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Intelligent Design / Evolution

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RocksInMyHead

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idscience:

1. Please proofread your posts. Your grammar and spelling have really gone downhill lately and they're approaching eye-bleeding levels. It hurts what little credibility you have when you can't spell "tornado" or "rigorous" correctly.

2. Still waiting on that apology. Remember, not everyone who accepts evolution is an atheist. Thanks for addressing my points though.

3. It makes it much, much easier for me to respond if you don't put your responses inside the quotes from my posts and if you separate your ideas. When you change topics without indicating which part of my post you're referring to, it can occasionally be difficult to determine what you're talking about.

4. I have to ask, because I'm pretty sure no one else has in this thread: What exactly are your qualifications for discussing evolution and intelligent design? Do you have a biology degree, or did you just read some stuff on the web? I'd genuinely like to know - it would help all of us understand where you're coming from.
 
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RocksInMyHead

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No, one does not suggest the other. This is one of the problems with evolutionists. You are trained to read into data. it means is just because main stream science is rejecting ID today, lends no credence to it's legitimacy.
Good, I'm glad that you see that one does not suggest the other - I wasn't suggesting that they did, only that it appeared that you thought they did.

You make it sound like these guys were just put off until riggerous testing could prove their theories. It was plain old censorship and ignorance.
That's not quite what I was saying. They weren't really "put off", but they weren't entirely discarded either. As soon as evidence to support these ideas appeared, they were brought back out and dusted off, perhaps modified slightly to account for new data, and eventually accepted as the mainstream theories. That's just how science works.

The bottom line is, I don't consider it censorship if the reason for it not being accepted is lack of data. If you don't have data, then your work is meaningless. And I agree that there was a fair amount of ignorance involved - after all, ignorance is simply the lack of knowledge. I freely admit that there are many things I am ignorant of.

Ok now your just talking down to me, and you want me to be nice to you. As mentioned several time, not everyone thinks there is not test for intelligence. If the current test doesn' t pass muster today, a better more accepted test may arise.
No, I'm not talking down to you, and I don't care if you're nice or not. If you can give me a test for intelligence that works regardless of what is put in, then I'll shut up about it. Until then, I'll keep asking. "Not everyone thinks there's no test for intelligence" doesn't count. Not everyone thinks the Earth is round, not everyone thinks that Jesus is the Son of God, not everyone thinks there is a God...I could go on, but you get the picture.

Again as stated before, my arguments for ID are not based on evolutions failure. I am quite sure I will be repeating myself again and again as people don't read the former posts. YOu statement is a canned response that is parroted by anti-intelligent people. A well know tactic to redefine the discussion. Who knows, maybe it has worked on you. Maybe you are ignorant to what ID says.
If your arguments don't depend on the failure of evolution, then why have you spent the last several pages listing what you see as failures of evolution rather than giving evidence for ID?

IF you found a dead body in a room after a tornato, and the body has had some organs missing. Would it be possible to determine if the tornato or an intelligent agent caused the trauma? if the organs were ripped out or surgically removed?

Scientists use tests for intelligence all the time. They may not call it that and someone may not have defined it quantatatively speaking, but certainly it can be determined if intelligence was involved in many areas.
The problems with this are twofold.

1. The "test for intelligence" in this case would be straight cuts and possible tool marks on the bones - unless you're proposing that anything intelligently designed must have only straight cuts and have tool marks on its bones, then this is an invalid test for design. A valid test for design should work for any situation, anywhere. Not just specific cases.

2. As stated much earlier in this thread, you're ascribing human intelligence to a divine being. Why would it have to be possible to recognize design?



I really don't know how to respond to this. I thought you were joking, accept for the insulting part.
The second part was a joke - you were making a big deal about the age of the Bible and the number of books when it had absolutely no bearing on the argument. The first part was serious.

How you connect my post with your first statement excapes me. I am guessing your a young fella. I was equating ID not with the other scientists, who had nothing to do with evolution anyway, but the treatment of their novel theories. Who were dominated by the arrogant mindset of those scientists who were in a position to help and further science instead of stifle it.

No where anywhere in my post did I state anything even remotely close to suggesting ID should be accepted because those on my list were not. You are not reading what is being said, your responses are colored by your bias, and only condidering what you expect me to say or perceive me to say. I don't know which.
No, I honestly didn't see any other purpose to you giving those examples. You claim that they illustrate the closed-mindedness of science, while I say that they show exactly the opposite. I repeat - if science was closed-minded, why were they later accepted?

And you accuse me of talking down to you, and yet try to marginalize me by calling me a "young fella?" My hypocrisy meter is going off the charts. I'll have you know that I'm actually 74 years old - 75 in April. Thank you very much.

(I'm not, but I could be. Don't ever assume to know someone's age on the internet.)

You statement about science some how redeemed itself by redicovering something that whs brought to them 30 and 40 years earlier doesn't impress me. How many other ideas were squashed and have not been rediscovered? all this talk about science being skeptical and scientists only follow evidence is nonsense.
They weren't "rediscovered" - they were never lost in the first place. I've already explained this, so I won't do it again.

Science is as political as anything else, and ID is suffering for that today.
Cynical much? I'm serious. You put out some hard evidence that life was intelligently designed and you're one step closer to acceptance. All you have to do is get the data.

