[meteorite-list] Kansas Legal Debate: Creation, Evolution andIntelligent Design
From: Marc Fries <m.fries_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat May 14 09:27:21 2005 Message-ID: <1339.69.140.92.248.1116077130.squirrel_at_webmail.ciw.edu> Howdy Actually, they are part of the "design". So is your appendix, which serves you no purpose. Same thing for your nipples and for your body hair, which is insufficient to actually keep you warm. Same thing for a whale's relict pelvis, and on and on and on and on... These are examples of the bits and pieces left over from billions of years'worth of trial and error through evolution. There is no place for intelligent design other than the trash can. It is too simplistic to be actually useful. We can look out the window or hold a meteorite in our hands and see the incredible complexity of the universe, and we can apply our intelligence and reason to it and gain an appreciation and some level of understanding of it. We as humans are unique among the known creatures in that we have the power to do that, and if I were more religious I might be forced to conclude that we were given our unique mental capacity with the expectation that we actually use it. The most offensive thing to me about creationism/intelligent design (and they are the same thing) is that it tells us to shut down our appreciation for the wonder of the universe. All of "creation", it tells us, is the product of a magic act. God waved his magic fairy wand and it all sprung into existence - that's all there is to it. The universe is no longer an evolving, dynamic place but rather the detritus of pixie dust. You can string that magic act out into a series of minor magic acts over the milennium and call it "intelligent design", but it's really the same thing. I don't think that this gives the big guy enough credit, to put it lightly. It also squanders our capacity to truly investigate, understand, and appreciate our universe. Cheers, MDF > I think that there is a bit of truth to all of it, Creation, Evolution and > Intellegent intervention/design. > > Your examples of "Fallen arches, acid reflux, cancer, failing eyesight" are > not "part" of the design. They are the result of using a given design beyond > the operational envelope of the particular design. Cancer, I believe is a > product of our 5000 years of cesspool environmental practices, add the industrial revolution and the millions of tons of toxins that are in the lifecycles of this biosphere and cancers are inevitable even in the best design. > Most people I know with foot problems are either out of shape or overweight, > acid reflux is simply another example of operation of the design outside its > capabilities. Unless you are getting naturally grown food from OFF of this > planet then I do not care if you are a herbivore, carnivore or and omnivore > you are ingesting filth, toxins and decay of the past 3 centuries at least. > Add to that the processed crap that most people gorge themselves on and it > is no wonder that our stomachs work at all. > > No you will have to make a better arguement against intelligent design than > that. > > I personally like to call it intelligent "Intervention", perhaps God/the intellegence did not stick around to perfect the design. Instead this God/the intelligence , found something already in the process...maybe from > evolution. Seeing that it could use some "seasoning", like all good chefs > added some spice to the life already beginning on this planet. Maybe that > is > where creation comes in. > > Who knows, maybe we will find out someday that our double helix DNA is responsible for all of it....more than half of all the material that makes > up our DNA does nothing but insure the replication of itself, then we share > almost 95% of the stuff with all other living things here. Sounds pretty suspicous to me....something that devotes more than half of its structure > and operation to its own self preservation and is intimately linked to everything on this planet...if that is not intellgence I do not know what > is > and that leaves out the fact that 4 simple chemicals is all this stuff is > made of and all you need to is combine the stuff correctly and it can make > anything out of itself....(cue twilight zone music). > > Too many "missing links" in evolution, too much "take it on faith" in religion and way too many > wonderful things that we can not explain, that I will not hold up to chance > happening. > > I like to believe, no matter what faith, with or without religon, that all > of us will know the wonders of us, our world and the universe someday and > it > will all be revealed when we leave this existance...until then we get to debate. > > And that leads me to communication, another part of the design....think for > a moment how lousy life would be if we had not developed our communication > to level beyond common mammals. > > You did make a good point though when you said "that the ways of God are myterious and not within mortal understanding?" > > What fun would it be and what would anyone have to look forward to if we had > all the answers. Our suffering here, our experiences here, are all preparation for what is ahead. Till then we get to wonder and talk about it! > > Thanks for listening.... > > Mark M. > Phoenix AZ > > -- Marc Fries Postdoctoral Research Associate Carnegie Institution of Washington Geophysical Laboratory 5251 Broad Branch Rd. NW Washington, DC 20015 PH: 202 478 7970 FAX: 202 478 8901 ----- I urge you to show your support to American servicemen and servicewomen currently serving in harm's way by donating items they personally request at: http://www.anysoldier.com (This is not an endorsement by the Geophysical Laboratory or the Carnegie Institution.)Received on Sat 14 May 2005 09:25:30 AM PDT |
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