For the record, I'm not a creationist. I don't believe the Earth was made in 6 (of our) days. I do not believe the Earth is 6,000 years old. I'm an adherent to the "scientific method".
The problem with you guys is you're so f-ing full of yourselves. There is nothing wrong with saying, "This is what I think happened, and here's the reasons (facts, experinece, or whatever) for believing this."
When you engage in name-calling, and heavy-handed attempts to belittle those who don't share your view, you weaken your own position in the scheme of these debates.
What you doubtless view as put-down humor and witty repartee is viewed by those of us passing through as shrillness at it's basest. You're not winning adherents to your cause - you're turning people off.
If you think that's the Dale Carnigie way to win friends and influence people, then that's your business. You go right ahead and do it that way. You may be impressing yourself and others in your choir, but trust me - that's pretty much where it ends.
Too bad. The subject matter itself is fascinating. When you stand up and pound your chest like a gorilla and yell at the top of your lungs, " HEY! I'm right, and the rest of you dumb f*cks are wrong, and that's that!!!", whatever you brought to the table has a way of disappearing.
Kind of like whatever passed for reasonableness with you....
CA....
You say, There is nothing wrong with saying, "This is what I think happened, and here's the reasons (facts, experinece, or whatever) for believing this." Fine. This is exactly what I did in post 9. I laid out why it was ignorant of science to think that it is a "leap of faith" to believe that anything useful can be gleaned from the study of teeth and jaw fragments.
For my trouble, I get accused of trying to make him look stupid. I did exactly what you claim I should have -- told him why he's wrong and why -- and simply by doing so, he accuses me of trying to make him look stupid. (Well, at least he didn't accuse me of being a sex fiend, a communist, a liberal, a DUer, an atheist, or any number of other choice tags that the ignoratti on these boards favor.)Now, not only did I have explain to this ignorant fool the difference between ignorance and stupidity, but I have to now deal with the likes of you. You think I'm f-ing full of myself?? Well, take your opinion, worthless as it is, and stick it.
And lastly, I'm not trying to influence people or impress them. I don't want converts, this isn't a church or a cult. I'm simply stating the facts as I see them. If someone doesn't like those facts, their dislike won't change the facts one bit. Again, if someone volunteers to be stupid, by clinging to subjective ignorance over objective reality, that's their business. But I am not going to pretend that their willing ignorance is something other than what it is. And you're a damned fool if you think I'm going to give a rat's ass that some other damned fool doesn't like it.