Doctor Jimbob wrote: » Anatomical and genetic homology between humans and apes.
endacl wrote: » Funnily enough, if over 95% of scientists didn't accept that evolution by natural selection was a fact, it'd still be a fact. That's the beauty of facts. They're impervious to opinion. In much the same way that dogmatic religious thinking is impervious to facts.
mickrock wrote: » "Evolution is dumb, blind and directionless." Is this a fact or a belief?
obplayer wrote: » All the evidence shows this to be the case, as a previous poster said we do not 'believe' in evolution, we accept it. Because all the evidence shows it to be a fact.
mickrock wrote: » Although the evidence points to intelligence, this is normally rejected from the beginning on philosophical or metaphysical grounds.
mickrock wrote: » I didn't ask whether evolution was true. The fact of evolution and the possibility of evolution being a creative, intelligent process are not mutually exclusive. I think the idea of it being a dumb, blind process is far fetched and requires a lot of faith. Although the evidence points to intelligence, this is normally rejected from the beginning on philosophical or metaphysical grounds.
Cianmcliam wrote: » having a gay male child might make female relatives slightly more fertile. This just doesn't seem to balance out. A super-fertile female simply can't produce many more children than a normaly healthy female because they can't avoid the 9 months gestation and subsequent weaning period that other mothers also can't avoid.
robinph wrote: » So your proof of the flood actually being a real event is that they made a film about it?
mickrock wrote: » The results of evolution are really amazing. Especially from a process that is supposedly blind, dumb and directionless.
mickrock wrote: » The fact of evolution and the possibility of evolution being a creative, intelligent process are not mutually exclusive.
SaveOurLyric wrote: » OK. I'm willing to buy the 14 billion years old universe and 4.5 billion years old earth. But is the evidence for Darwins theory really that compelling ?
SaveOurLyric wrote: » Accepting the science about the age thing, could it still not be that
SaveOurLyric wrote: » If modern science requires testing and proving predictions, how can you prove the past.
SaveOurLyric wrote: » Even if they are right and man evolved from apes (10000 or 1 million years ago, whatever), then how can the test a past event?
SaveOurLyric wrote: » If they could take few apes and evolve them into humans, then I would be listening.
SaveOurLyric wrote: » So the Darwin evolution thing could still be wrong, and is it wrong to give it the term science by those who also object to the use of the same term in 'creation science' ?
SaveOurLyric wrote: » It isnt. No one claims you can turn a carrot cake into a chocolate log. But people are claiming, that by tiny steps, an apes beget men.
SaveOurLyric wrote: » Well explained, thanks. And it does sort of make sense. So if evolution is correct, why are there still people who dont believe in it ? Are they simply not evolved enough ?
Cianmcliam wrote: » In theory it sounds plausible, however I just can't see how the math can stack up on this. Take the hypothesis discussed earlier in the thread, that a set of genes that contributed to having a gay male child might make female relatives slightly more fertile. This just doesn't seem to balance out. A super-fertile female simply can't produce many more children than a normaly healthy female because they can't avoid the 9 months gestation and subsequent weaning period that other mothers also can't avoid. They also have a finite amount of time, until the middle of their fourth decade, before their reproduction stops altogether. The homosexual male could well forfeit any amount of children almost up to his death bed, could be several dozen in polygamous societies or raiding tribes. The families with homosexual males in their line would then be replaced in the population by those whose men were fond of one night stands, multiple wives and taking back many women during wars. As I said before, there's surely genetic factors at play but I can't see a very good argument for it being an adaptation.
donegaLroad wrote: » There must be some explanation as why there is a huge surge in Autism. I know that science is also pointing the finger at IVF.
donegaLroad wrote: » Fluid intelligence and disorders such as Autism are the next step in human evolution. Interesting theory. There must be some explanation as why there is a huge surge in Autism. I know that science is also pointing the finger at IVF.
mickrock wrote: » "Evolution is dumb, blind and directionless."
Beano wrote: » I find it funny that there are people in this thread genuinely trying to use facts to show creationists that they are wrong. A pointless exercise if ever there was one.
nozzferrahhtoo wrote: » I am not entirely convinced there has been any such surge. Rather I think our ability to diagnose, understand and recognize it means that there is a surge in Autism as a diagnosis rather than an actual surge in autism.
Wibbs wrote: » Mental illnesses seem to be a lot more prevalent today too. But all that's a debate for another thread.
Wibbs wrote: » I'd agree, though it's a hard one to nail down. Apparently there have been surges in some areas. EG kids of Silicon Valley parents have higher rates. Initially this was thought to be because such parents were more likely to put their children forward for diagnosis, but when factoring in parents from a similar socioeconomic background but not working in IT they still found an increase. Other illnesses like diabetes are definitely on the rise. I'm personally convinced that alzheimers and other dementias are on the rise and not because of newer diagnostic tools. The notion that it's just because we're living longer doesn't sit with me. Not when some people are coming down with such conditions in their fifties and sixties. I reckon it's a tagalong illness of diabetes. It's known that having type 2 diabetes increases ones risk of dementia. Mental illnesses like depression and anxiety seem to be a lot more prevalent today too. But all that's a debate for another thread.
endacl wrote: » I'd say it's entirely appropriate for this one. There must be something rattling loose for a belief in creationism to persist.
Hoop66 wrote: » I'm not trying to be insulting here, but I honestly think that a dogged, fundamentalist religious belief (examples creationism, young-earth etc.) is akin to a mental illness, if not an actual one.
Hoop66 wrote: » Yes, I can agree that that's the most logical explanation for religious belief occurring originally. What I'm suggesting is that to maintain those irrational beliefs today, in our society, could (note could) be seen as a mental illness.
Cianmcliam wrote: » Well for it to qualify as a mental illness it would have to be an abnormal state but there are so many similar beliefs, attitudes, '-isms', cults etc. that it doesn't make sense to single out religions. Take a fanatical fan of a sports team, like an Irish person supporting an English football club to which they have no tangible link at all. All the paraphenalia, the arguing with others in the pub and work, taking slights against the team personally, the ecstatic response to the team succeeding, believing there is something higher than and exists separately from the current players, manager etc. that remains through the decades etc.
Squeedily Spooch wrote: » Ah here, you're always acting the crybaby when people are "namecalling" yet you keep throwing out the same horse**** generalising digs at people on here. Grow the **** up.
ScumLord wrote: » Evolution doesn't need intelligence or direction, that's why it's so good. It just works. The problem with a creator god simply using evolution to create the animals it wants is that it goes against the benefits of evolution. Evolution only needs to be able to survive in the environment it's in, it doesn't care about the future it has no reason too, it can't control the future so it can only adapt to whatever happens. It's pointless for it to try and adapt to a future that may not happen. It's just a natural process.