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...with fossil record evidence and genetic evidence, common ancestory is very well supported.
...evolution has nothing to do with abiogenesis (formation of the first life) since it doesn't matter where life came from
Finally, science can not prove or disprove God's intervention in the creation of life.
I personally believed that He set up the universe and let it go.
I believe the fossil evidence is fragmentary at best- I am not aware of any direct evidence that provides scientific "proof" of major changes in a life form- for example, for one species evolving into another.
The common design argument is nice until you examine it more closely. You know that scientific theories need to do more than explain, it must be able to have predictive powers. How does common design explain faulty pseudogenes and the similarities and differences between species with defective genes? According to the ToE, the pseudogene for vitamin C should be more similar in humans and apes than guinea pigs, and this holds. How does common design explain the difference between chromosome count in humans and apes? According to the ToE, it was predicted that either chromosomes fused in humans or chromosomes fissed apart in apes. When we finally had sequencing ability, it turns out the fusion theory was correct. What scientific framework does common design have in this explanation?But more important is the premise that common ancestry is as well explained by the notion that God created all life forms with the same basic genetic make-up.
Are you also saying that a chemist shouldn't ignore the origins of electrons when explaining how atoms bound? Physicists shouldn't ignore the origins of matter when studying laminar flow? Abiogenesis is not fundamental to evolution in any more than the origins of matter fundamental to studying gravity.An evolutionary biologist cannot draw artificial boundaries and say "here is how species evolved, but I'm not going to talk about how the process started; you'll have to get an organic chemist to explain that." The biologist may have to rely on the work of another specialist, but he/she cannot ignore a fundamental part of a theory.
You may believe that, but that's not scientific. However, evolution is scientific, and if you want to attack evolution, you should use scientific arguments, and not "I feel that..." Also, why would evolution preclude the existence of a Creator? Why can't a Creator use evolution?True- no science is absolute. But just like a scientist knows that a dropped stone will, statistically, most likely fall to the earth, so I believe the very existence of life demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt the existence of a Creator.
Yes, I believe in the same thing, but this is all semantics. For example, I don't say, "God created the PS3" nor do I say, "God caused me to roll snake eyes last night". People invented the things, and physics caused the dice roll, but it was through God that these things are even possible. I believe God is there, and I view how life was created is the same as every other event that ever occurs. They are all part of God's plan from the beginning.I believe He set up the Universe, and oversees every aspect of its continuing existence; he is alive and there, every second, in every aspect of life- mine included.
There is actually excellent evidence for speciation in the fossil record. See:I believe the fossil evidence is fragmentary at best- I am not aware of any direct evidence that provides scientific "proof" of major changes in a life form- for example, for one species evolving into another.
I don't know about that. According to Genesis, God created birds and fish from different material (water)than He created land animals (dirt). Following this logic, birds and fish should have a biochemical make-up that stands apart from that of land animals. This is not the case.But more important is the premise that common ancestry is as well explained by the notion that God created all life forms with the same basic genetic make-up.
Why not? We give astronomers the benefit of the doubt when they defect to astrophysists on topics like atomic fusion. Abiogenesis is a topic completely independent of evolution. Hence, there is a completely independent field of research dedicated to it.An evolutionary biologist cannot draw artificial boundaries and say "here is how species evolved, but I'm not going to talk about how the process started; you'll have to get an organic chemist to explain that."
Abiogenesis is not a fundamental part of evolutionary theory. Natural selection is. Heritability is. Differential reproduction is. But you should know all this stuff -- you're a scientist!The biologist may have to rely on the work of another specialist, but he/she cannot ignore a fundamental part of a theory.
As do I. You don't seem to think God has the ability to create a self-sustaining universe, however.I believe He set up the Universe, and oversees every aspect of its continuing existence; he is alive and there, every second, in every aspect of life- mine included.
the theory of evolution encompasses many different areas of biology since it's central to the study of biology.
You seem to agree with the claim of neo-Darwinist Theodosius Dobzhansky who asserted that "nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution."
