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Latest Challenges to the Teaching of Evolution

 
 
edgarblythe
 
  1  
Reply Sat 12 Dec, 2009 04:34 pm
Funny, as someone who claims to be one thing, how he misses the obvious.

He likely has never missed happy hour.
spendius
 
  1  
Reply Sat 12 Dec, 2009 06:11 pm
@edgarblythe,
I missed the answer to the point I have been raising. That you want to disband the police because a handful behaved badly without any reference to whether a police force is necessary.

All I got was more blather. Freshwater is an incident. Christianity is a fundamental girder in our societies.

I know a few atheist incidents if you want to play at that silly game.
edgarblythe
 
  1  
Reply Sat 12 Dec, 2009 07:38 pm
@spendius,
Game? What game?
cicerone imposter
 
  1  
Reply Sat 12 Dec, 2009 07:45 pm
@edgarblythe,
spendi's total involvement on a2k is a game.
edgarblythe
 
  1  
Reply Sat 12 Dec, 2009 08:14 pm
@cicerone imposter,
He should stick with jacks on the sidewalk. It is one game he just might occasionally win.
0 Replies
 
cicerone imposter
 
  1  
Reply Sat 12 Dec, 2009 09:46 pm
@cicerone imposter,
The odds are he'll lose more than 50% of the time - playing with women.
0 Replies
 
spendius
 
  2  
Reply Sun 13 Dec, 2009 04:42 am
@edgarblythe,
Quote:
Game? What game?


This game Ed if you can follow it.

Quote:
You continually speaking in the name of science is ridiculous ci. You don't know any. All the above, on which you comment so casually, is inevitable. So much so that one might justifiably consider the possibility that it was engineered by the Founding Fathers (all patriarchs) with an eye on the main chance for the legal profession. The FFs must have known that religion is an integral part of human nature and ineradicable. And they must have known that Church and State had been in an intimate union since about the 4th century as dual arms of government with power shifts between them along the way but never sundered.

The separation of Church and State in the Federal Constitution is sometimes said to have had unexpected effects. But that assumes that the FFs were a bit thick and didn't know what they were doing. That's an assumption I don't make. I would maintain, purely for the purpose of the argument of course, that not only were the effects not unexpected but that the separation was specifically designed to cause them and was successful in doing so. I support the conspiracy theory of history consistent with ID rather than the Cock-up theory of the evolutionists.

The effect, which I think intended, was to let Americans choose their religion which is obviously a move back to heresy, faction and presumably ending in full blown Paganism. That's when there are so many gods that there's a god of the ashtray and the potato peeler which causes divine glory to be diluted and the god of war becomes just another god, along with the god of underpants, rather than a God to crusade for.

Religion cut loose. The result, obviously, is as many denominations as there were in the days of Marcion and Bar Daisan and, dare I say, Thelca who scoffed at men's beards and who deserves to have a shaving product named after her. And these denominations flourish.

The freedom to choose any version of Christianity, and there were a lot, no matter how emotional or how base the appeal. And they could be marketed as consumer choices with the flair for business and commerce which has been so expertly practiced in the USA on a whole range of products such as minted toothpaste and white-wall tyres. Marginal groups and various niches, both exploited and created, reach the point where orthodoxy disintegrates and the niches are all there is. Like with curtain patterns. Politicians, mainly legal types, are the only source of guidance once orthodoxy has disintegrated. And very few of them dare contradict their wives on anything of importance as some cult leaders have done. Mr Squeaky-Clean is in charge now. Anybody with a brilliant future beckoning him had better watch his step.

And how wonderful all this is for atheists. It allows them to pick out from this multiplicity of heresies and target one they choose, an extreme nutty one for preference on the SD principle, (that's sitting duck), as wande so often does, and by concentrating their vituperation on their choice they convince themselves that they are attacking and discrediting Christianity itself and, by extension, all beliefs and religious observances. A grand delusion if ever there was one.

Hence it comes about that the constitutional separation of Church and State functions in the same way for atheists as does setting a sitting duck on the porch taffrail does for the armchair hunter so he can pose as a real hunter by carrying a dead duck about with him in the selfsame psychological state that thinks of itself as having potted orthodox Christianity by potting one or two of the tailor-made consumer choices available which, it has to be admitted, requires very little expertise as can be seen on these threads.

In ordinary bar-room language it is a complete and utter wimpy cop-out which, if not done cynically as Saint Paul recommended, flags up a woeful lack of understanding of even the simplest aspects of these matters. Being abled to pretend that they have anything significant to say is the very reason anti-IDers adhere, like **** to a blanket, to the doctrine of the separation of Church and State which is a wedge that allows them to flatter themselves into thinking that they are attacking Christianity and they are actually not even coming close in the same way that the armchair hunter couldn't hit a flying duck.