All ready answered
I'll post your original statement for reference:

ID has better a explanation for origins, Evo has none, so thats easy.
ID has .. for digital code, language and information. Evo has none.
ID has... similarity in the fossil record and genome, Evo also does.
1. Designed by an intelligent designer
2. Designed by an intelligent designer
3. Designed by an intelligent designer

At least that's my understanding of ID. Can you explain how that's any different from Goddidit, or correct me if I'm wrong?

Really? Where are you getting this stuff. And you wonder why I am not answering you?
Where am I getting what? Your statement that dogs evolved into cats? I gave you the quote from yourself right above that. Here it is again:

How does evo test common descent? looks at the fossil records and sees similarity. I guess its true. We see minor changes within a species so its obvious dogs can turn into cats given enough time. "Hopeful Guess"

It's in post #157.

Or did you mean my statement that dogs can't evolve into cats? Because evolution pretty clearly states that they had a common ancestor where the two lineages diverged. There's no reason why they would ever return to that point.

My comment was general, it was not meant for your personally.
Ok, thanks, I guess. You shouldn't generalize though - the Pope has clearly stated that there is no conflict between the Bible and evolution, so nominally, all Catholics accept evolution, and quite a few members of other faiths do as well. I'm sure they don't appreciate you generalizing them in with atheists either.

Evolution has everything to do with atheism. What is it about it's definition don't you understand? Just because you have co-opted it doesn't change that fact. Evolution compromises God's word. On several levels it says that the word of God is wrong on some points. When you go there, it is no longer a light, because you now have to deside what you will believe and what you won't.
It only compromises your interpretation of God's word. For those of us who have no trouble with the idea that parts of the Bible are metaphorical, there is zero conflict. Moreover, as I said above, the Pope has said that there is no conflict, so if evolution is good enough for the leader of my faith, then it's good enough for me.

You are going to one disappointed individual. I don't know how long you have been a believer, but God doesn't tell us lots of things. Why our brother died, or child, why our job was lost or people are allowed to go hungry and children beaten.

God told you how you got here, evolution says he is a liar, you are believing evolution and not God? Or, your are not believing he has left us a correct record and bible to follow. Which is it for you?

What if Abraham told God to forget it unless he layed out his plan first? or Moses, or king David, or Josheph? or a hundred others in scripture.

When you actually look critically at evolution, and get rid of the all the proof that is agreed about. All that is left is common descent for which there is no evidence outside the variation we see today and inference to similarity in the fossil and genome record. Exlpained by common design. The bible says God created living things in segments of time, man being last. This could account for the layers of fossils. There are many assumptions that have to be made to infer events millions of years ago. Or even to assert it was milllions of years ago. That is information scientists just don't have. The problem isn't evolution, it is questioning the validity of the whole bible by the believer. Either it's right or it isn't. The next thing to question is Jesus. God, or just a good guy. If it's wrong on some points it may be wrong on others.

What will you do if you are around at the end times when the false prophet does his miracles and fools the world into believing he is god? Is that the kind of proof you will accept? or will you stick by the bible? where do you draw the line on where it is correct and where it is ok to question it?
Wow. And who are you to dictate my beliefs? That was perhaps the most condescending piece of junk I've read on this site. Suddenly everything makes so much more sense.
 
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idscience

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This is a formal apology

to those I have offended with some of my emotionally driven comments.

Reflecting on some of my replies I have been out of line, discourteous and abusive

I did not stay on message in some instances and for that I am regretful.

Please accept this apology and my renewed commitment to keep the Jibber jabber out of my replies. I got carried away.
 
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idscience

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idscience:

1. Please proofread your posts. Your grammar and spelling have really gone downhill lately and they're approaching eye-bleeding levels. It hurts what little credibility you have when you can't spell "tornado" or "rigorous" correctly.

2. Still waiting on that apology. Remember, not everyone who accepts evolution is an atheist. Thanks for addressing my points though.

3. It makes it much, much easier for me to respond if you don't put your responses inside the quotes from my posts and if you separate your ideas. When you change topics without indicating which part of my post you're referring to, it can occasionally be difficult to determine what you're talking about.

4. I have to ask, because I'm pretty sure no one else has in this thread: What exactly are your qualifications for discussing evolution and intelligent design? Do you have a biology degree, or did you just read some stuff on the web? I'd genuinely like to know - it would help all of us understand where you're coming from.

I could say I'm a double PhD, or a high school drop out. It has little bearing on the issues. We are not debating opinions that stand or fall on your's or my credentials. Arguments are cited, and sources posted of those who are doing the work. I am not a research scientist working in a lab on cutting edge evolutionary or ID research. I have witnessed, double and triple PhD scientists called IDiots regularly, so my PhD wouldn't carry any weight anyway. What seems important, is what you agree and disagree with. Apparently that is the only indicator of intelligence to many. Not your education.

My credibility is not at issue. It is the credibility of mutation and selection being capable of producing everything from Cell to Sally, and Intelligent Design being a better explanation. I don't think we need to continue on a personal level.

Assumptions are made and a course of argument is determined. For example, your personal comments about spelling and grammar. I could assume they are designed to humiliate, or belittle me on this forum, or they may be a genuine attempt to help me better argue my case. I am not going to assume either because assumptions can make for poor assessments. I hae been party to many instances where the ID supporter is dragged off topic into defending religious bigotry, education, and personal beliefs. All designed to distract and move the conversation another direction, or to insult. I think it's best to keep on topic.

