Posted on 08/11/2002 3:59:04 PM PDT by vannrox
To: PatrickHenryYikes! Who just posted what purports to be my case history -- in post 183 of this very thread, with the ominous-sounding introductory words: "Perhaps you should know who PatrickHenry is as well ..."? My "case history ain't that cool"? As Henny Youngman used to say when asked "How's your wife?" -- Compared to what?You'd better get used to the idea that nobody is going to be taking any more of your particular brand of BS lying down, buddy. You're basically not in any sort of a position to be offering up these little case histories of other people on FR; your own case history ain't that cool.
187 posted on 8/14/02 9:34 AM Eastern by medved
You inspired me. I found a non-anti-evo site noting that Stalin was influence by Darwin
It's not as damning as the quote being used from Yaroslavsky's book. In fact, it has only a nebulous relationship to our subject.
It's also long and I suspect the author is making up significant part of the article. But it is a really great read. So I'm posting the link.
I can think of no arrogance greater or more evil than for one person to claim that his words come directly from God. Only slightly less slimy is the claim that "revealed truth" trumps thousands of years of accumulated evidence and thought.
By the way, here's an interesting puzzle for persons who have direct access to revealed truth: Was Giordano Bruno executed (for assuming that human reason trumps God's revealed Truth) in a leap year?
Pretty much says it all.
Pretty much says it all.
We can't all be as smart as you. Cut him a little slack, huh? What did that question have to do with anything?
CA....
Could you please comment:
Evolution, as taught to me, declares that all life -- plant, animal and otherwise -- descends from the same single-celled, asexual organism; and that life became varied because progeny from this organism adapted to changes in the environment due to natural selection.Why would this progeny ever have to adapt? Single-celled life is arguably the most resilient life on earth. Some say it can survive in outer space.
And why would varied progeny adapt differently to the same environment -- even ignoring the fact that their grandparents are thriving quite happily in it.
Why would sexual reproduction develop? How could it develop at random? I've seen explanations, I just can't take them seriously. I've heard better reasoning from a football fan saying how his 0-7 team can still be expected to make the playoffs.
Then there is the lack of evidence. I can perfectly accept that tigers and housecats share a common descendent. I can't accept that housecats and horses do. And I can't accept the fossil record as being definitive about much of anything.
And then there is irreducible complexity. Somebody is going to say that Behe has been refuted. I'm going to say I can't see how. Then somebody is going to say Behe is a fool and I'm a fool for considering his argument. Sorry, I'm not buying that.
Then there is a religious aspect. No offense meant to anyone on this thread, but there are those who use evolution as an excuse to deny God's existence.
God exists.
If you argue that God exists and evolution is how he did it that's fine. You won't get mad at those with whom you dispute.
It often seems, however, that the argument is "that God doesn't exist so this is how it must have happened," or "it doesn't matter if God exists," which is really stupid position.
Being smart is not required to know key events, and Giordano Bruno is the most famous martyr in the history of science. Putting it in perspective, it's like saying Moses who?
Religions are based on words written down or repeated by humans. You have a constitutional right to assert that some of these words are the revealed words of God, but I am more willing to trust creation itself than words spoken by men. I know that men lie and distort things.
I want her to stay. I was just trying to give her some guidance about the futility of trying to debate you-know-who, and then the fur started flying (as it sometimes does). Now she's seen us at our worst. Alas.
Several months ago I brought up the fact that there is a shared mutation that prevents people, chimps, gorillas, et al from producing vitamin C. I can't remember which C used which speculation to avoid the obvious conclusion, but I do remember one of 'em saying that it's a sign the designer used common parts, rather like a car manufacturer, and (I'm not kidding) another one proposing research into why ape DNA is more vulnerable to mutation than monkey DNA!
... and again, and again, and again.
Have a little pity on people with slow connections, please.
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