Long time, no see!
How ya been?
Sheesh! What a scattered thread...pulled in like 100 unrelated directions!!!
I think I am missing out on something very central to the issue. To me, it appears as a non-issue, really.
Let me re-post your questions here:
1. Why are there no predators on Barro Colorado?
2. Why are there tigers on Bali but not Lompok?
3. Why is the venom of Bothrops insularis 3-5 times more toxic than any other member of the Bothrops genus?
4. Why are there 23 species of tenrecs on Madagascar, but not one single species found anywhere else in the world, even in similar habitats, even as fossils?
For these first four, I say, the Bible is not a book about Biology. Most creationists do not argue against the idea of evolution -- the idea that living things can change over time -- utterly. Variation, speciation, micro-evolution...whatever you want to call it can all explain these phenomena. And these phenomena prove neither abiogenesis nor the idea that all living things evolved from an ameoba over the past 3 billion years. Do they?
5. Explain the disappearance of the once highly diverse orders of ammonites and trilobites. Why did they disappear at different times?
Ooops. This is a discussion all its own. One I'd probably not do too well at...as it is geology stuff. But I must ask for proof that ammonites and trilobites disappeared at different times...this will lead to 100s of post that have more to do with "Geology and the Great Flood."
6. Bonus challenge: Explain, using spiritual or biblical referents, why Cecropia species are the first plants to regrow in degraded or edge habitat zones - even though said plants are never found in undegraded habitat. This is your opportunity to prove that an element in evolutionary theory - ecological assembly rules - is better understood using the Bible than evolution.
I really just barely understand what you're talking about -- what is the difference between a degraded and undegraded habitat, for instance. I must ask, though, does the idea that we all evolved from an amoeba over 3 billion years provide the answer to this question?
Regarding the spiritual effecting the physical: I believe it does, but I don't believe physical sciences will be able to determine such things.
After reading nearly ALL the posts here, I still feel like I have misunderstood both you and maestro.
Cheers,
--Jason
AbE:
I don't know if you even need any type of evolution to account for conditions #1 and #2. If you'd like to go into (a bit) more detail about the first four and #6...by all means do...as I don't understand half the terminology you use. I am not even really sure what you're getting at, but I figured you are thinking evolution is a good explanation for these conditions.
I think #5 will lead into a bunch of off-topic Flood/geology posts...it should be skipped, imho.
Don't know how far I can (intelligently) carry the discussion, though. You're one-up (more than that, really) on me...me having NO biology background (except for highschool).
This message has been edited by TheLiteralist, 07-26-2005 02:01 AM
This message has been edited by TheLiteralist, 07-26-2005 02:16 AM
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