How does the sloth fit into evolution?

Doveaman · Jul 30, 2012

NailsII said:
Just begs the question, why would the creator of life, the universe & everything make animals that cannot survive by themselves?

Because He doesnt want us to walk around thinking we can survive by ourselves.

Of course, we all live a natural lifetime and we all die sooner or later. The point is that had it not been for Gods intervention from time to time to protect and preserve us from the hazards of our environment we would die sooner rather than later.

Your use of Matt10 implies that god causes death and disease, so how does this fit into the notion of an all-loving deity?

He doesnt actually cause death and disease, He allows it. Death and disease is a natural hazard of our environment. You can blame Adam and Eve for that. God sometimes intervenes to protect us from death and disease, or He sometimes allows it to occur to remind us of how vulnerable we are without Him.

So, you are implying that the creator of the universe; of life and everything in it, has to constantly intervene to keep things alive (while letting some things die to keep others alive) because he couldn't set up a system that is completely self-sufficient in the first place?

God did not just create natural life for its own sake. He has a purpose for creating it. His intervention from time to time is to ensure that purpose is achieved. Natural life is just a means to an end.

How does that make any sense whatsoever, and how do you demonstrate this involvement - and differentialte it froman unguided, completely natural process?

Since God is the one guiding the process, then He is the one to demonstrate it. I simply take Him at his word.

* edit - can you not see the parallels with gravity here? People used to think that god had to hold the planets and stars in place, and he made them stay where they should be. Scientific advances and discovery showed that gravity is a completely natural phenomena and requires no such divine intervention to maintain the status quo *

Except that scientists dont know how gravity works. All they did was replace God did it with dark-matter did it, and dark-matter demands even more faith in its existence than God does. Billions of people claim to have experienced God, but none has ever experienced dark-matter.

Split Rock · Jul 30, 2012

Doveaman said:
Is there any theology that isnt ridiculous in your opinion?
I dont recall claiming God made anything simply so He could look after it. Thats your strawman.

God designed the natural world in such a way that we can learn valuable lessons from it:

His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made (Rom 1:20).

One lesson we learn from natural life is that it is not self-sustaining. It is designed to be dependent upon God. This is a lesson you should heed. .

So... in other words, he made the sloth maladapted so he could look after it, as some kind of weird lesson to creationists. Where's my strawman??

Once again, your god is shown to be as small as you are. He can't create a world that is self-sustaining because it would be a bad example... or something.

Doveaman said:
Yes.

The human species did not evolve to suit their environment. Instead, the environment was designed to suit the human species:

.

Just another assertion. Strange that evolution explains what we find in nature so well, huh?

sandwiches · Jul 30, 2012

Doveaman said:
You want a video of God guiding the natural processes? Really?

Then a video of God doing anything, then. Your pick!

Doveaman said:
It's easier to just take God at His word. God said it, therefore it is true.

Nah. It isn't.

samaus12345 · Jul 30, 2012

Benny Hinn - 'FIRE' Falling on Military Personnel - YouTube

CaliforniaSun · Jul 30, 2012

Hypnosis Gone Wrong - Hypnosis Video! - YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lvU-DislkI

samaus12345 · Jul 30, 2012

It was for sandwhiches re

Then a video of God doing anything,

Not those into the pseudoscience of psychology, but why would an an atheist have any bearing on anything? Considering it calls for blind faith in a belief that a rock turned into life ~3.5 billion years ago.

CabVet · Jul 30, 2012

jinx25 said:
Benny Hinn - 'FIRE' Falling on Military Personnel - YouTube

Seriously?

[youtube]peao5AZoUAo[/youtube]

samaus12345 · Jul 30, 2012

It was for sandwhiches re

Then a video of God doing anything,

Not those into the pseudoscience of psychology, but why would an an atheist have any bearing on anything? Considering it calls for blind faith in a belief that a rock turned into life ~3.5 billion years ago.

CabVet · Jul 30, 2012

jinx25 said:
It was for sandwhiches re
Not those into the pseudoscience of psychology, but why would an an atheist have any bearing on anything? Considering it calls for blind faith in a belief that a rock turned into life ~3.5 billion years ago.

No faith required to accept that the world is 3.5 billion years, there is plenty of visible evidence for that. Just in case you don't know what faith is, here is a definition: strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

Now, to believe, against all natural evidence, that the earth was created by a fatherly God 6,000 years ago and that all humanity came from Adam and Eve? That does require faith.

As for the videos, anybody can do that, at any venue, so it is not a demonstration of God's power as you implied.

freezerman2000 · Jul 30, 2012

This is a perfect example of evolution.
The duckbill platypus only lives on the Eastern shore of Australia..perfectly adapted to it's niche in the ecosystem.

samaus12345 · Jul 30, 2012

Cabvet

My video was for sandwich who asked.

and that all humanity came from Adam and Eve?

Present what you perceive to be the 'problem'.

Faith | Define Faith at Dictionary.com

confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.

faith - definition of faith by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

1. Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.

CaliforniaSun · Jul 30, 2012

jinx25 said:
Cabvet

My video was for sandwich who asked.

Present what you perceive to be the 'problem'.

