Evolution is a Myth!

[brightlights]

Your use of the word myth confused the hell out of me. I re-read it a few times to figure out where your argument against evolution was.

My recommendation is you use words that actually describe your position... otherwise you're just muddying the issue

I have no argument against evolution in this thread. My purpose in using "myth" was twofold:

1. To provoke you
2. To make the point that evolution does actually function as myth (even if it's a fact!)

 

[Dave Ellis]

I have no argument against evolution in this thread. My purpose in using "myth" was twofold:

1. To provoke you
2. To make the point that evolution does actually function as myth (even if it's a fact!)

1. You didn't provoke me, you confused me.
2. Evolution does not function as a myth... it's a scientific theory. I don't see what you find mythical about it in the least.

 

[brightlights]

1. You didn't provoke me, you confused me.

And roused you to weigh in on the discussion.

2. Evolution does not function as a myth... it's a scientific theory. I don't see what you find mythical about it in the least.

It certainly functions as a myth. It tells you where you came from, why you suffer, what you should value, and what your life means. Everything a good myth does.

 

[Dave Ellis]

And roused you to weigh in on the discussion.

Actually, it roused me to criticize the form of your argument...

It certainly functions as a myth. It tells you where you came from, why you suffer, what you should value, and what your life means. Everything a good myth does.

No it doesn't. All it does is explain the diversity of life on earth.

If you're looking for where life came from, look up abiogenesis.

If you're looking for where I came from, that's reproductive biology.

I don't suffer as is... However Evolution has nothing to do with suffering, both physically or emotionally. If you're looking for physical suffering, that's also biology, emotional suffering is psychology.

Evolution also has no part in what I should value. How is that even related? Likewise the meaning to my life has nothing to do with evolution... It has to do with the values and meanings I put on my own life.


All evolution is, is an observed fact that species change over time in nature. That's all.

 

[seeking Christ]

All evolution is, is an observed fact that species change over time in nature. That's all.

That's a mythical statement! Coming from the man who can't understand how the word myth applies in this thread - too funny

 

[Ripheus27]

That's a mythical statement!

*Mythically slams my own head into my keyboard over and over and over again*

 

[brightlights]

If you're looking for where life came from, look up abiogenesis.

I take abiogenesis to be part of the atheistic evolutionary myth.

If you're looking for where I came from, that's reproductive biology.

Which comes to you courtesy of evolution!

I don't suffer as is... However Evolution has nothing to do with suffering, both physically or emotionally. If you're looking for physical suffering, that's also biology, emotional suffering is psychology.

Where did our biology and psychology come from?

Evolution also has no part in what I should value. How is that even related?

That might depend on the flavor of evolutionary myth you subscribe to. The modern valuing of empiricism, science, and rationality, for example, comes to you courtesy of evolution.

Likewise the meaning to my life has nothing to do with evolution... It has to do with the values and meanings I put on my own life.

And why do you have the freedom to assign meaning to your life?

 

[BazAussiekid1173]

Did you read the OP?

A myth can be a fact too.

Just let that statement sink in.

 

[BazAussiekid1173]

I take abiogenesis to be part of the atheistic evolutionary myth.

Which comes to you courtesy of evolution!

Where did our biology and psychology come from?

That might depend on the flavor of evolutionary myth you subscribe to. The modern valuing of empiricism, science, and rationality, for example, comes to you courtesy of evolution.

And why do you have the freedom to assign meaning to your life?

Abiogenesis, like all scientific theories, have no theological bearing, at least not intrinsically. So I don't know what you're on about with the "atheistic evolutionary myth".

Obvious statement of the day goes to you, with your generally useless second comment.

"...why you suffer..." you brought it up, and now what, you can't recognise what the answer is referring to?


"..The modern valuing of empiricism, science, and rationality, for example, comes to you courtesy of evolution..."

You mean that people started to notice that doing stupid [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] is bad, and thus rationality is key to solving a problem optimally? Yeah, I guess you could call that evolution.

 

[seeking Christ]

*Mythically slams my own head into my keyboard over and over and over again*

Here's what was said: "All evolution is, is an observed fact that species change over time in nature. That's all."

No, that is NOT all. We have indeed observed species change over time, and even some speciation. Yet, ToE is FAR more than just that and you know it. Thus, the sentence is mythical.

 

[BazAussiekid1173]

Here's what was said: "All evolution is, is an observed fact that species change over time in nature. That's all."

No, that is NOT all. We have indeed observed species change over time, and even some speciation. Yet, ToE is FAR more than just that and you know it. Thus, the sentence is mythical.

So, by your logic, the intrinsic theory and the mechanism of diffusion is somehow related to lung cancer?

 

[Ripheus27]

Here's what was said: "All evolution is, is an observed fact that species change over time in nature. That's all."

No, that is NOT all. We have indeed observed species change over time, and even some speciation. Yet, ToE is FAR more than just that and you know it. Thus, the sentence is mythical.

The other poster said, "That's all," in reference to "all" of what the theory of evolution says, not what "all" of reality is. Reading comprehension, people, reading comprehension. When I worked as an English tutor, sure, we lamented the decline of this skill on the part of college students, but...

 

[Dave Ellis]

That's a mythical statement! Coming from the man who can't understand how the word myth applies in this thread - too funny

What is mythical about that statement?

 

[seeking Christ]

The other poster said, "That's all," in reference to "all" of what the theory of evolution says, not what "all" of reality is. Reading comprehension, people, reading comprehension. When I worked as an English tutor, sure, we lamented the decline of this skill on the part of college students, but...

You have not pointed out a lack of reading comprehension on my part, nor are you likely to, ever. Go ahead and be snooty though, as you fail to comprehend what is said.

 

[Dave Ellis]

I take abiogenesis to be part of the atheistic evolutionary myth.

Abiogenesis has absolutely nothing to do with Evolution.

Likewise, Evolution is not "atheistic". Many people of every religion, or who hold no religion accept evolution as fact. Some very prominent evolutionary biologists are Christian.

Which comes to you courtesy of evolution!

Where did our biology and psychology come from?

That might depend on the flavor of evolutionary myth you subscribe to. The modern valuing of empiricism, science, and rationality, for example, comes to you courtesy of evolution.

Actually, they don't. If you think they do, then you don't understand how evolution works.

What causes those things are the effects of natural selection, not evolution. Evolution occurs in large part because of natural selection, however evolution is not natural selection, and natural selection is not evolution. Evolution is an observation, natural selection is a mechanism.

And why do you have the freedom to assign meaning to your life?

Because I can think and comprehend my own life.

 

[Dave Ellis]

Here's what was said: "All evolution is, is an observed fact that species change over time in nature. That's all."

No, that is NOT all. We have indeed observed species change over time, and even some speciation. Yet, ToE is FAR more than just that and you know it. Thus, the sentence is mythical.

Who said anything about the Theory of Evolution? I said Evolution.

Evolution is an observed fact, that is all.

The Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection describes the process by which evolution occurs in nature. However, I was not talking about that.

 

[Ripheus27]

You have not pointed out a lack of reading comprehension on my part, nor are you likely to, ever. Go ahead and be snooty though, as you fail to comprehend what is said.

Perhaps I was too judgmental. However, so were you, I say.

Think of it like this: if I say, "All the theory of evolution is, is an explanation of a limited set of facts--that's all," I'm not claiming that the theory of evolution explains all possible facts. The word all is in itself ambiguous between "all" of everything and "all" of a subset of everything.

 

[seeking Christ]

That is irrelevant to the context of what i said; all in this case isn't ambiguous, but pertaining to evolution.

 

[Ripheus27]

That is irrelevant to the context of what i said; all in this case isn't ambiguous, but pertaining to evolution.

So you're not claiming that the other person whose post we are evaluating was using "all" to refer to all of reality?

 

[Eudaimonist]

A myth is a meta-narrative you believe about the world that serves to answer profound human questions and give meaning to life.

Yes, and I agree that evolution can function as a meta-narrative for some people. (BTW, this is a great thread idea!)

would you be willing to share the basic structure of the myth that governs your life? How does your meta-narrative go?

My meta-narrative doesn't have much to do with evolution. I just don't see evolution as that relevant to my life. I don't care about where I come from as compared to who and what I am. So, my meta-narrative doesn't take the form of some grand vision -- the development of the universe, or of human history, or of something equally grandiose.

I haven't sat down and carefully written my meta-narrative, but now I think that I should. I think it would go something like the following. I might be taking a male perspective here.

We live the first portion of our lives as little children. We did not choose to be born, but are rather thrown into our lives. During this time we play and we wonder at who we might be when we grow up. Life is a Great Mystery.

In our adolescent years, we experiment with different roles and values, and ask ourselves who we really are and who we are to become as adults. We love heroes, and long to be heroic ourselves.

In our adult years, we first become aware in our gut that life is limited, and that if we are to fulfill our personal potential, we have to get moving with life. We have the best sense of what our talents are and who we are as individuals.

I have not yet reached by twilight years, so I can't speak about that with confidence. Perhaps that phase of life is largely about sharing wisdom with others, if one can, and valuing daily routines. I'll know better when I get there.

And then there is death. Death is the great The End to the epic adventure story of one's life. It does not destroy the meaning of one's life any more than a novel loses its meaning because there is a final page. For the rest of eternity, it will be true that one has existed and lived, and one's life shines like a jewel in eternity.


eudaimonia,

Mark