Your comments could be made without some pertinent information and be taken as insulting. Not neccessarily because that is how they were meant but because you don't have all the facts.

1. Your points really have no bearing on issues based on what others have done.
2. Is English my first language?

3. Are there disabilities that make imputing difficult for me?

4. Am I typing with 10 fingers or with an electronic stylus in my teeth?

5. If I am illiterate, does that disprove what ID presents?

As I recall, Watson and Crick were the rookies on the scene with no reputation or respect. So, let's keep to the arguments at hand.

Let's look at what the leaders of ID science are called.

Uncyclopedia
"Michael J. Behe (born January 18, 1952) is an American idiot and intelligent design advocate, and is involved in the War on Science."

The Panda's Thumb
Jonathan Wells
"How can this guy really be this stupid? He has a Ph.D"

The Good Atheist
"Stephen C. Meyer is a moron"

William Dembski
"His education seems impressive.
BA psychology (University of Illinois at Chicago, 1981)
MS statistics (University of Illinois at Chicago, 1983)
SM mathematics (University of Chicago, 1985)
PhD mathematics (University of Chicago, 1988)
MA philosophy (University of Illinois at Chicago, 1993)
MDiv theology (Princeton Theological Seminary, 1996)
PhD philosophy (University of Illinois at Chicago, 1996)

I guess this proves that you can have seven degrees and still be a complete fool."

All these men have a better understanding of ID then I do since they are doing the research. There is nothing my education can add to what is already declared idiotic and stupid.​

I have made a corporate apology, but if you would like a personal one, I apologize.
 
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idscience

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That's not quite what I was saying. They weren't really "put off", but they weren't entirely discarded either. As soon as evidence to support these ideas appeared, they were brought back out and dusted off, perhaps modified slightly to account for new data, and eventually accepted as the mainstream theories. That's just how science works.
  • We see it differently
The bottom line is, I don't consider it censorship if the reason for it not being accepted is lack of data. If you don't have data, then your work is meaningless. And I agree that there was a fair amount of ignorance involved - after all, ignorance is simply the lack of knowledge. I freely admit that there are many things I am ignorant of.
  • We see it differently. I see it as competition and ego
If your arguments don't depend on the failure of evolution, then why have you spent the last several pages listing what you see as failures of evolution rather than giving evidence for ID?


The problems with this are twofold.

1. The "test for intelligence" in this case would be straight cuts and possible tool marks on the bones - unless you're proposing that anything intelligently designed must have only straight cuts and have tool marks on its bones, then this is an invalid test for design. A valid test for design should work for any situation, anywhere. Not just specific cases.

2. As stated much earlier in this thread, you're ascribing human intelligence to a divine being. Why would it have to be possible to recognize design?

No, I honestly didn't see any other purpose to you giving those examples. You claim that they illustrate the closed-mindedness of science, while I say that they show exactly the opposite. I repeat - if science was closed-minded, why were they later accepted?

Cynical much? I'm serious. You put out some hard evidence that life was intelligently designed and you're one step closer to acceptance. All you have to do is get the data.


1. Designed by an intelligent designer
2. Designed by an intelligent designer
3. Designed by an intelligent designer

At least that's my understanding of ID. Can you explain how that's any different from Goddidit, or correct me if I'm wrong?


Where am I getting what? Your statement that dogs evolved into cats? I gave you the quote from yourself right above that. Here it is again:

Or did you mean my statement that dogs can't evolve into cats? Because evolution pretty clearly states that they had a common ancestor where the two lineages diverged. There's no reason why they would ever return to that point.


Ok, thanks, I guess. You shouldn't generalize though - the Pope has clearly stated that there is no conflict between the Bible and evolution, so nominally, all Catholics accept evolution, and quite a few members of other faiths do as well. I'm sure they don't appreciate you generalizing them in with atheists either.


It only compromises your interpretation of God's word. For those of us who have no trouble with the idea that parts of the Bible are metaphorical, there is zero conflict. Moreover, as I said above, the Pope has said that there is no conflict, so if evolution is good enough for the leader of my faith, then it's good enough for me.

Wow. And who are you to dictate my beliefs? That was perhaps the most condescending piece of junk I've read on this site. Suddenly everything makes so much more sense.

"If your arguments don't depend on the failure"
ID argues from knowledge of intelligent causation vs. random natural action. Many see evolution as the only answer. The complete answer with no holes and no problems. It has many and has been found to have limits. I suggest reading "The Edge of Evolution" by Michael Behe. He lays out those limits clearly.

1. This case. You are confusing the issue. On purpose or not I don't know, but is seems to be a common condition among evolutionists. This case is nothing to do with design. I did not mention design. The question was in regard to the abilility to determining intelligent causation or natural causation. Scientist use methods to determine which.

2. Implying a need to know the "being" to determine intelligence is straw man. Detecting intelligence at a human level would be the low end of the sliding scale. SETI has been trying to find intelligence for decades. Do they need to know the source before they have any hope of finding it.

If science was not closed minded, their ideas would have been tested then, and not decades later by others who were willing to do it. Science may be much further ahead if not for the science stoppers of the past. Wasting time, money and mind power on theories that didn't work. This is a waste of resources. Much like common descent.