Faith | Define Faith at Dictionary.com

confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.

faith - definition of faith by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

1. Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.

Faith is believin' what you know ain't so. -Mark Twain

pgp_protector · Jul 30, 2012

CaliforniaSun said:
Faith is believin' what you know ain't so. -Mark Twain

Actually the better one to use (IMO)
1) Christians can't truly argue against it.
2) It Can't apply to Evolution given the Evidence.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

If Seen or not Hoped for, then it's not Faith by definition of the Bible.

carole2u · Jul 30, 2012

Gadarene said:
Edit: nevermind, I see this level of ignorance of evolution has been the starting point for several threads of this kind.

why reply then?

CabVet · Jul 30, 2012

jinx25 said:
Cabvet

My video was for sandwich who asked.

Present what you perceive to be the 'problem'.

Faith | Define Faith at Dictionary.com

confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.

faith - definition of faith by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

1. Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.

Of course, since your aim is misleading you leave out other definitions (the ones that fit the context of your phrases) from the same dictionary:

2. belief that is not based on proof.

3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion.

4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc..

5. a system of religious belief.

But most importantly, Biblical faith (and the "blind" faith that you like so much to say that others have here) is faith in the unseen. The minute you find "proof" of God there will be no more need for faith or religion.

EDIT: PGP was faster than I, so I will quote him:

pgp_protector said:
Actually the better one to use (IMO)
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

sandwiches · Jul 30, 2012

jinx25 said:
It was for sandwhiches re

Not those into the pseudoscience of psychology, but why would an an atheist have any bearing on anything? Considering it calls for blind faith in a belief that a rock turned into life ~3.5 billion years ago.

God wasn't in that video.

NailsII · Jul 31, 2012

Doveaman said:
IsI dont recall claiming God made anything simply so He could look after it. Thats your strawman.

God designed the natural world in such a way that we can learn valuable lessons from it:

One lesson we learn from natural life is that it is not self-sustaining. It is designed to be dependent upon God. This is a lesson you should heed.
The human species did not evolve to suit their environment. Instead, the environment was designed to suit the human species:

Wrong, it is your strawman.
You quoted the bible saying that a sparrow only falls down dead because god wills it:

Doveaman said:
Your logic completely ignores the fact that the Creator, God, looks after His poor "maladapted" animals, unlike evolution that abandons them.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father." - (Matt 10:29).

I'm pretty sure the sloths survives because of God's continual intervention as well.

Maybe you should start giving God some credit where credit is due, and stop giving God's glory to a dumb theory.

Doveaman said:
The point is that God intervenes daily to provide for and to preserve the "human-animal", and He does the same for all the animals, including the sloths. Natural processes aren't random, they are guided.

"He covers the sky with clouds; He supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call." - (Ps 147:8-9).

You claimed that god must intervene daily to provide for life.
If life cannot sustain itself, then god must have created it because he intends to look after it - there cannot be another explanation.

Doveaman said:
Because He doesnt want us to walk around thinking we can survive by ourselves.

Of course, we all live a natural lifetime and we all die sooner or later. The point is that had it not been for Gods intervention from time to time to protect and preserve us from the hazards of our environment we would die sooner rather than later.
He doesnt actually cause death and disease, He allows it. Death and disease is a natural hazard of our environment. You can blame Adam and Eve for that. God sometimes intervenes to protect us from death and disease, or He sometimes allows it to occur to remind us of how vulnerable we are without Him.

The most powerful being that ever lived, who created everything, doesn't cause disease he merely allows it.
What kind of meaningless double talk is that?

jinx25 said:
Not those into the pseudoscience of psychology, but why would an an atheist have any bearing on anything? Considering it calls for blind faith in a belief that a rock turned into life ~3.5 billion years ago.

Who says that a rock turned into life?
No atheist I have ever known has said such a thing, so I can only assume it is a comment form a creationist who doesn't know any better, and has no problem in spreading misinformation in order to further their own agenda.

mzungu · Aug 1, 2012

jinx25 said:
It was for sandwhiches re
Not those into the pseudoscience of psychology, but why would an an atheist have any bearing on anything? Considering it calls for blind faith in a belief that a rock turned into life ~3.5 billion years ago.

Rocks do not turn into life! Now please answer this question:

When did snakes stop speaking English

pgp_protector · Aug 1, 2012

mzungu said:
Rocks do not turn into life! Now please answer this question:

When did snakes stop speaking English

Look at their rep power, I don't think they can respond.

Gadarene · Aug 1, 2012

carole2u said:
why reply then?

Check the word "edit", perhaps.

Didn't realise this guy had been spamming the board with equally daft threads until after I'd replied to this one.

One instance of creationist ignorance I can stomach. Multiple instances of wilful ignorance, not so much.

How does the sloth fit into evolution?

Re-Created, Not Evolved.

Conflation of Blathers

Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo.

Newbie

Well-Known Member

Newbie

Question everything

Newbie

Question everything

Living and dying in 3/4 time

Newbie

Well-Known Member

Noted strange person

Newbie

Question everything

Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo.

Life-long student of biological science

INVICTUS

Noted strange person

-______-

Similar threads

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency