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Evolution As Science? Really...?

Caphi

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HairlessSimian said:
Because that fits in with your beliefs.
If you saw a quote from a Christian going against christianity, you'd be suspicious.

A bad analogy. A better one would be a collection of quotes from various Muslims, Daoists, Buddhists, and native-American spiritualists going against Christianity. Have you even counted how many of the quote-authors were even in biology?
 
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HairlessSimian

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Caphi said:
A bad analogy. A better one would be a collection of quotes from various Muslims, Daoists, Buddhists, and native-American spiritualists going against Christianity. Have you even counted how many of the quote-authors were even in biology?

If mine's bad, yours is worse. If a non-christian criticizes christianity, it's no surprise and would be sloughed off.

If, one day, you read a quote from Bin Laden saying "Christianity is flawed", you would pay no heed.
If, the next day, you read a quote from Billy Graham saying "Christianity is flawed", you'd be suspicious.
If, another day, you read a quote from M. Behe saying "Evolution is wrong", you'd pay no heed.
If, still another day, you read a quote from S. J. Gould saying "Evolution is wrong", you'd be suspicious.
 
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Caphi

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Gould is the only individual on Edmond's list specifically linked to anything like biology. The remainder are ambiguously identified as "professors" or heads of museums and such. If any of them were biologists, Edmond would certainly have put it down as to his own credit. Instead, he does what can only be described as waffling. If I gave you a list of obviously mined quotes, a couple of which were from one Christian and the rest identified as "religious leaders" and "spiritualists", you'd pay a little heed, but not much. And remember, these quotes are clearly cherry-picked and truffle-dug, so that hurts them on top of that.
 
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Tomk80

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No they don't. Out of context and/or out of date quotes are just that, out of context and out of date quotes. They are not significant statements and they certainly are not arguments.
 
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Edmond

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Tomk80 said:
No they don't. Out of context and/or out of date quotes are just that, out of context and out of date quotes. They are not significant statements and they certainly are not arguments.

Sorry, the point is they are very significant statement. The issue you fail to identify is one of the matter of authority on a subject. That word means someone who knows what he is talking about on a subject as opposed to the average person who thinks he knows.

You apparently haven't read a great deal of Steven Jay Gould for starters. One of the leading Paleoentologist his this era had a great deal to say about the very issue that are covered in those quotes and a great deal more.

I would suggest you read some of his writings on the matter if you want to speak with any authority on this matter.

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TeddyKGB

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Stop the insanity, Edmond. It's not too late.
 
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Split Rock

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Simply quoting someone is not a useful argument in science. I have written a number of scientific papers, and I have rarely quoted another scientist to support my conclusion. Citing evidence presented in papers written by other scientists is another matter.

Edmond said:
You apparently haven't read a great deal of Steven Jay Gould for starters. One of the leading Paleoentologist his this era had a great deal to say about the very issue that are covered in those quotes and a great deal more.
OK. Why don't you briefly explain to us in your own words what Gould wrote and what impact you think it has concerning evolutionary theory?
 
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Edmond

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TeddyKGB said:
Stop the insanity, Edmond. It's not too late.

I'm not sure what you think one line comments like these are supposed to present. As far as actual usable information they're essentially meaningless. This response for instance seems to tell me you have no understanding of how statements made by a recognized authority on a particular subject differs from any other.

How did you interact with your parents for example. When they told you from evperience that something was true did you think your opinion was as authoritative as theirs or did you see them being a greater authority on that subject at that time?

Do you get the idea of what authoritative statements are and where they come from?....

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Edmond

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Electric Sceptic said:
My irony meter just exploded

Well...for the fun of it...since no meaningful replies are coming back....Maybe your meter exploded because you're using an....'Electirc irony'......LOL ....

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TemperateSeaIsland

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Scientists are allowed to express doubt about theories, in this case Gould is expressing his doubt on the gradualistic model of evolution proposed by Darwin being the sole model of evolution. He proposed the Punctuated equilbrium model, which better explained some of the fossil record.
 
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DJ_Ghost

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Tomk80

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Out of context quotes, out of date quotes, and now the argument from authority fallacy as well. Your a very poor debater Edmond.

You apparently haven't read a great deal of Steven Jay Gould for starters. One of the leading Paleoentologist his this era had a great deal to say about the very issue that are covered in those quotes and a great deal more.
If you would have actually read his books, you would have seen that he criticizes the model that evolution progresses with a constant speed, not that evolution happens. If you would have read any books on evolution by other authorities than Gould, you would have seen that he did some severe strawmanning in that proces himself. If you would have read further in the later writings of Gould and his opponents, you would have seen that this was resolved in the easy solution that evolution does not progress in a constant speed. Not, which you want to imply with the quotes, that Gould ever doubted that the theory of evolution was correct. It is fairly safe to say that it is you, Edmond, not me, that has never read a great deal of Stephen Jay Gould (you even spelled his name incorrectly).

I would suggest you read some of his writings on the matter if you want to speak with any authority on this matter.

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My ironymeter just exploded.

[edited by staff]
 
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SamCJ

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Great quotes. Thanks.

I read many of the responses; snide remarks that usually did not check out and had little credibility.
 
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Dannager

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SamCJ said:
Great quotes. Thanks.

I read many of the responses; snide remarks that usually did not check out and had little credibility.
Thanks for showing us exactly how they didn't check out or how they failed to contain credible information. Oh, wait, you didn't do any of that. Way to support your side of the argument by...not arguing at all. Sorry, but unless you provide some sort of counter, your post doesn't mean anything.

Oh, and your quip about lacking credibility made me chuckle because of the nature of Edmond's quote-mining endeavor. Talk about a series of statements lacking credibility.
 
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