"Cynical much"
Theories have been submitted. ID has 50 peer reviewed papers that support intelligent design. They have not been accepted by main stream science. First they said it wasn't science because there were no peer reviewed papers.
Then when the peer reviewed papes started journals and editors were attacked for publishing them. Then there were more who were sanctioned ridiculed, and bullied for giving weight to ID. That has cost some institutions hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages.
Now that there are 50 papers, the new slight is there aren't enough to take them seriously. So it doesn't stop, and it may take some time but th evidence will shown to hold water. ID is dismissed now by a bias class of scientists who have built careers on, and make their livings off of evolution. I get that. Dr. Dean Kenyon was a well respected teacher. Co-author of "Biochemical Predestination" until he realized chemical evolution as a wash. Then so was he.

1.2.3. "God did it" Testing for design, is a new concept addressed by William Dembski. " The Design Revolution: Answering the Toughest Questions about Intelligent Design ", " The Design Inference : Eliminating Chance Through Small Probabilities"
Many believe his theory is a good one. Of course, evolutionists mock and ridicule it. It seems his credentials, being an 'Christian, has biased his critics. He can't be taken seriously because he has faith and is only trying to prove God exists. Another reason why I believe evolution and God do not mix.

Why is some things being put together by an intelligence so less reasonable than some other theory? If these features in life can be reverse engineered, and understood how they work, and function. Why is it so important to know how they came about? It is only important to someone who wants to leave God out if the picture.

I would sure like to know how a theistic evolutionist like yourself puts your theory together? Tell me where God is in your theory? That will help me to understand where you are coming from.

"Or did you mean"
That is a very interesting statement. What proves that dogs and cats diverged? A few similar genes and a computer driven mathematical model programmed to look for common descent. Divergence is another word for not so similar. I find it strange how to theorize the more different the DNA the farther apart they are. The only way to get there is to assert common descent is a fact already. You say there is no reason for "them" to go back? Why is it evolution only goes one way?

"You shouldn't generalize though"




Do you agree because the Pope says so? or do you read the bible yourself? Have you actually read the paper on the Vatican web site.
  • "The reply of the Magisterium was offered in the encyclical Humani Generis of Pius XII in 1950. In it we read: "The magisterium of the Church is not opposed to the theory of evolution being the object of investigation and discussion among experts. Here the theory of evolution is understood as an investigation of the origin of the human body from pre-existing living matter, for the Catholic faith obliges us to hold firmly that souls are created immediately by God..." (DS 3896).
    It can therefore be said that, from the viewpoint of the doctrine of the faith, there are no difficulties in explaining the origin of man in regard to the body, by means of the theory of evolution. But it must be added that this hypothesis proposes only a probability, not a scientific certainty."
You are more certain apparently than the Pope is.
When do you decide what makes sense and what does not? Are you not in judgement of the bible yourself? Deciding where you will take it at face value and where you won't. Also, it is not just a case of taking some things metaphorically. As you can see here, God's account is much different than evolutions account. They don't line up. One of them is wrong, I believe it is the human scientists that are wrong.

It was not my intention to dictate anything to you. My apologies. The bible is clear in its timeline, without any interpretation. If you can dismiss Genesis, you can dismiss Jesus dying on the cross, and believe he recovered and married Mary. Many theologians believe that too. If Genesis is too hard to believe what do you do about raising the dead, or Jesus being resurrected? Those things have never happened in the natural world before either. Where do you draw the line and start believing what the bible says the way that it says it?
 
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idscience said:
What will you do if you are around at the end times when the false prophet does his miracles and fools the world into believing he is god? Is that the kind of proof you will accept? or will you stick by the bible? where do you draw the line on where it is correct and where it is ok to question it?
This is a situation that has to do with Jerusalem and the war between Isreal and the Muslim nations. When war breaks out a world leader will come along and it will look like there is peace between the Jewish and Muslim sons of Abraham. Only this will be a short lived peace and war will break out again in 3 1/2 years. At the time they will be building the temple on the temple mount in Jerusalem. The world leader will have control over this temple. Or more exact the Sanhedrin and the Temple Mound authority.

"Since 1967 there have been various attempts by individuals and by groups to assault the Temple Mount in order to perform Jewish blood sacrifices, to destroy a Muslim building, or to upset the balance of power and to alter the status quo." http://www.templemount.org/tempprep.html
 
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Incariol

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Jazer said:
This is a situation that has to do with Jerusalem and the war between Isreal and the Muslim nations. When war breaks out a world leader will come along and it will look like there is peace between the Jewish and Muslim sons of Abraham. Only this will be a short lived peace and war will break out again in 3 1/2 years. At the time they will be building the temple on the temple mount in Jerusalem. The world leader will have control over this temple.

Wow what the heck are you talking about?
 
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idscience

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Apparently, Benedict XVI has gone beyond Pope Paul and is now leading the Catholic church into a division of man. Evolution made the body, God made his spirit.
No where is there any attempt by the Academy of Sciences to explain how or where God gets involved with creation. As you read the link, you will see where the idea of "God did it" has come from. It was not the ID theorists.

Magisterium Is Concerned with Question of Evolution  For It Involves Conception of Man

So, indeed, the new Pope is all in when it comes to evolution, he just can't explain how. I was mistaken.

I would still like to get some idea from the theists on here, where they think God enters evolution. Where the guiding hand is?
 
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RickG

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Apparently, Benedict XVI has gone beyond Pope Paul and is now leading the Catholic church into a division of man. Evolution made the body, God made his spirit.
No where is there any attempt by the Academy of Sciences to explain how or where God gets involved with creation. As you read the link, you will see where the idea of "God did it" has come from. It was not the ID theorists.

