| Is it true that the people of the US aren't taught about evolution?
Posted: 5/11/2005 7:52:38 PM |
This important issue is worth a closer look for two reasons. First, to see how the scientific denial of supernaturalism is justified and, second, to see how creationists tie supernaturalism into science and the laws of thermodynamics.
Sarita,
Thanks for posting this
I suppose this is the crux of the matter.
I feel like I'm in kind of a wierd position here, believing the concept of intelligent design is worthy of scientific consideration. This apparently aligns me with those who for religious reasons want to defy the scientific status quo for 'cultural reasons'.
This also places me in a position where I need to defend my thinking, and hopefully it will be taken at face value, and not as some endorsement of conservative Christian politics.
To put it starkly I see the hand of an incredibly clever designer, in the whole of the natural world, and frankly I do ascribe that clever design to God, however one chooses to think of that.
I do so however, with eyes wide open, and not because of a Bilical basis for it, but due to what I witness.
The spiral form of a whelk shell is organised on the same ratio and coordinates contained in the following numeric sequence.
Starting with a zero and one and adding each sucessive pair ..... 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55
you get a nubered sequence that has a startling consequence to the design of many aspects of nature and to the Double Helix strand of DNA itself.
The sequence is known as Fibiacci numbers.
The early mathematician that discovered the sequence, Fibiacci, was not trying to discover a unfifying theory of mathematical proportions of design in nature, he was actually trying to figure out a problem about breeding rabbits.
To get a better idea of the signifigance of this pattern: google 'Fibiacci Numbers'
This whole argument to me seems almost foolish to deny the possibility of a designer behind the design, but I can understand why formal science is both, silent on those philosophical aspects, and wary of Christian conservatives with an underlying social agenda.
However from what I read above, it does seem to indicate that ANY challenge to current thinking about evolution is taken as an assault on science itself. That seems to me, to be a little prosaic and even more self interested.
One thing should be clear to all, that there should be no dispute on, and that is that 'science' itself evolves over time, as Theory(s) are revised and adjusted at later investigation and discovery.
Contrary to the current memes and beliefs, the concepts of a flat earth, or that the earth was the center of the solar system. are not examples of Biblical belief, but on the contrary were the prevailing 'scientific beliefs' of their times.
darjeeling | |
|
| Is it true that the people of the US aren't taught about evolution?
Posted: 5/12/2005 7:19:48 AM | darjeeling, I can see what you're saying and understand your questions, as I too have been there. Sometimes evolution does look just too contrived as if there were an "Intelligence" behind it, God, Gia or Mother Nature???
But I think a better understanding of Numbers (such as Fibiacci) along with Random chance, Fractals and Chaos Theory, goes a long way to explan that appearance of "inteligence". | |
|
| |
| Is it true that the people of the US aren't taught about evolution?
Posted: 5/12/2005 11:12:29 AM | Darjeeling, I know what you mean.
I recall the first time I read the words of a rabbi who said, "to believe that there is no higher being, is equivalent to believing that if you accidentally spill an inkwell, the ink will shape itself in such a way so as to write a book" I was awed by the idea.
Believing that perhaps there is a intelligent life out there is not the problem. The problem, which is the crux of this thread, is the questioning of the theory of evolution as a science, by evangelical and born-again Christians, and their desire to change public school curricula into something that will blend with their religious beliefs.
Evangelical and born-again Christians teach themselves and one another that the only truth lies in the New Testament. They believe that most of modern science conflicts with their versions of the New Testament, and that if it's not their god's "science" (according to their version of the NT), then it's not real science. Ergo, they want their society to reflect the New Testament and they wish to change the world so that it doesn't conflict with their religious beliefs. To this end, they strive to rid all public education systems of anything which conflicts with their religion. Science is just one of them.
Where they cannot rid society of whatever conflicts with their religion, they seek to interject their religious beliefs somehow. For example, in forcing public school systems to teach their religious beliefs under the name Creationism, as if it were one of the sciences. | |
|
| Is it true that the people of the US aren't taught about evolution?
Posted: 5/13/2005 6:50:42 AM | ^^
Yea! everyone has been questioning Evloution in this thread, theory vs. fact and asking for proof and examples. But where is the "Scientific Evidence" for Creationism? Where are the facts and proof for that?
Like all you have to say is, "it is the word of God" and there after no one is allowed to question. | |
|
| |
| |
jxmac
|
Joined: 2/28/2006
Msg: 108 | |
| |
| |
| |
kursk
|
Joined: 1/12/2006
Msg: 111 | |
| Is it true that the people of the US aren't taught about evolution?
Posted: 3/28/2006 10:42:06 PM | | From an absolutist point of view,the teaching of intelligent design as an adjunct to evolution is fiction hiding behind the mask of pseudo science.It is meant to confuse and deceive and its sole aim is to create a moral/scientific relativism that otherwise would not exist.The people that teach this junk science, from Jehovahs witness,the baptists on to scientologists (all in some degree less in some,more in others..) are very dangerous and should be shouted down at every turn.... | |
|
| Is it true that the people of the US aren't taught about evolution?
Posted: 3/28/2006 11:56:19 PM |
the teaching of intelligent design as an adjunct to evolution is fiction hiding behind the mask of pseudo science.
Well, ....only from the perspective of science, and the law, according to the findings of the courts; when ever this pimple of an idea gets ripe enough to pop. | |
|
| Is it true that the people of the US aren't taught about evolution?
Posted: 3/29/2006 9:31:42 AM | I haven't read the whole thread, couldn't get passed the Darwin stuff, at the start. Don't know if anyone else has posted that Darwin converting, is a myth.
The myth of "The Lady Hope Story": http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ctrl/ladyhope.html
Lol, I see late posted about it. Guess I was late. :)
Peace  | |
|
Home
login 