Nor do they touch the essence of these cults they pick out so carefully when they are seen collectively just as they don't go anywhere near the social consequences of destroying that essence which one might expect as there is no chance of them doing so because the crass banalities of science are not enough for the masses and the spokespersons for science are no match for the charismatic preachers in alliance with American business enterprise.



farmerman
 
  1  
Reply Sun 13 Dec, 2009 07:14 am
@spendius,
As usual yours is a mind that sweeps clear any reasonable view of history that surrounds the FF's model of government . One thing that was abundantly clear was that , at the time of the ratification of the US Constitution

1We had a perfect example of a theocratic monarchy with which we had no desire to use as a model (The Mass Bay Colony could serve as one bad example of religion in government in the NEw World)

2Also, at the time of ratification, no theory of natural selection had yet been proposed. In fact, the entire idea wasnt published until about 75 years later.

Evolution and the theory of natural selection fit well within the roll of history and no excuses for its construct need be made. Quite unlike the "religious worldviews" which need to be constantly validated through some paranoid mass hypnosis.
I hate using this trite phrase but, nat selection "is what it is", and bears no allegiance or alliance with any religion. Quite the contrary, its the religions that are attempting , by "bandwagonism" to show the unbelieving world that "they thought of it all first" or that "The basis of all scientific thought is only through some creed". I dont really think thats even an important point of debate, its more of a "SO WHAT?"

How sad when ones base belief systems are becoming more and more irrelevant within an empirical world, and one still doesnt realize it.
farmerman
 
  1  
Reply Sun 13 Dec, 2009 07:22 am
@edgarblythe,
ci was referring to the, guess the winners, fooball pool that spendi has joined in . I like to peek in on the games and how people pick what they do. Like everybody (almost) picked Pittsburgh last week. Everyone who follows the pools could see last week that , by their injuries and benched staff, that they were going to be given generous spreads. Smart money had already dismissed Pittsburgh several weeks ago. Now lets see what happens with Miami and Dallas.
spendius
 
  1  
Reply Sun 13 Dec, 2009 07:52 am
@farmerman,
Oh--I realise it effemm. You can disabuse yourself of the notion that I am unaware of the increasing irrelevance of belief systems in a more and more empirical and materialist world.

Theories of natural selection had existed hundreds of years before the Christian era began. I have quoted some in the past on these threads but with the usual Ignore in operation.

I am also well aware that evolution and the theory of natural selection fit well within the roll of history and no excuses for its construct need be made. It is the narrowness of the stance which is open to serious objection as is the case with the Materialist Theory of Mind which you are self-evidently unfamiliar with. As well you might be as it shows, scientifically, that most of your waking actions are those of a clockwork orange.

Tiger Woods needs no other excuse than the theory of evolution. Explain to me why strict empiricists could condemn him. The whole human attitude to barrack-room lawyers is based on strict empiricism bringing society to a grinding halt.

Your intellectual duty is to provide a description of the utopia you must be envisaging when belief systems have been confined to the dustbin. There is no neutral ground. Your abject failure to even contemplate the matter signifies that you are nothing but a trouble- maker taking advantage of a stance which doesn't admit a role for human emotions and the control of them.

The obviously naive belief you hold that the meeting of sperm and eggs is not being carefully managed, and can be and has been managed in many different ways in other cultures, and, indeed, is now within class divisions, is an example of where your narrow stance falls down. What is the strict empiricist method to be? You simply can't promote a system without describing how it will work and expect to be taken seriously by anyone you are not bullying.

It has struck me in the past that the Church itself might have demanded the separation from the State in the particular circumstances the Founding Fathers were in. The Church might well have concluded that a mass ethnic cleansing programme was unstoppable and wanted nothing to do with it.
farmerman
 
  1  
Reply Sun 13 Dec, 2009 08:06 am
@spendius,
Quote:
Theories of natural selection had existed hundreds of years before the Christian era began. I have quoted some in the past on these threads but with the usual Ignore in operation.
Now youre starting to sound like the old "real Life" who found Nat selection is everything from Aristotle to Paul of Tarsus.

Im all ears, give me one theory of natural selection that appears hundred s of years before Darwin. lEts view it in the light of day
spendius
 
  0  
Reply Sun 13 Dec, 2009 08:09 am
@farmerman,
What are you predicting with Miami and Dallas then? Your remarks about the Steelers are easy to make after the event. I have picked the Jaguars and the Cowboys. In the game we are not allowed to "see what happens". Anybody can claim that the "smart money had already dismissed Pittsburgh several weeks ago" after the result is known. Every player in rjb's game chose the Steelers and I think the weather was a more significant factor than injuries and team selection.

BTW- I am 3 points in the lead in the standings. I am ahead of the best of the ESPN experts and they get paid.

