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1. One of the greatest challenges to the human intellect, over the centuries, has been to explain how the complex, improbable appearance of design in the universe arises.
2. The natural temptation is to attribute the appearance of design to actual design itself. In the case of a man-made artefact such as a watch, the designer really was an intelligent engineer. It is tempting to apply the same logic to an eye or a wing, a spider or a person.
3. This temptation is a false one, because the designer hypothesis immediately raises the larger problem of who designed the designer. The whole problem we started out with was the problem of explaining statistical improbability. It is obviously no solution to postulate something even more improbable. We need a "crane", not a "skyhook", for only a crane can do the business of working gradually and plausibly from simplicity to otherwise improbable complexity.
4. The most ingenious and powerful crane so far discovered is Darwinian evolution by natural selection. Darwin and his successors have shown how living creatures, with their spectacular statistical improbability and appearance of design, have evolved by slow, gradual degrees from simple beginnings. We can now safely say that the illusion of design in living creatures is just that - an illusion.
5. We don't yet have an equivalent crane for physics. Some kind of multiverse theory could in principle do for physics the same explanatory work as Darwinism does for biology. This kind of explanation is superficially less satisfying than the biological version of Darwinism, because it makes heavier demands on luck. But the anthropic principle entitles us to postulate far more luck than our limited human intuition is comfortable with.
6. We should not give up hope of a better crane arising in physics, something as powerful as Darwinism is for biology. But even in the absence of a strongly satisfying crane to match the biological one, the relatively weak cranes we have at present are, when abetted by the anthropic principle, self-evidently better than the self-defeating skyhook hypothesis of an intelligent designer.
Originally posted by Irish M1ck
Avoid, avoid, avoid. Not sure what kind of argumentative logic you are using here. You criticize natural selection, but offer up no reason to believe it has faults.
Also, on the subject of Dawkins, he clearly never said that intelligent design was probably correct. Have you ever read his work?
Don't misquote people and take their words out of context, especially when you don't even know what they stand for. Let me give you a quote from Richard Dawkins, and then you tell me whether you still think he believes in intelligent design:
Originally posted by Aermacchi
They may say they don't have to explain away God because he doesn't exist and it is Religion that makes the claim there is a God so they have the burden to prove one. Lets be clear here because it isn't "Science" Making the claim their is no God, it is Atheists.
Originally posted by Irish M1ck
reply to post by Aermacchi
My point still stands. You have provided no reason to doubt evolution (natural selection). The other point, that Dawkins is clearly a Darwinist, is also correct, whether it pertains to you or not.
Originally posted by TruthParadox
Originally posted by Aermacchi
They may say they don't have to explain away God because he doesn't exist and it is Religion that makes the claim there is a God so they have the burden to prove one. Lets be clear here because it isn't "Science" Making the claim their is no God, it is Atheists.
Would you make the claim that there isn't a pink unicorn of death if someone was to claim that there was a pink unicorn of death?
The burdon of proof lies on the person making the absurd claim which has no evidence.
That's you, buddy.
Originally posted by vasaga
reply to post by TruthParadox
Just watch this:
He might be even referring to aliens :wow
The Magic Generation: 31,500
Lenski’s lab discovered that at generation 31,500, one line of E. coli could utilize citrate (Cit+). As mentioned previously, E. coli are not usually able to utilize citrate (Cit-), and this fact is typically used as diagnostic identification of E. coli. A New Scientist writer proclaims, “A major innovation has unfurled right in front of researchers’ eyes. It’s the first time evolution has been caught in the act of making such a rare and complex new trait.”2 However, as we will see, this is a gross overstatement in regards to what actually occurred.
Previous research has shown that wild-type E. coli can utilize citrate when oxygen levels are low.6 Under these conditions, citrate is taken into the cell and used in a fermentation pathway. The gene (citT) in E. coli is believed to encode a citrate transporter (a protein which transports citrate into the cell).6 When oxygen levels are high, it is thought that the citrate transporter does not function or is not produced (even though they still possess the enzymes necessary to utilize citrate). Thus, wild-type E. coli already have the ability to transport citrate into the cell and utilize it—so much for the idea of a “major innovation” and “evolution . . . making a rare and complex new trait”! Other labs have also produced Cit+ E. coli and speculated that mutation(s) in citT (or its regulators) allow the citrate transporter to function or be produced under high oxygen levels.6, 7 These types of changes are very consistent with the creation model (see below), but cannot serve as a means for evolution.
Lenski’s lab has not yet identified the genetic alterations of the Cit+ E. coli line, but he believes that there are multiple mutations involved. Studies of the “fossil record” of this line indicate that one or more mutations occurred around generation 20,000 which he terms “potentiating” mutations that were necessary before additional mutations around generation 31,500 led to Cit+ cells. Lenski thinks that the mutations may have activated a “cryptic” transporter (a once functional transporter that has been damaged due to the accumulation of mutations) that can now transport citrate. However, he states, “A more likely possibility, in our view, is that an existing transporter has been coopted [sic] for citrate transport under oxic [high oxygen levels] conditions.”1 He believes this could be the same citrate transporter (citT) used in low oxygen conditions (inferring a loss of regulation) or a transporter for another substrate that has been modified to transport citrate (inferring a loss of specificity).
