[cornelis]

Evolution is not the "source" of the vast diversity of life; it is only the means, the mechanism, or process that facilitates increasing biological diversity in space and time.

Good point.

Biology textbook writers don't foget to do the origin question. It's usually discussed in the chapter on the origin of life with pictures. I have one in front of me with a chapter called "The Origin and Evolution of Microbial Life: Prokaryotes and Protists" An irresistible topic and carefully placed right beside Mr. ToE. in most textbooks.

So, does abiogenesis have anything to do with this? LiberalGunNut thinks not. Perhaps he would like to explain his meaning. I'm tempted to think that he wants to ignore the question and insist that textbooks do the same.

[betty boop]

Biology textbook writers don't forget to do the origin question. It's usually discussed in the chapter on the origin of life with pictures ... carefully placed right beside Mr. ToE in most textbooks.

"I am shocked, shocked, to learn there's gambling going on in this casino!!!" :^)

Sometimes I wonder what Charles Darwin would have thought of some of his modern-day epigones....

Thanks so much for writing, cornelis!

[Coyoteman]

Biology textbook writers don't foget to do the origin question. It's usually discussed in the chapter on the origin of life with pictures. I have one in front of me with a chapter called "The Origin and Evolution of Microbial Life: Prokaryotes and Protists" An irresistible topic and carefully placed right beside Mr. ToE. in most textbooks.

Broad-subject textbooks will include many theories. That doesn't make them all the same theory.

If you want to see what evolutionary scientists are really doing, go to a good university library and check out the technical journals. You might be able to get the contents and abstracts on line. Try the list of journals at this blog: http://dienekes.blogspot.com/ (in the right column, down a bit).

[LiberalGunNut]

My main point, for the 1000th time, is that the theory of evolution does not depend on abiogenesis to work. PERIOD. THAT IS ALL I'M SAYING. Now you can say "YES IT DOES!", but the thousands of scientists that actually defined the theory would beg to differ.

Instead of hovering around this largely irrelevant point, why don't you take a stab at picking apart the actual Theory?