT by ml/nj
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson