One-third of Americans reject evolution, poll shows

  • Thread starter Thread starter gilliam
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
1.Leading scientists still reject God
3. Show me one evo formulation that shows God.
4. I have not seen it stated otherwise. You could show me.
5. I have seen so much literature that is forced fit in this way - Evolution happened so even against evidence they force fit it because “they know evo happened”.
6. They have faith in BUC.
 
Evolution has been studied and proven in smaller degrees, yes species adapt and change with their environment as needed. However, to believe that we are all apes is ridiculous. The human brain and ability for love are the two main things that separate us…and they are HUGE differences, ones that could not be met by changing a chromosome or two. Apes function on instinct alone. Humans are uniquely complex in their emotional and spiritual make up. Please, tell me an ape can read and understand a book, have empathy, or pray. These statements are almost too ridiculous for a response. It is possible to believe in science AND believe in God the almighty, creator of all things visible and invisible. Science is great, but it also has flaws. Medications all have side effects, vaccines cause injuries every day, we are always progressing, but never have all the answers…because they lie with GOD. Man can never explain the true meaning of his existence through science…just not going to happen.
 

  1. We started by denying my claim, now you give me a link that confirms it? Now the article is saying no big deal. I was not referring to working scientists, I specifically said top evo biologists.

    Rich Deem is a convert.
 
Rats.
I do not appear to fit any of these definitions.
Nothing wrong with that. In many aspects of life we may find our position does not like neatly in one category.
Evolution sounds like an elegant theory, but I have never seen an example of one species becoming another.
I know that many point out bacteria. But I have a hard time believing a bacterium is a proper analogy for an animal.
Bacteria does things animals cannot all of the time.
Animals do things bacteria cannot all the time.
Because cats are a much higher organism, and share so much more traits and abilities to human, I would have a much less difficult to believe that if a cat gave birth to a different species humans could to.
Ah I see our discussion that we had awhile back on how populations evolve, not individuals, did not stick. An individual does not give birth to a different species so that’s why you have not seen it. However, given the right circumstances and time, two or more populations may emerge that cannot reproduce with the other population even though they had common ancestors.

One species can give rise to one or more new species but it is not individuals doing so. Remember we talked about that?
Why would someone insist bacteria doing something means every organism can?
Because all life, whether it be plants, bacteria, or animals, have this in common (gene transfer and that sort of thing).
I know genetically speaking we are similar to other primates.
But so what? I re-use computer code all of the time.
That does not mean that my accounting program came from a computer game.
I am creationist in that I know God created everything from nothing.
But I do not take the bible literally.
I personally would not call you a creationist then, considering the connotations and implications that go along with that.
I recognize a design in everything.
This alone does not make you a subscriber to Intelligent Design. (I know you know that.)
I recognize God is directly in control of it all.
The bible specifies that God fashioned us in the womb.
I imagine that covers the genetic makeup.
Perhaps but are you sure about that? This would imply that the genes of each and every person or animal who has a chromosomal abnormalities were personally arranged that way by God. I would have thought things like Down’s Syndrome and the like could be attributed to the fall or something like that, not deliberate actions of God.
And I have to consider now that God is directly involved in genetics for all of the species.
I think if you give it its due consideration you will reject that idea based on its implications of the nature of God among other reasons. (Logistics comes to mind haha but you might not see that as an obstacle like I do.)
And that means random mutation is out.
Not necessarily. God could be involved in some capacity without eliminating the randomness aspect.
So where exactly is that? Doesn’t fir any of the prescribed definitions.
I guess I will just continue being the ambiguous one that is weighing all options.
I sense a lot of incredulity as the stumbling block to your acceptance of evolution. It is hard to fathom sometimes but then again no it’s not. It really makes sense. Like you said, it’s elegant. What I think you need to keep in mind is the loooonnnnngggg time span that is usually required for new species to evolve. It is hard to comprehend the time it took. MILLIONS and MILLIONS of years in some cases! I would so like to go on a trip back in time with you. We would have to travel way way back to see what you want to see. Just sit there for a minute and transport yourself to another time, not caveman times, not dinosaur times. Think about the time before there were even animals. Think of a world with just plants and bacteria and stuff. That was a long long time ago but you know it was like that at one time, and just think of how much can and did happen in the massive amount of time that has since passed.

Just think of the TIME…and perhaps your incredulity will lessen. The fossil and genetic and other evidence quite clearly demonstrate that life evolved, it just takes a bit of imagination (imagining the time span that is) to make it work out in your mind.
 
The quasi-religious nature of some of the posts here leads me to question the validity of the subject. All I’m seeing is the usual “let’s get everyone to accept this idea.”

I doubt the methods used for dating rocks and fossils. It’s as if I’m being ask to join a cult. If I don’t believe… then what? The answer is absolutely nothing. A few posters here get that. Constant repetition is simply Propaganda 101.

I applaud those one-third of Americans who each made up their own minds. Catholics are free to believe thousands or billions.

Peace,
Ed
 
He doesn’t provide a justification for any of it. Why use the number of elementary particles? Why that long? Why multiply it all together? What about other things which may factor into the equation like space? He really doesn’t provide much of a justification for any of it. No extensive experiment, no real formulas of substance - nothing. He really did pull it all out of thin air.
Why would space need to be included? Is space interactive? He was calculating the probability of any event occurring. The space in which events occur seems irrelevant if nothing exists within that space to interact.

The number of particles is important because it is particles that interact to create events within time.

Why multiply it together? Do you understand probability and how it is calculated?

Why that long? Interactions occur in time and require time.

Why would he need to do experiments? This is a theoretical upper limit. It is a mathematical calculation regarding the upper “bound” for the probability of any real event occurring in the universe since its beginning 13.7 billion years ago.

Time and particles are important.

Space? Make a case for it.

No real formulas?

You haven’t actually read any of Dembski’s papers or books, then? I can assure you he provides formulas.

This still holds, then…
A person would not have to read the book if someone else comes along and tells them whats in it.
In case, you want some source material …
In the observable universe, probabilistic resources come in very limited supplies. Within the known physical universe there are estimated around 10^80 elementary particles. Moreover, the properties of matter are such that transitions from one physical state to another cannot occur at a rate faster than 10^45 times per second. This frequency corresponds to the Planck time, which constitutes the smallest physically meaningful unit of time. Finally, the universe itself is about a billion times younger than 10^25 seconds (assuming the universe is between ten and twenty billion years old). If we now assume that any specification of an event within the known physical universe requires at least one elementary particle to specify it and cannot be generated any faster than the Planck time, then these cosmological constraints imply that the total number of specified events throughout cosmic history cannot exceed
10^80 x 10^45 x 10^25 = 10^150.
Source: leaderu.com/offices/dembski/docs/CHANCEGAPS.pdf
 
You are not getting it. By your own statements soft tissue cannot survive 65 million years. Are you aware of the number of finds? And now they are looking (becuase they were assuming the same thing you are) for soft tissue and guess what. More are coming.
You seemed to have missed me saying that “I’ve revised my position there (see
bold
), for it appears that there are a few examples of soft tissue found in fossils.”
You don’t know what came first, the science or the creationist in all cases do you?
Actually some early Christians (even Church Fathers), such as **St. Augustine **in his
De Genesi ad Litteram, have warned about Bible literalism, and that we can know so
much about the physical world by reasoning and experience( /experiments), but we
tend to make ourselves look stupid if we attempt to make literal interpretations.

Remember, Creationism and Intelligent Design and the like are rather novel, deriv-
ing from the 19th-20th Century (particularly in America) in response to the rise in
popularity of Evolution, as an alternative to what others THOUGHT was contradic-
tory to the Bible.
The Catholic Church is the reason for modern science. Why? Because our Scripture and Tradition showed us the universe to be intelligible and worthy of study. I submit that science has been hijacked in a way. It is OK though if properly reasoned. All claims Creationist or not should be able to be backed up. Pope JPII - “Science can purify religion from error and superstition. Religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes.”
Science can purify religion from error and superstition. Religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes.
Read more at brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/popejohnpa144236.html#VsXYw3a85TEHxDGg.99
Science can purify religion from error and superstition. Religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes.
Read more at brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/popejohnpa144236.html#VsXYw3a85TEHxDGg.99
Indeed, “Religion can purify science from idolatry and false
absolutes,” so cease with your absolute position that Evol-
ution Excludes God.
What would impress me would be that a team of Creationists and a team of Scientists
(who don’t deal with the Bible in their field) made a discovery together that proved may-
be something like the Flood or whatever. Now that would be cool.

I do believe that Creationist claims ought to be backed up, for you like you and
Pope John Paul II said “Science can purify religion from error and superstition.”
 
I am not a biochemist.

Michael Behe is and the link I provided is to Michael Behe’s refuation of your grand “refutation.”
But his is not a refutation. It barely covers the surface of the refutation. It amounts to little more than an offhanded dismissal. Like I said - there are hours worth of reading (which you don’t need to be a biochemist to read). A single page article is not a refutation. Real scientists write entire books to refute each other back and forth. (and yes, I know Behe wrote a book. It was not a refutation, though)
You didn’t watch them so you could hardly know if they are refutations.
Try again.
I did watch them. Who are you to say I haven’t? Unlike some, I actually try to stay informed of both sides of the issue. I have seen them before.
 
Just think of the TIME…and perhaps your incredulity will lessen. The fossil and genetic and other evidence quite clearly demonstrate that life evolved, it just takes a bit of imagination (imagining the time span that is) to make it work out in your mind.
I recall when you first entered this thread that you distinguished abiogenesis from evolution, but also allowed some connection between the two.

Just out of interest, have you read Signature in the Cell?

If you haven’t, this talk by Meyer in London is a pretty good summary of why origin of life as the origin of genetic code is very important in terms of the explanatory sufficiency of “evolution.”
 
Well, I did mention that the more traits that are similar the more I would accept one being similar to the other and indicative of the other.
Ok. But that still doesn’t tell me where the line is. No one can give you the evidence you ask for if you can’t even define the parameters of what you would accept.
And while it is true that this is all about the genetic code, how this code is changed and passed from one generation to the next is perhaps more important.
Overall? Perhaps. But in the context of what is considered too different and what isn’t? No.
True, I am more convinced the earth is billions of years old then I am thousands or even millions.
That doesn’t really answer my questions.
But I also can see flaws in the testing methodology that lead me to say not entirely convinced.
Can you elaborate on these flaws?
What do you mean why not? I just explained why not. Science is the study of the natural world. By definition, it cannot study or comment on or posit the supernatural. Asking why not is like asking why historians don’t study the future. They simply can’t. Its not possible.
 
You are not getting it. By your own statements soft tissue cannot survive 65 million years. Are you aware of the number of finds? And now they are looking (becuase they were assuming the same thing you are) for soft tissue and guess what. More are coming.
Again, ITS NOT SOFT TISSUE. What part of that don’t you understand?
 
Evolution has been studied and proven in smaller degrees, yes species adapt and change with their environment as needed. However, to believe that we are all apes is ridiculous.
Why is that ridiculous? do you know the formal definition of an ape? Nothing about the brain or the ability to love is a part of it. An ape is covered in hair. Are we? Yes. (and no, it does not mean a fur coat. We are “covered” because we have hair all over) Do we lack a tail? Yes. Do we have a broad chest (comparative to other animals)? Yes. And long limbs (again, comparative to other animals)? Yes. Those are the kinds of things that make us apes.
Please, tell me an ape can read and understand a book, have empathy, or pray.
I don’t know about read, but they can learn sign language and converse with their handlers. They can certainly express empathy, too.
It is possible to believe in science AND believe in God the almighty, creator of all things visible and invisible.
No one said it wasn’t.
 
I applaud those one-third of Americans who each made up their own minds.
How telling. The one third of Americans who reject evolution made up their own minds. The two thirds who accept evolution, however, did not. That’s quite a bit too convenient.
 
Ah I see our discussion that we had awhile back on how populations evolve, not individuals, did not stick. An individual does not give birth to a different species so that’s why you have not seen it. However, given the right circumstances and time, two or more populations may emerge that cannot reproduce with the other population even though they had common ancestors.
I know this may be a ludicrous question, but I am willing to bury my pride and risk derision.

Why would “populations” not have splintered apart into more and more differentiated groups that would have been less and less compatible, reproductively speaking? After all, it is changes in individuals that “power” changes in populations. By what mechanism have stable populations been kept intact over billions of years? Why haven’t these just become “differentiated” out of existence, so to speak?

What would forestall a kind of biological entropy from occurring to dissipate genetic “commonality” to the point where speciation would slowly break down from genetic dissolution?
 