Magisterium Is Concerned with Question of Evolution[bless and do not curse] For It Involves Conception of Man

So, indeed, the new Pope is all in when it comes to evolution, he just can't explain how. I was mistaken.

I would still like to get some idea from the theists on here, where they think God enters evolution. Where the guiding hand is?

These days most Christians do not take the 6 day creation story of Genesis literally. However, I think the majority of them still find it hard to turn loose of the God creating man part rather than man evolving.
 
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RocksInMyHead

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We see it differently
We see it differently. I see it as competition and ego

Given that I work in the sciences for a living and you apparently don't (why else would you only allude vaguely to a nonspecific PhD when I asked for your credentials?), I'd say that I'm a bit more qualified to judge this than you. I apologize if I've assumed incorrectly here, but your statements and views on science point to you being a scientific layman.

"If your arguments don't depend on the failure"
ID argues from knowledge of intelligent causation vs. random natural action. Many see evolution as the only answer. The complete answer with no holes and no problems. It has many and has been found to have limits. I suggest reading "The Edge of Evolution" by Michael Behe. He lays out those limits clearly.
I have neither the time nor the inclination to read Behe's book. Why don't you summarize?

1. This case. You are confusing the issue. On purpose or not I don't know, but is seems to be a common condition among evolutionists. This case is nothing to do with design. I did not mention design. The question was in regard to the abilility to determining intelligent causation or natural causation. Scientist use methods to determine which.
No, it is you confusing the issue by changing your terminology. "Intelligent causation" is simply another way of saying "design." Furthermore, you're running away from the issue. I asked for a test for design. You replied with your "eviscerated body in a tornado" example. Now you're saying it isn't a test for design?

2. Implying a need to know the "being" to determine intelligence is straw man. Detecting intelligence at a human level would be the low end of the sliding scale. SETI has been trying to find intelligence for decades. Do they need to know the source before they have any hope of finding it.
Did I ask you to define the being? All I said is that you're assuming that this being has human intelligence. If it doesn't, then none of your tests work. To broaden this, what is the basis for your assumption - WHY does your being have to have human intelligence? If you can't answer that, then your assumption is unsupported, and none of your data can be taken seriously. You accuse scientists of making assumptions about decay rates and the like, but as I've pointed out, those assumptions are well-supported.

If science was not closed minded, their ideas would have been tested then, and not decades later by others who were willing to do it. Science may be much further ahead if not for the science stoppers of the past. Wasting time, money and mind power on theories that didn't work. This is a waste of resources. Much like common descent.
Or, perhaps, the methods and data needed to test those ideas didn't exist yet? 99.9% of the time, that's the reason.

Take plate tectonics. It was first proposed in the early 1900s, but was laughed out the door because the evidence for it was very weak (basically: The continents look like they fit together like puzzle pieces!). However, in the 1950s and 1960s, the Navy started doing large-scale ocean mapping with SONAR (which wasn't available until World War II) and discovered that the features predicted by the plate tectonic theory did exist. Later magnetic surveys supported this - symmetrical, alternating bands on either sides of the ocean ridges. With the new data, plate tectonics rapidly moved into the mainstream. Now we have GPS data that shows unequivocally that the plates are moving.

"Cynical much"
Theories have been submitted. ID has 50 peer reviewed papers that support intelligent design. They have not been accepted by main stream science. First they said it wasn't science because there were no peer reviewed papers.
Then when the peer reviewed papes started journals and editors were attacked for publishing them. Then there were more who were sanctioned ridiculed, and bullied for giving weight to ID. That has cost some institutions hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages.
Now that there are 50 papers, the new slight is there aren't enough to take them seriously. So it doesn't stop, and it may take some time but th evidence will shown to hold water. ID is dismissed now by a bias class of scientists who have built careers on, and make their livings off of evolution. I get that. Dr. Dean Kenyon was a well respected teacher. Co-author of "Biochemical Predestination" until he realized chemical evolution as a wash. Then so was he.
I looked at the Sternberg website, and it appears that the bullying, etc. was the work of a few individuals and one organization. The scientists that he talked to all agreed that he should accept the article for publication. The scientific community isn't perfect - there are fanatics out there who will viciously attack anyone who opposes their views. Much like the similar people to be found in the Christian community. It's a fact of human nature.

1.2.3. "God did it" Testing for design, is a new concept addressed by William Dembski. " The Design Revolution: Answering the Toughest Questions about Intelligent Design ", " The Design Inference : Eliminating Chance Through Small Probabilities"
Many believe his theory is a good one. Of course, evolutionists mock and ridicule it. It seems his credentials, being an 'Christian, has biased his critics. He can't be taken seriously because he has faith and is only trying to prove God exists. Another reason why I believe evolution and God do not mix.
Again, any chance you could summarize his ideas? I don't own the books.

As I know next to nothing about programming and statistics, and I have zero familiarity with these books, I'm not really qualified to comment on them.

Why is some things being put together by an intelligence so less reasonable than some other theory? If these features in life can be reverse engineered, and understood how they work, and function. Why is it so important to know how they came about? It is only important to someone who wants to leave God out if the picture.
To a point, it doesn't matter. However, when ID gets into the idea of irreducible complexity, it starts to contradict observations (namely, that these supposedly "irreducibly complex" features, aren't). And until a workable test for design is created (not merely conceived, or "thought to exist"), no one should be arguing that anything is designed.