Lenski states (based on calculated mutation rates in E. coli), “It is clearly very difficult for E. coli to evolve this function. In fact, the mutation rate of the ancestral strain from Cit- to Cit+ is immeasurably low . . . .”1 If developing the ability to utilize citrate under certain conditions using random mutations of a pre-existing citrate utilization system is so rare, then how even more improbable is it to believe that these same random mutations can lead to completely new information and functional systems that allow dinosaurs to turn into birds! Lenski’s work shows a clear case of adaptation and not evolution.
It is interesting that in spite of the clear evidence for the adaptation of E. coli, Lenski refers to his findings as evidence for bacteria developing a “key innovation” and a “new function” and a “fascinating case of evolution in action.”1 Obviously, presuppositions (human reason vs. God’s Word) play a major role in interpreting the evidence. Richard Lenski and I are looking at the same evidence but drawing different conclusions based on our source of truth—man’s ideas or God’s ideas. It is only possible to obtain truth about the past if we start with the only source of absolute truth in the present—the inerrant Word of God.
Originally posted by Aermacchi
Numerous posts later,, not a one of them wants to acknowledge or respond to this. They just pretend it never happened.
suprisingly no source provided
Like they pretend in evolution being the scientific fact and natural selection being its mechanism to explain how we all got here when it has never been observed in that way.
Could it be the REAL REASON he said this was because he didn't want to look like THIS AGAIN
Originally posted by vasaga
Even if facts are posted, they will be rejected since some apparently already know all the "real" facts...
Originally posted by zysin5
Greetings! Can you please enlighten me upon what you belive is to be your own personal truth on this one matter.
ok
Dinosaur fossils. And how did they get here.
ok
Do you feel it was God who put them there?
I don't feel that way no
Or was it the devil?
I don't "feel" that way either.
Or was it that beasts roamed the Earth millions of years ago?
No I can't really see them digging holes and putting fossils in them for us to find later no.
When considering what the bible says, then these fossils can't be more than a few thosand years old.
Where does the bible say anywhere what the cap is on carbon dating of fossils?
What do you feel is true? And you dont even have to get into why.
I don't like to base my feelings on what is true, and what isn't and unfortunately you had based most of your questions on what I felt about them. Regarding the second part of your question not having to get into why, ill say, ok, to that too.
Thats all I would like to know..
Splendid! Then I won't be expecting anymore from you as I refuse to respond to someone who gives me their word and doesn't stick to it.
Thanks for your time!
You're welcome!
BTW, in the future, you may want to try this for some answers. *ClicK*
It works for me
What is an argument? In academic writing, an argument is usually a main idea, often called a "claim" or "thesis statement," backed up with evidence that supports the idea.
A. Debate - a formal discussion involving one or more people who develop arguments and logically defend their points to prove their position true.
Example:
"Ween gives the best live performance ever."
"No they don't."
"Yeah they do, stupid idiot."
B. Hypothesis - stance on a topic which the debate focuses around.
Example: "America's government blows [snip]."
C. Thesis - logical comparative clause that supports the hypothesis.
Example: "God exists because it says so in the bible, you moron. You're going to hell."
D. Argument - something you say to piss your opponent off and move the topic away from the hypothesis.
Example: "You're stupid and nobody likes you."
E. Logic - progressive statement that follows valid reasoning.
Example: "Some people who wear purple are stupid. You're wearing purple, therefore you are stupid."
G. Premise - A premise is a word you use when you've already said "thesis" too many times.
Example: "You're only pro-choice because you take pleasure in killing babies."
H. Contention - A statement that builds tension.
Example: "Yeah, I called you stupid. What are you going to do about it?"
Originally posted by TruthParadox
reply to post by Aermacchi
Wow. That's your response?
I was pointing out the fact that an atheist can't prove a negative, and the burdon of proof lies on you - the one making the extraordinary claims.
Perhaps I should gather some childrens blocks and build you a picture?
This just keeps getting better ...
Was that too complicated for you?
Perhaps I should gather some childrens blocks and build you a picture?
Originally posted by Irish M1ck
reply to post by Aermacchi
All you do is throw insults around. No actual intelligence, no facts to back anything up - just insult people.
That's fine. Most people don't get away with that kind of ignorance around here for very long.
not all of us were home schooled or went to private Catholics schools to be indoctrinated with fairy tales.
They will continue to sit here and argue a dead topic until another
blog posts up more crap. Then they'll come here, post it, and talk
about that useless piece of garbage for another week or so until
the next piece gets put out. It's a vicious cycle of false news and
dumb people. " - Mick
You are less American than those who bombed the twin towers.
You ruin what is a great country with your ignorance and hate.
"What are you then, an ObamaHaterBot? Why are you still allowed to post here? " - Mick
"I can't stop laughing at you people. Jesus. I'd rather you post a
blog. Seriously guys. Stop. My stomach hurts from laughing this hard. To me, this sums up the entire issue. Uninformed people using unreliable sources to base their argument*. " - Mick
"
I am all for gene therapy and getting rid of certain genetic
traits. I am also for forcibly stopping people from having so many
children. - Mick
We are literally polluting this world with kids - and many
times kids with bad genes. I don't know that I am all for killing, that seems pretty brutal and unnecessary. There are plenty of other reasonable means of helping develop a better gene pool." - Mick
"You're crazy. (ad-hom?) You throw around accusations you can't
back up and/or are stupid - like graduating cum laude isn't an
honor. I did enjoy how you danced around my question, though.
Anyway, you can keep slinging mud. You can back it up with
nothing, and I'll just continue to laugh at you, or you can back it up
with sketchy sources, and I'll continue to embarrass you by using
real ones." - Mick