I think of evolution as an "ISID", or Infinitely Stupid Ideological Doctrine. Once you begin to realize that evolving ANY complex creature involves a probability which is basically a tenth or twentieth order infinitessimal, i.e. that it's basically impossible, and then you realize that that evolution requires beating these odds not just once, but an endless series of times, i.e. once for every kind of complex creature which has ever walked, swam, flown, crawled, or slithered upon the face of the Earth, you begin to realize the problem.
In other words, a reasonable person might at least listen to a theory which requires one or two probabalistic miracles in the entire history of the Earth, but an endless series of them? That basically just stands everything we know about mathematics and probability on its head.
Now, creationism, you can take or leave. I'd be perfectly happy with having both religion and evolutionism banned from our science courses, or at least not ever taught at public expense. Religion does not need public money. Christianity has been barred from our schools for the last thirty years and is still thriving. Could the same be said for evolutionism some thirty years hence? That would make an interesting experiment.
On the other hand, if you want to insist that evolution be taught in public schools at public expense, then you really need to teach Rastifari alongside it. In fact, Rastifari would fit well into team-teaching systems; in other words, a teacher wondering how to put 30 teenagers into the proper frame of mind to be indoctrinated into something as dog-stupid as evolution, could walk across the hall to the rasta class for a box of spliffs...
Why are most conservatives so thrilled by their own little derogatory names for things that they don't understand? "ISID"..."dog-stupid" I doubt you would last five minutes in a real debate.
I disagreee with your thought that "evolving ANY complex creature involves a probability which is basically a tenth or twentieth order infinitessimal"...Could it be that we just do not understand all of the workings of evolution? Plus, eveolution is not an instant occurance, it takes eons and eons of time to nake changes. All thru history, what man thought were impossibilities have disappeared under the light of continued scientific and technological growth. Hell, I am old enough to remember when it was thought impossible for man to travel faster than the speed of sound, much less survive the radiation of outer space, and now it is done so often, we seldom give it a second thought.
I see no need for (what you call) miricles in the evolutionary theory. Again, remember many things that were once were thought to be miracles are now common place, thanks to scientific study.
"Christianity has been barred from our schools for the last thirty years and is still thriving. Could the same be said for evolutionism some thirty years hence?"
You keep making the same mistake of comparing a scientific theory with a religon. One is a doctrine...a way to live...based on faith and believe. The other is a scientific theroy that never mentions how to live ones life. But to keep the discussion going...I do believe that if evolution was not taught in primary or secondary schools, it would still be just as prevalent and true. You may wish to suppress science, but sorry, science IS what makes the world go round.
Tell me sir...what part of Rastifari is based on science? Well of course none of it. On a personal note...do you have something against Rastafarians? That is the second time you have mentioned them. Just wondering why you focus on them and not any of the other thousands of religous beliefs?
Oldcats