After about 200 games the picking out of a sock method you recommended is very probable to have produced a standings figure of 0.500 + or- a small error. And as such would be in last place not far below wande's and Ed's position.
farmerman
 
  1  
Reply Sun 13 Dec, 2009 08:15 am
@spendius,
Quote:
Your abject failure to even contemplate the matter signifies that you are nothing but a trouble- maker taking advantage of a stance which doesn't admit a role for human emotions and the control of them.


And I believe weve discussed these points politely and dropped from further coinsideration,pretty much by unanimous agreement.(Did you miss the memo?) I think it was Timber who, several years ago said something like, and I paraphrase
"If you are so obsessed with the philosophical, why not start a thread on the subject wherein you can bask in your reflected wisdom ". Several years later and your still forcing the square nugget into the round hole .
This thread already has a topic that can be easily discerned from its title.
spendius
 
  1  
Reply Sun 13 Dec, 2009 08:19 am
@farmerman,
Quote:
Im all ears, give me one theory of natural selection that appears hundred s of years before Darwin. lEts view it in the light of day


Aristotle of course and also the guy who ended up throwing himself into the crater of Etna. Empedocles was it? In his On Nature and Purifications.

Aristotle quoted a theory for the purpose of refuting it. Darwin quoted the theory as if it was Aristotle's and edited out Aristotle's refutation in the service of trying to make his theory seem original. I refer you to Prof Willey's account in Darwin and Butler which you have obviously not bothered reading.
0 Replies
 
spendius
 
  0  
Reply Sun 13 Dec, 2009 08:23 am
@farmerman,
Quote:
"If you are so obsessed with the philosophical, why not start a thread on the subject wherein you can bask in your reflected wisdom ".


Do you really think that is an argument? Are you trying to say that philosophy is not a factor in education?
0 Replies
 
farmerman
 
  1  
Reply Sun 13 Dec, 2009 08:29 am
@spendius,
DUHHH, A real sports pool has one pick not the game but the point spread and you are betting against a statistical outcome , not a bag of names in a sock . From the naive questions youve asked, Im not convinced that youre doing the picking.
Youve lost several weeks inside the game and that would have meant (were this the real world) your pile of cash would have been zeroed out at least 3 times and youd be starting over with cash from your bank. SO dont feel so proud of yourself , the betting is waay more complex than picking a weeks worth and then adding up the W/Ls.
Its a zero sum game so that, while one can be up in a simple "pick a winner" pool, one could still be dead broke and owing the shiny suited man in the corner a bundle. I dont play cause Ive never seen anyone get ahead unless they just quit after a winning week.

AS far as Dallas, they will have to play a season decider with Philly on Christmas eve, and Miami is always a good team to play the spread and win money, especially this year.

If you follwo the sports casters they have the same failings as do regular people, they think they know so much that they believe their own crap.
Im surprised at , how anyone, after seeing all the injuries that The Steelers were pounding out, that their seasonal hopes would be dashed. Now its a matter of survival. It never was Monday morning quarterbacking with them in their last 5 games. They were destined to lose some big games with their roster being decimated. Theyre a great team when healthy. They are as second rate as Detroit when playerless and searching their bench for victims.
Lightwizard
 
  1  
Reply Sun 13 Dec, 2009 09:52 am
@farmerman,
PSXXX's picking out of the pool is an act of natural selection but he can't help it because he has three heads and lives under a mossy bridge.
0 Replies
 
spendius
 
  1  
Reply Sun 13 Dec, 2009 02:30 pm
@farmerman,
I know all that effemm. I only ever bet spreads. I don't really expect to win. I get cheap entertainment and I don't sit on the fence waiting for the result to come through.

Had the Steelers won that game you would be lost for words. They only lost by one touchdown.

I'm top of the standings against 27 Americans and hot favourite to win the competition. You are talking out of your arse desperately trying to denigrate my performance. You've been denigrating the US for 8 years because Mr Bush won elections.
cicerone imposter
 
  1  
Reply Sun 13 Dec, 2009 03:14 pm
@spendius,
spendi, Truth of the matter is that you are luckier than most; even the "experts" usually do not do that well, and they know the game a million times more than you.

If you think you are so good at predicting winners of one sport, how about all the other sports played in the world? Do you feel lucky enough to think you'll end up on top?

Besides, all of that, what do you benefit from being the top guesser at American football in the current season? Money? Recognition? Prize? Nothing.
spendius
 
  1  
Reply Sun 13 Dec, 2009 03:58 pm
@cicerone imposter,
You won't know my record on A2K at picking big race winners. It astounded me.

But it's quite satisfying being top of those standings. What else is there to play.

What do you want me to say? I'm on top. End of story.
 

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