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Author Topic:   On creationists' beliefs
Cobra_snake
Inactive Member


Message 16 of 59 (4094)
02-11-2002 7:04 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by toff
02-08-2002 3:18 AM


I suppose I will answer you're question.
quote:
Originally posted by toff:
It seems to me that any creationist who dismisses evolution must hold one of the following two positions:
1) A relatively small group of predominantly right-wing christians, most with no scientific training or education, led by people like Kent Hovind and Duane Gish, know more about biology, genetics, and many other sciences that contribute to evolutionary theory, than do the world's scientists, people who have studied these sciences all their professional lives, or
2) Evolutionary theory is a lie to which the world's scientists knowingly describe in an an effort to supplant/diminish belief in God.
Either of these two positions strikes me as absurd, yet I cannot see how someone who dismisses evolutionary theory cannot hold one or the other.
Am I missing something? Or am I correct, and one of the above two positions ARE held by the majority of creationists? If so, which is the most held belief?

Point one is ridiculous mainly because you try to point out that Creation Scientists have no credentials, which is plainly not true and IS an unreasonable discirimination. Then you try to say that science is a majority vote! You seem to have this view that scientists are all completely convinced about evolution. Not so. Many evolutionists admit that their own field is devoid of evidence for evolution. So consensus around evolution is probably not as extreme as you may assume.
Point two is a position that I don't think too many people hold, so it is not worth discussion.
Actually, I don't think too many people hold either of your points:
Point 3: Have studied a great deal on the subject of life and have come to the conclusion that evolution is not very plausible, which is an opinion that is held by many intelligent Creation scientists and even some evolutionists.
I believe more people would be able to say they are with point 3. Of course you don't like this point because it shows that Creation Scientists (and all creationists) can be reasonable, so I'm sure you will start yelling about the fallacies of my point. I don't care, it's not worth my time. If you are going to dismiss all Creationists as ignorant merely because they don't agree with you, than debating with you on this matter would surely be a waste of my time.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by toff, posted 02-08-2002 3:18 AM toff has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 17 by Peter, posted 02-11-2002 7:55 AM Cobra_snake has replied
 Message 19 by toff, posted 02-11-2002 9:39 AM Cobra_snake has replied
 Message 20 by lbhandli, posted 02-11-2002 11:35 AM Cobra_snake has not replied

Cobra_snake
Inactive Member


Message 24 of 59 (4171)
02-11-2002 9:59 PM
Reply to: Message 17 by Peter
02-11-2002 7:55 AM


quote:
Originally posted by Peter:
Which aspects of evolution do you find implausible ?
All of evolutionary theory, just parts of it ?
What aspects of evolutionary theory lack supporting evidence, in your
opinion ?

PLEASE do not turn this debate into one of these topics. These topics should be discussed in other forums.
My main arguments against evolution are:
1. Abiogenesis
2. Mutation-Selection
3. Puncuated Equilibrium
These are the sections of the theory in which I find the most unconvincing for evolution.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 17 by Peter, posted 02-11-2002 7:55 AM Peter has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 25 by joz, posted 02-11-2002 10:20 PM Cobra_snake has not replied
 Message 33 by toff, posted 02-12-2002 2:23 AM Cobra_snake has not replied

Cobra_snake
Inactive Member


Message 27 of 59 (4177)
02-11-2002 10:33 PM
Reply to: Message 19 by toff
02-11-2002 9:39 AM


"Thank you. You answered my question. You subscribe to belief number
1. You, and others like you, the majority of whom hold no scientific qualifications, know more about the subject than those who have studied it for decades. I appreciate your honesty (although you tried to make your position sound a little better by hedging and trying to make it sounds more reasonable)."
Well I would be really interested if you could show me that the MAJORITY of Creation Scientists hold no credentials.
"Oh, and a couple of other quick points - I neither said nor implied that "Creation Scientists have no credentials". I said that of creationists, most have no scientific knowledge or training. This is simply true, of creationists and indeed the general populace. Nice try, though."
So, a group should be defined by its stupidest member? Well, then both evolution and creation fall flat on their faces. Creation scientists are the important subject at hand. Pointing out that there are quite a few ignorant people out there that follow the Creation model does nothing to disprove the validity of the Creation model.
"And do you seriously believe that there are evolutionists who believe evolution is not plausible? Are you serious? If they don't believe it's plausible, then they're not evolutionists, are they?"
Actually, that is not what I said. The thing is, many evolutionists are unsure of THEIR area of study, but they listen to the proffesionals from the OTHER areas of study. All the while the members from the OTHER area of study are unsure of their position, so they rely on the information from the FORMER area of study. This is one of the main problems with the creation and evolution models- they are much too broad. Therefore, evidence that is crushing to one area of study can be viewed as a minor mystery that is to be solved later. However, it would not be as difficult to disprove the Atomic Theory, if indeed it were false. This is because the Atomic Theory is not too broad.
"Oh, and I wouldn't try to make your position sound better by citing that "many intelligent Creation scientists" hold it as well. I have yet to see a creation 'scientist' who has any (a) integrity or (b) an accurate picture of science in general or evolution in particular."
Well thanks for your opinion allmighty toff.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 19 by toff, posted 02-11-2002 9:39 AM toff has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 28 by joz, posted 02-11-2002 10:43 PM Cobra_snake has not replied
 Message 34 by toff, posted 02-12-2002 2:30 AM Cobra_snake has not replied

Cobra_snake
Inactive Member


Message 29 of 59 (4180)
02-11-2002 10:44 PM


"Actually the consensus is overwhelming. If I walked over to the bio department and asked who questioned evolution I'd be laughed at. Because some people are loud doesn't mean they are serious individuals."
Yes, of course the census is overwhelming. My point is that there is much debate within the theory, and many are waiting, hoping for a new more realistic mechanism for some of the phenomenon.
"That is an assertion in desperate need of evidence."
I will give you some examples tommorrow.

Cobra_snake
Inactive Member


Message 35 of 59 (4208)
02-12-2002 7:16 AM


Abiogenesis is part of the "General Theory of Evolution." I have a right to include it. It may not be included in biological evolution, but that does not matter as Abiogenesis is clearly part of the General Theory of Evolution.
Mutation-Selection I find ridiculous because scientists expect upward and onward progress from random mutations that are generally negative. Of the ones that are beneficial, few increase information. Given the extreme amount of information present in today's species, we should be able to see information steadily increasing all the time.
Punctuated Equilibrium is I believe an indication of the lack of evidence for mutation-selection to work. It seems like a desperate attempt to explain the theory. It is also a theory BASED on lack of evidence, which I doubt you would find scientific.
However, I do not want to get into discussion on these topics. This is merely a side note.
"Nice straw man, but I never said that the majority of Creation Scientists hold no credentials. I said the majority of creationists don't. Which is surely true."
You can say that all day, but it has nothing to do with the Creation Theory. I should not be drug down because some stupid 9-year-old asked a question like "why are apes still aroung then?" The stupidity of these comments is only indicative of that individual.
"Who said anything about defining a group? I made a simple point; that the majority of creationists have no scientific knowledge, qualifications or training. That, surely, is simply obvious fact."
Fine. But you should realize that this does NOTHING to discredit the Creation model.
"Actually, it's EXACTLY what you said. I quote: "...evolution is not very plausible, which is an opinion that is held by many intelligent Creation scientists and even some evolutionists." Of course, you also said "Many evolutionists admit that their own field is devoid of evidence for evolution", which I would love to see supported, because I believe it to be nonsense."
Sorry for being misleading there. That is not what I meant. It IS true that some scientists are doubtful of their area, which I will show you with a few quotes later.
It is unfair for you to ask Creationists to answer your ridiculous question with only two answers:
1. I'm a dumbass
2. I'm a REAL dumbass
Surely your question is meant only to amuse yourself so you can think we are all ignorant. I provided you a third possibility
3. I'm a reasonably intelligent human being
but you didn't seem to like my third possibility. Perhaps it's because it shows that Creationists can be objective and intelligent. But this simply cannot be in your mind, so you will continue to babble on with posts claiming us ignorant, yet your posts are totally devoid of facts. Your debating style up to this point has been nothing but insult, but I think insulting Creationists prove your flaws and not ours.

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