Ah I see our discussion that we had awhile back on how populations evolve, not individuals, did not stick. An individual does not give birth to a different species so that’s why you have not seen it. However, given the right circumstances and time, two or more populations may emerge that cannot reproduce with the other population even though they had common ancestors.
So can anyone list any sexually reproducing animal that produces viable offspring that are not their species?
And viable is an operative word here. I am well aware that there are hybrids, but I also understand these animals are a genetic dead end as they cannot reproduce.
One species can give rise to one or more new species but it is not individuals doing so. Remember we talked about that?
Right. I believe that evolution supporters call this transition species.
Because all life, whether it be plants, bacteria, or animals, have this in common (gene transfer and that sort of thing).
method of gene transfer is important here. Not just gene transfer.
I personally would not call you a creationist then, considering the connotations and implications that go along with that.
thanks.
Perhaps but are you sure about that? This would imply that the genes of each and every person or animal who has a chromosomal abnormalities were personally arranged that way by God. I would have thought things like Down’s Syndrome and the like could be attributed to the fall or something like that, not deliberate actions of God.
Just following my experience with.
It has been my experience that no matter the genetic abnormality, the parent loves their child and considers the child a gift from God.
Of course, I know this is not a universal axiom.
I think if you give it its due consideration you will reject that idea based on its implications of the nature of God among other reasons. (Logistics comes to mind haha but you might not see that as an obstacle like I do.)
An omnipotent God has no problem designing everything on the fly.
Not necessarily. God could be involved in some capacity without eliminating the randomness aspect.
You think God allows randomness. Perhaps. I would not be opposed to that.
But I would disbelieve it as a vehicle of changes.
But I do not believe it possible to work out a grand design using randomness as a tool.
The two are mutually exclusive.
I sense a lot of incredulity as the stumbling block to your acceptance of evolution.
It is hard to fathom sometimes but then again no it’s not. It really makes sense. Like you said, it’s elegant. What I think you need to keep in mind is the loooonnnnngggg time span that is usually required for new species to evolve. It is hard to comprehend the time it took. MILLIONS and MILLIONS of years in some cases! I would so like to go on a trip back in time with you. We would have to travel way way back to see what you want to see. Just sit there for a minute and transport yourself to another time, not caveman times, not dinosaur times. Think about the time before there were even animals. Think of a world with just plants and bacteria and stuff. That was a long long time ago but you know it was like that at one time, and just think of how much can and did happen in the massive amount of time that has since passed.
I understand.
And I agree with all that had to happen. And I see the hand of God in every step.
Just think of the TIME…and perhaps your incredulity will lessen. The fossil and genetic and other evidence quite clearly demonstrate that life evolved, it just takes a bit of imagination (imagining the time span that is) to make it work out in your mind.
Like I stated before, it is elegant.
So let me throw something into the mix.
We simply do not have all of the information.
I am reminded of an interesting cartoon involving ice cores being used to study the climate. The scientists are all looking at their data in astonishment and alarm at what the climate was, and the next frame shows someone a few thousand years earlier relieving themselves in the place where the ice core will be drilled.
Or…
I watched an interesting show on the science channel purporting to show evolution.
They went into great detail describing one animal or the other, and then they showed the next iteration in the fossil record that apparently one had evolved into.
And I am left wondering…OK, what of the various animals between one and the other? Where are these fossils?
And also, what of the genetic code? How do we know these animals were related instead of simply looked alike?
So much is hung up onto a genetic code and genetic transfer and so much of the evidence has no DNA to show for it.
 
Why would space need to be included? Is space interactive?
In a sort of way, yeah. According to the big bang, space itself expanded at the beginning of the universe. That’s kind of a big deal that needs to be covered.
He was calculating the probability of any event occurring.
That’s something you can calculate in the same way “the question of life, the universe, and everything” is a question. Its not really something with good parameters that can be tested. You really just kind of have to pull it out of thin air.
The number of particles is important because it is particles that interact to create events within time.
Yes, but why ELEMENTARY particles? Why not go deeper? Or higher?
Why multiply it together? Do you understand probability and how it is calculated?
Yes, which is why I know that sometimes you have to divide or add or subtract or use an exponent. Why did he decide to simply multiply it all?
Why that long? Interactions occur in time and require time.
I know what they do. But why THAT SPECIFIC NUMBER. Where did he get it from? Thin air.

And where is the numbers that factor in the forces of the universe such as gravity and weak atomic forces and such?
Why would he need to do experiments? This is a theoretical upper limit. It is a mathematical calculation regarding the upper “bound” for the probability of any real event occurring in the universe since its beginning 13.7 billion years ago.
He needs to do something to formally and professionally determine what numbers he should and should not be using and why. Without it, he’s just musing.

Time and particles are important.
You haven’t actually read any of Dembski’s papers or books, then? I can assure you he provides formulas.
Providing formulas and having support for why they are the right formulas is two different things. I’m definitely curious to see his justification for not factoring in forces that would bring elementary particles together, considering it would obviously hurt his case to include them.
In case, you want some source material …
already read that part, thanks. Doesn’t really explain it enough, though.
 
I don’t think so anymore, unless I’m wrong, what can be said of this:
youtube.com/watch?v=N22jYppVjZI
(Apparently there are other interesting examples)

Still far older than that Creationist site claimed by carbon dating, but isn’t it “soft tissue?”
I’ve seen this before. It really isn’t soft tissue. The media, just like they do with the Church, likes to hype things up way too much to the point of misleading people. There are cells, yes. But they are fossilized. The cool thing that scientists took note of was that fossilization was so perfect that they could see the cells. And when the scientists say “soft tissue”, they did not mean tissue that was still soft. They meant what would BE soft tissue in a modern creature - tendons, blood vessels, blood, marrow, etc., as opposed to bone. This is apparent in the papers published on these finds. But the media saw “soft tissue”, foamed at the mouth, and read no further.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top