Several of the major disciplines or areas in biology were pioneered by scientists who had never heard of Darwinian evolution or who rejected Darwinian evolution.
Agricultural science existed before Darwin.
Medicial science existed before Darwin.
Is science supposedly synonymous with Darwinism?
Baylor University Biology Department said:"Evolution, a foundational principle of modern biology, is supported by overwhelming scientific evidence and is accepted by the vast majority of scientists. Because it is fundamental to the understanding of modern biology, the faculty in the Biology Department at Baylor University, Waco, TX, teach evolution throughout the biology curriculum. We are in accordance with the American Association for Advancement of Science's statement on evolution. We are a science department, so we do not teach alternative hypotheses or philosophically deduced theories that cannot be tested rigorously."
Botanical Society of America said:To make progress, to learn more about botanical organisms, hypotheses, the subcomponents of theories, are tested by attempting to falsify logically derived predictions. This is why scientists use and teach evolution; evolution offers testable explanations of observed biological phenomena. Evolution continues to be of paramount usefulness, and so, based on simple pragmatism, scientists use this theory to improve our understanding of the biology of organisms. Over and over again, evolutionary theory has generated predictions that have proven to be true. Any hypothesis that doesnt prove true is discarded in favor of a new one, and so the component hypotheses of evolutionary theory change as knowledge and understanding grow. Phylogenetic hypotheses, patterns of ancestral relatedness, based on one set of data, for example, base sequences in DNA, are generated, and when the results make logical sense out of formerly disparate observations, confidence in the truth of the hypothesis increases. The theory of evolution so permeates botany that frequently it is not mentioned explicitly, but the overwhelming majority of published studies are based upon evolutionary hypotheses, each of which constitutes a test of an hypothesis. Evolution has been very successful as a scientific explanation because it has been useful in advancing our understanding of organisms and applying that knowledge to the solution of many human problems, e.g., host-pathogen interactions, origin of crop plants, herbicide resistance, disease susceptibility of crops, and invasive plants.
American Society of Naturalist said:[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Evolutionary science plays a fundamental role in modern biology. [/FONT]
By the way, since you brought up the issue of your science background, what is your background in science? This is the second time in as many days that someone has claimed to be a scientist and then refuse to state their credentials.
I hope you're not discouraged that you'll see a lot of TEs (theistic evolutionists) answering you.
Not at all. But realize that you are far from being the first to deny evolution and speciation here, and that everything you've said thus far has been refuted here by actual Christian biologists.Are you suggesting that my opinions have no validity because I haven't stated my scientific credentials?
Probably. And I am sorry for it. But having to answer the same questions over-and-over again does test the nerves a little. It is frustrating having to defend well-established evolutionary theory from logical fallacies and arguments-from-ignorance every day.Correct me if I'm wrong, but did I detect a sense of unnecessary causticness in this and one of your previous 435,785,255,868 comments?
PM me your email and I will send the paper your way.FWIW, I'm not a biologist. And no, I don't have free electronic access to Cronin, T. M., and C. E. Schneider. 1990. Climactic influences on species: Evidence from the fossil record. Trends in Evolution and Ecology 5: 275-279. Perhaps you could provide me with a link to a free electronic version, or at least give me a relevant quote from the paper.
Mallon:
Thanks for the clarification- and the apology; it's always worth being patient and kind, even if you find yourself repeating something for the n th time to a newbie like me who may not have your specific expertise. I'm so new, I can't even send you a PM yet with my email until I do a few more posts!
Now I didn't say I don't believe in evolution- quite the contrary, I think evolution is as incontrovertible a fact as the law of gravity. And I find that that view is entirely consistent with my Christian beliefs.
But one of the questions I have is: how much evolution can science credibly explain? For example, is there really evidence in the fossil record that demonstrates that all species today have evolved from previous ones? There are a few oft-quoted examples (eohippus comes to mind) that purport to show speciation- but, in my opinion, the evidence is pretty theoretical and limited. If speciation is to be more than just speculation, it should provide evidence for how ALL life forms today were derived from previous species AND for how that life started in the first place. Of course, we know that that is impossible, given the very limited and selective preservation that is present in the fossil record.