I would sure like to know how a theistic evolutionist like yourself puts your theory together? Tell me where God is in your theory? That will help me to understand where you are coming from.
I'm an extremely limited theistic evolutionist: I believe that God provided the "spark" for life to begin, and then let nature take its course to the present day..

"Or did you mean"
That is a very interesting statement. What proves that dogs and cats diverged? A few similar genes and a computer driven mathematical model programmed to look for common descent. Divergence is another word for not so similar. I find it strange how to theorize the more different the DNA the farther apart they are. The only way to get there is to assert common descent is a fact already.
Completely beside the point. You claimed that science says that dogs can evolve into cats. It doesn't. End of story.

I don't know enough about genetics to answer your question.

You say there is no reason for "them" to go back? Why is it evolution only goes one way?
I suppose it's possible for de-evolution to happen, but not to the extent that dogs and cats would return to their common ancestor.

"You shouldn't generalize though"

Do you agree because the Pope says so? or do you read the bible yourself? Have you actually read the paper on the Vatican web site.
Um, both? And yes, I have read the paper on the Vatican site, though it's been a while. I'd forgotten that he didn't say that evolution was the only answer (so not all Catholics are obligated to believe it).

You are more certain apparently than the Pope is
What he said is (basically) that there's nothing wrong with accepting evolution over literal creation. Evolution makes more sense to me, ergo, I accept it.

When do you decide what makes sense and what does not? Are you not in judgement of the bible yourself? Deciding where you will take it at face value and where you won't. Also, it is not just a case of taking some things metaphorically. As you can see here[/B], God's account is much different than evolutions account. They don't line up. One of them is wrong, I believe it is the human scientists that are wrong.

It was not my intention to dictate anything to you. My apologies. The bible is clear in its timeline, without any interpretation. If you can dismiss Genesis, you can dismiss Jesus dying on the cross, and believe he recovered and married Mary. Many theologians believe that too. If Genesis is too hard to believe what do you do about raising the dead, or Jesus being resurrected? Those things have never happened in the natural world before either. Where do you draw the line and start believing what the bible says the way that it says it?
Nothing in my beliefs requires that I take Genesis literally. It doesn't matter that it was dictated by God - He was dictating to a bunch of illiterate, ignorant goat herders (to be fair to the Isrealites, that description fits 90% of society at the time) and so couldn't explain everything. God has been known to use metaphor (see the Psalms and Jesus' parables), so it's not a stretch to believe that He was using one in Genesis.

And yes, I am "in judgement of the bible." I have no problems with that - everyone who reads it has their own personal interpretation. My problem comes when people act as though their own interpretation is the only correct one and try to twist science to fit it and/or force it on others.
 
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Split Rock

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"If your arguments don't depend on the failure"
ID argues from knowledge of intelligent causation vs. random natural action. Many see evolution as the only answer. The complete answer with no holes and no problems. It has many and has been found to have limits. I suggest reading "The Edge of Evolution" by Michael Behe. He lays out those limits clearly.
Evolution is the only testable scientific theory that explains the diversity and distribution of life on earth. Personally, I do not claim it is the only answer, just the only scientific theory. I.D. has no testable scientific theory and is based on a negative argument: "If I can't see how nature did X, then X is due to intelligent design by default."


[1. This case. You are confusing the issue. On purpose or not I don't know, but is seems to be a common condition among evolutionists. This case is nothing to do with design. I did not mention design. The question was in regard to the abilility to determining intelligent causation or natural causation. Scientist use methods to determine which.
Scientists do not have a means of testing whether something is designed or is natural. This is what I.D. has promised, but has not provided. When I first investigated I.D., this promise interested me, because such a test would be quite useful. So far, it is elusive.


[2. Implying a need to know the "being" to determine intelligence is straw man. Detecting intelligence at a human level would be the low end of the sliding scale. SETI has been trying to find intelligence for decades. Do they need to know the source before they have any hope of finding it.
This is true, yet I.D. also claims that determing the source of the intelligence is outside its parameters. I see this as a real problem. Let's take the pyramids of Egypt as an example. One would not need to know who had built them in order to study them. However, one of the goals of such research would be to determine who had built them. Also, just by their nature, they are similar to other structures built by humans. Thus, some assumptions can be made about the designers from the start. If the designer is not even human, what assumptions can be made about their designs?


[If science was not closed minded, their ideas would have been tested then, and not decades later by others who were willing to do it. Science may be much further ahead if not for the science stoppers of the past. Wasting time, money and mind power on theories that didn't work. This is a waste of resources. Much like common descent.
Strange that you claim common descent is a waste of resources and a "science stopper," when it succeeds so well in explaining the diversity and distribution of life on earth. Certainly better than I.D. does.


["Cynical much"
Theories have been submitted. ID has 50 peer reviewed papers that support intelligent design. They have not been accepted by main stream science. First they said it wasn't science because there were no peer reviewed papers.
Then when the peer reviewed papes started journals and editors were attacked for publishing them. Then there were more who were sanctioned ridiculed, and bullied for giving weight to ID. That has cost some institutions hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages.
Now that there are 50 papers, the new slight is there aren't enough to take them seriously. So it doesn't stop, and it may take some time but th evidence will shown to hold water. ID is dismissed now by a bias class of scientists who have built careers on, and make their livings off of evolution. I get that. Dr. Dean Kenyon was a well respected teacher. Co-author of "Biochemical Predestination" until he realized chemical evolution as a wash. Then so was he.
Do you have a list of these 50 papers? I would reiterate that the reason I.D. is rejected is because its advocates have failed to produce a sceintific theory or even a scientifc hypothesis that makes testable predictions.


