I wish I could say I can't believe how preposterous this debate is, but it's all too believable. This is not the sort of exchange of ideas that leads to mutual understanding. DarkStar has proven in the past that he is not interested in learning about the scientific method, about history, or about the truly fascinating reality of biology. He's content raiding creationist websites for quotes that he feels support his half-baked opinions about the 'myth of macroevolution' and spitting scorn instead of presenting rebuttals to any patient attempt to explain where he's mistaken.
DarkStar says:
quote:
Despite the expected response of hardcore neo-evo's to defend their belief in the myth of macroevolution with their dying breath, regardless of what may be presented here, I have no doubt that as we progress through the thousands of available quotes exposing macroevolution for what it is, a myth of gigantic proportions, that the truth will be made known and the occasional truly openminded individual who passes through EVC will go their way having been made more aware of the enormous fallacies so inherent in the theory of evolution, at least where the myth of macroevolution is concerned.
His tone here makes it abundantly obvious that he considers the debate one of words, and not of scientific methodology, though he's never demonstrated that he has even a basic understanding of the philosophy of science. Quotations are the only basis of his argument, so he demands that they be the focus of all discourse. When someone like Loudmouth tells him that there is indeed a scientific basis to the concept of macroevolution, DarkStar merely reiterates that
quote:
Belief in the myth of macroevolution is faith, as much faith as is required by religious people to believe in god.
And this is supposed to suffice! Since he's already made up his mind that evolution is a myth accepted totally on faith, and that 'hardcore neo-evos' will defend their faith to the death, he can dismiss any words in support of macroevolution as empty rhetoric. If the speaker happens to reference valid scientific research into genetic, taxonomic, or paleontological matters, he dismisses the argument as 'opinion' without even taking the proposed evidence into account!
I don't like the way DarkStar is being allowed to set the terms of this debate, because as usual, he's only allowing his side to be heard. One quote from Darwin is supposed to be accepted as proof that Darwin's entire theory is a myth, simply because DarkStar either can't grasp or won't accept how ridiculous this claim is. We're not allowed to present scientific material to falsify his claim that evolution is faith, merely because he can't argue on that basis. I guess he wants to believe we're all as ignorant as he is, and if we choose to debate him on his terms, we certainly must be.
regards,
Esteban Hambre
™ Version 4.2