When I go to so-called science museums like the Tyrrel Dinosaur museum in Drumheller, I am always disappointed that they present the evolutionary "tree of life", from the first living cell to present day organisms, as the gospel truth (pun intended) when in fact there very little evidence- if any- to support this giant leap of faith. At best, it is sheer speculation, at worst, pretty questionable science that should not be presented as fact in a science museum.
...or that the majority of scientists accept evolution and common descent because of the evidence?
As a newcomer here, I guess I can't claim that I wasn't warned, but some of the remarks smack of more than just "discouragement"I was hoping a Christian forum would be a place where even subtle belittlement wasn't commonly used to try and make a point.
Email me, then. jmallon(at)ucalgary.ca.I'm so new, I can't even send you a PM yet with my email until I do a few more posts!
The fossil record, as you state in your earlier post, is not complete. It IS scrappy at times. That said, we have morphological (and genetic) evidence for transitions between most major clades (turtles and bats excluded). We have the vertebrate transition, the fish-amphibian transition, the amphibian-reptile transition, the reptile-bird transition, the "pelycosaur"-mammal transition, etc. (If you couldn't tell, my interests are with the vertebrates). Do we have fossil species to fill the gaps the entire way along? No, thanks to the incomplete fossil record. But we certainly have enough to give us a good idea of what's going on and who evolved from who. Why would God independently create animals like Microraptor, Protarchaeopteryx, Sinornithosaurus, Archaeopteryx, etc. that all resemble transitional taxa between dinosaurs and birds?But one of the questions I have is: how much evolution can science credibly explain? For example, is there really evidence in the fossil record that demonstrates that all species today have evolved from previous ones?
I just don't see, contrary to your logic, how one can extrapolate processes where life gives rise to life, to processes where non-life gives rise to life.If speciation is to be more than just speculation, it should provide evidence for how ALL life forms today were derived from previous species AND for how that life started in the first place.
I'm doing my grad work out of the Tyrrell. I'll be sure to let them know you're unhappy.When I go to so-called science museums like the Tyrrel Dinosaur museum in Drumheller, I am always disappointed that they present the evolutionary "tree of life", from the first living cell to present day organisms, as the gospel truth (pun intended) when in fact there very little evidence- if any- to support this giant leap of faith.
To be honest, I don't remember the exhibit you're talking about. I don't remember an abiogenesis exhibit. I thought at the Tyrrell, the furthest back they go is the Cambrian Burgess Shale fauna. Maybe you can enlighten me?At best, it is sheer speculation, at worst, pretty questionable science that should not be presented as fact in a science museum.
When I go to so-called science museums like the Tyrrel Dinosaur museum in Drumheller, I am always disappointed that they present the evolutionary "tree of life", from the first living cell to present day organisms, as the gospel truth (pun intended) when in fact there very little evidence- if any- to support this giant leap of faith. At best, it is sheer speculation, at worst, pretty questionable science that should not be presented as fact in a science museum.
I agree Servant. My favorite car is the Mistubishi Evolution Lancer. This is a good example of micro-evolution in which we observe. They have all these different types of Evo's from Japan but it doesn't turn into a Galant, it stays in the form of Lancer. As God created man, this is an example of Man creating cars. But many evolutionists say that it must be naturalistic, but it just can't happen without the help of a Creator.As a Christian who is also a scientist, I am often asked whether I believe in evolution.
My first response is always: how do you define "evolution"?
If evolution refers to changes that occur in life forms, then the answer is "yes"- animal breeding, changes that we see in viruses, etc. all demonstrate evolution. But the question is, how far does that "evolution" go- for example, can new species be produced through evolution? An even more basic question to ask an evolutionary biologist is: how did life begin; how was that first living organism produced?
In order for life to begin, an evolutionary biologist needs to believe two things: that through some accident, inorganic material was given the breath of life AND that at exactly the same instant, that new life was given the ability to reproduce itself.
For me, thinking as a scientist, it is simply impossible for those two "accidents" to happen without divine guidance, without the direction of a divine Creator.
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