[1.2.3. "God did it" Testing for design, is a new concept addressed by William Dembski. " The Design Revolution: Answering the Toughest Questions about Intelligent Design ", " The Design Inference : Eliminating Chance Through Small Probabilities"
Many believe his theory is a good one. Of course, evolutionists mock and ridicule it. It seems his credentials, being an 'Christian, has biased his critics. He can't be taken seriously because he has faith and is only trying to prove God exists. Another reason why I believe evolution and God do not mix.
Popular books are not the proper method for advancing a scientific theory or hypothesis.

[Why is some things being put together by an intelligence so less reasonable than some other theory? If these features in life can be reverse engineered, and understood how they work, and function. Why is it so important to know how they came about? It is only important to someone who wants to leave God out if the picture.
Answering "how they came about" has always been a part of scientific investigation.


["Or did you mean"
That is a very interesting statement. What proves that dogs and cats diverged? A few similar genes and a computer driven mathematical model programmed to look for common descent. Divergence is another word for not so similar. I find it strange how to theorize the more different the DNA the farther apart they are. The only way to get there is to assert common descent is a fact already. You say there is no reason for "them" to go back? Why is it evolution only goes one way?
The same standards and principles that apply to human family trees apply to phylogenetics. If it works for the former, then please explain why it shouldn't work for the latter. As far as reversing evolution, that fails under Dollo's Law. There are too many identical steps that need to be followed in reverse. In addition, if a gene is no longer under stabilizing selective pressure, it will tend to diverge by way of genetic drift. It may even be rendered a pseudo-gene.
 
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idscience

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I'm an extremely limited theistic evolutionist: I believe that God provided the "spark" for life to begin, and then let nature take its course to the present day..

So you believe God front loaded all the information from the first cell? I know you don't have any evidence of that. Good thow you are demanding what you cannot provide.
 
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idscience

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The parables in the bible are stated that is what they are. Rocks is going completely on what makes sense to him. The bible judges us, we do not judge the bible. The bible is true or evolution is true.

But that is for the evolution / bible thread. Not this one.
 
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So you believe God front loaded all the information from the first cell? I know you don't have any evidence of that. Good thow you are demanding what you cannot provide.

Wow, is that what you took from that entire post?

And more directly answering your question, is God not capable of "front-loading" information wherever he wants? I thought He could do anything, I may be wrong though. But more importantly, there is as much evidence for that "front-loading" theory as there is for any other type of intelligent design, which is to say none.
 
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idscience

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1. Evolution is the only testable scientific theory that explains the diversity and distribution of life on earth. Personally, I do not claim it is the only answer, just the only scientific theory. I.D. has no testable scientific theory and is based on a negative argument: "If I can't see how nature did X, then X is due to intelligent design by default."

2. Scientists do not have a means of testing whether something is designed or is natural. This is what I.D. has promised, but has not provided. When I first investigated I.D., this promise interested me, because such a test would be quite useful. So far, it is elusive.

3. Do you have a list of these 50 papers? I would reiterate that the reason I.D. is rejected is because its advocates have failed to produce a sceintific theory or even a scientifc hypothesis that makes testable predictions.

4. Popular books are not the proper method for advancing a scientific theory or hypothesis.

The same standards and principles that apply to human family trees apply to phylogenetics. If it works for the former, then please explain why it shouldn't work for the latter.

5. In addition, if a gene is no longer under stabilizing selective pressure, it will tend to diverge by way of genetic drift. It may even be rendered a pseudo-gene.

1. Yah, yah, that's the mantra. common descent is not testable. It's guessable. There are no papers showing anything of the sort. How do you prove something that occured a billion years ago?

What really makes me laugh is reading science mags explaining the sexual habits and daily routines of species millions of years ago. Also, the reasons they speciated or even transformed. This is the kind of nonsense science that evolution breeds.

2. Science has no way to recognise design from natural patterns? Even Dawkins and Crick recognized the design but chose to call it "Apparent".
3.CSC - Peer-Reviewed & Peer-Edited Scientific Publications Supporting the Theory of Intelligent Design (Annotated)
4. Funny, worked out ok for Darwin. That is pretty lame. Nothing is science unless it is "peer reviewed". I think books are a great medium to get new ideas out, especially when you are blocked from peer review journals out of ignorance and ego. Just like the dudes of old.
5. cite a source that isn't just an assumption because it fits the hypothesis

Explain to me how common descent explains distribution over the planet?
I am not going to keep reiterating my points. You disagree, that is ok. You think common descent is provable, go for it. It's not.

WE will have to disagree and leave it at that. It is dogma that holds common descent together, not science.
 
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1. Yah, yah, that's the mantra. common descent is not testable.

Oh but it is testable, common descent predicts that species that are closely related (even if they don't look like each other), would share more characters than species that are distantly related. This is shown in nature, over and over, and over again, in many groups.

A common "designer" would design things using a "template", so that species that look alike would have their genetic composition more similar to one another than species that "look different". Yet, we see many examples of convergent evolution indicating common decent and not a common designer. Want an example? The Tasmanian Wolf. If the Tasmanian Wolf and the "normal" Wolf were designed by the same designer they would have similar DNA (because they look alike), yet they do not.

There are no papers showing anything of the sort. How do you prove something that occured a billion years ago?

What really makes me laugh is reading science mags explaining the sexual habits and daily routines of species millions of years ago.

I want you to show me a single scientific paper that described the daily routine of a species that lived millions of years ago.

Also, the reasons they speciated or even transformed. This is the kind of nonsense science that evolution breeds.

Intelligent design, just FYI, does not reject speciation.

2. Science has no way to recognise design from natural patterns? Even Dawkins and Crick recognized the design but chose to call it "Apparent".

Apparent design is not the same as design. A snow flake has apparent design, was every single snow flake designed by a supreme being?


Yet not a single one of these papers presents evidence for intelligent design. All they do is to say "hey, there is no way evolution produced this, therefore it has to be an intelligent designer".

4. Funny, worked out ok for Darwin. That is pretty lame. Nothing is science unless it is "peer reviewed". I think books are a great medium to get new ideas out, especially when you are blocked from peer review journals out of ignorance and ego. Just like the dudes of old.

Oh, so now all of a sudden peer-review is worth something? It is not about the book, it is about the hundreds of thousands of peer-reviewed research articles that support it.

5. cite a source that isn't just an assumption because it fits the hypothesis

I will leave that one for somebody else.

Explain to me how common descent explains distribution over the planet?

Now that we can discuss, there is an entire branch of science devoted to this, it is called biogeography, and common descent explains the distributions of every organism in this planet. Which one do you want to discuss first?

I am not going to keep reiterating my points. You disagree, that is ok. You think common descent is provable, go for it. It's not.

WE will have to disagree and leave it at that. It is dogma that holds common descent together, not science.

Great, 150 years of paper after paper supporting evolution and you say science does not hold it together. Sometimes I wonder if you know what evolution (or science) is.
 
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RocksInMyHead

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So you believe God front loaded all the information from the first cell? I know you don't have any evidence of that. Good thow you are demanding what you cannot provide.

No. I don't pretend to know how God kicked it all off. He could have initiated the Big Bang, or created the first amino acids, or poofed the first cell, or created everything last Tuesday with embedded age. Or maybe the simple fact of His existence was the factor that allowed life to develop.

In other words, I don't think the "how" of creation is a big deal as long as it doesn't conflict with what I observe. If science later discovers a natural cause for anything I listed above, then I'll know that that wasn't God's method. I know it's a bit "God-of-the-gaps"-y, but it's the only system that works with what I see every day.
 
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Split Rock

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1. Yah, yah, that's the mantra. common descent is not testable. It's guessable. There are no papers showing anything of the sort. How do you prove something that occured a billion years ago?
You want some papers? I'll do a PubMed search for "common descent" for you. Here you go:
Results: 1 to 20 of 1728 common descent - PubMed - NCBI

While we don't "prove" in science, we can test the effects of common descent on biological organisms today. For example, every time a new species genome is sequenced, this is a test of common descent. Every time a phylogenic analysis is performed, this is a test of common descent.

What really makes me laugh is reading science mags explaining the sexual habits and daily routines of species millions of years ago. Also, the reasons they speciated or even transformed. This is the kind of nonsense science that evolution breeds.
What makes me laugh is IDers like yourself who make assertions and provide no actual data or evidence to back them up.

2. Science has no way to recognise design from natural patterns? Even Dawkins and Crick recognized the design but chose to call it "Apparent".
And the word choice was quite appropriate. What is your point?


Some of these papers question aspects of abiogenesis, while others bring up questions concerning biological evolution. None of these publications provide any support for the intelligent design of biological organisms on earth or any where else.


4. Funny, worked out ok for Darwin. That is pretty lame. Nothing is science unless it is "peer reviewed". I think books are a great medium to get new ideas out, especially when you are blocked from peer review journals out of ignorance and ego. Just like the dudes of old.
Actually, Darwin presented his research in a joint paper with Wallace at the Linnean Society on 1 July 1,1858: "On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection," before publishing his book. In any case, times have changed since 1858, even if creationists haven't, other than changing their name. Also, I would love to see an example of a manuscript submitted supporting I.D. that was rejected by any journal because it was I.D.


Explain to me how common descent explains distribution over the planet?
That is a very broad question, and is covered by biogeography. Descent with modification explains why extant species live in areas where similar extinct species also lived in the past. Together with plate tectonics, it explains why some extinct species lived over areas that a separated by oceans today. Common descent also explains the diversification of closely related species on isolated island chains, such as the Galapagos and Hawaiian islands, and why such species are found no where else. What does I.D. explain?


I am not going to keep reiterating my points. You disagree, that is ok. You think common descent is provable, go for it. It's not.
I have said that science doesn't "prove" in any absolute sense. However, evolution is proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The "proof' of that is its almost universal acceptance by the scientific community, and its explanatory power. All you have done is to assert it is false. If you are sure it is false, then please do falsify it for us.

WE will have to disagree and leave it at that. It is dogma that holds common descent together, not science.
More assertion on your part, backed by nothing but wishful thinking. I have more than 150 years of scientific investigation on my side, and you have nothing but an argument that hasn't changed since William Paley wrote "Natural Theology" in 1803. He knew nothing about the theory of evolution, so he has an excuse. What is yours?
 
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