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Evolution No Longer Inspiring Confidence

 
 
Reply Mon 16 Oct, 2006 06:19 am
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1720151/posts

Evolution ?- No longer inspiring the confidence it once did
Uncommon Descent ^ | 10/15/06 | William Dembski

Posted on 10/16/2006 5:09:46 AM PDT by Tribune7

I just received this press release. I want to encourage conversation here about its accuracy and significance.

PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, October 11th was an historic day in the life of the European Parliament.

Polish member of the European Parliament, Maciej Giertych, retired head of the Genetics Department of the Polish Academy of Science, and father of Polish Deputy Prime Minister, Roman Giertych, introduced a public seminar on the General Theory of Evolution to fellow MEP's.

Professor Giertych questioned the value of teaching a continually falsified hypothesis - macroevolution - to students throughout Europe, as well as pointing out its lack of usefulness in regard to scientific endeavour.

Professor Giertych introduced the subject by relating how his children had returned home from school having been taught about the theory of evolution. They were told that the proof of macroevolution - the common ancestry of biological life - was to be found in the science of genetics. This was news to Professor Giertych who had spent his life working at the highest level of genetic research. He revealed to the meeting that such proof does not exist in genetics, only disproof.

This was reinforced by the speech of Professor Emeritus Joseph Mastropaolo who had travelled from the USA to participate in the Brussels hearing. He explained that the biological sciences offer no empirical proof of macroevolution, just insurmountable problems. The theory of evolution consists merely of interpretational evidences which by their very nature could be interpreted in many different ways. He told the audience that the theory, after more than 150 years, still lacked any empirical proof.

Dr. Hans Zillmer, a German Palaeontologist and member of the New York Academy of Sciences, told the meeting that the fossil record holds no proof for evolution theory either. Instead of showing gradual change from one species to another, as is often claimed in the classroom, it actually reveals the stasis and stability of life forms.

Finally, Dr. Guy Berthault spoke to the audience about the results of his empirical research programmes concerning the deposition of sediments. Contrary to the established idea that the geologic column was formed slowly over millions of years, horizontal layer by layer, he revealed that his ongoing research proves empirically that the whole column could have been laid down in a matter of months. His research, which has been published in journals of the National Academy of Sciences in France, Russia and China, shows that continuous deposition of water borne sediments sort themselves mechanically and a simple change in current velocity cause strata to build upon each other whilst still progressing in the direction of flow.

In opposition to the existing notion of sediment deposition that is generally taught, Dr. Berthault revealed that his empirical experimental results clearly show that parts of undisturbed lower strata are actually younger than parts of higher strata laid down in a continuous flow.

This means that fossils can not be dated by the strata that they are found in, nor the rocks dated by the type of fossils found in them and makes nonsense of the geologic column as it is currently taught.

Amongst those helping to organise the historic seminar were Dr. Dominique Tassot, Director of Centre d'Etude et de Prospectives sur la Science (C.E.P). C.E.P. is an organisation consisting of 700 French speaking scientists, intellectuals and representatives of other professions, all of whom oppose evolutionary theory on scientific grounds.

END

Contact:

C.E.P. - [email protected]

Information: research conducted by Dr. G. Berthault

http://geology.ref.ac/berthault

Attachment for general information:

Recent interview with Dr. Tassot - August 22nd, 2006.
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spendius
 
  1  
Reply Tue 17 Oct, 2006 05:28 pm
farmerman and timberlanko will have a peer reviewed rebuttal of that out in no time once they have done a bit of selective Googling.

The essence of it will be that all the people mentioned are completely insane.
0 Replies
 
edgarblythe
 
  1  
Reply Tue 17 Oct, 2006 05:46 pm
They will be right, of course.
0 Replies
 
stuh505
 
  1  
Reply Tue 17 Oct, 2006 06:04 pm
Peer reviewed? You think any real scientist would waste their time taking this tripe seriously?
0 Replies
 
Adrian
 
  1  
Reply Tue 17 Oct, 2006 06:06 pm
Quote:
Evolution - No longer inspiring the confidence it once did


Because five creationists and catastrophists give a talk about it?

Quote:
I just received this press release. I want to encourage conversation here about its accuracy and significance.


I'm willing to accept that it is accurate. I fail to see how it holds any significance whatsoever. It is a press release that has so far been used by nobody except the Kolbe center.

Quote:
Wednesday, October 11th was an historic day in the life of the European Parliament.


Yes, very historic, it was the day after tuesday and the day before thursday...Oh, and five creationists gave a seminar to some politicians. Extremely historic.

Quote:
Roman Giertych, introduced a public seminar on the General Theory of Evolution to fellow MEP's.


What the hell is the "General Theory of Evolution"?

Mastropaolo is a kinesiologist. I'll take his advice on exercise programs but not on evolution.

Zillmer is not a palaeontologist. He studied enginnering and political science.

Dominique Tassot is a metallurgist...
0 Replies
 
Pauligirl
 
  1  
Reply Tue 17 Oct, 2006 08:51 pm
Notable Quotes:
"I know of no biological data relevant to tree genetics that would require evolutionary explanations." (source)
"I had been taught that palaeontology (sic) gives the bulk of the evidence for evolution. To my surprise, I found that evidence is lacking not only in genetics but also in palaeontology(sic), as well as in sedimentology, in dating techniques, and in fact in all sciences." (source)
"Franco guaranteed the maintenance of traditional values in Europe and we lack such statesmen today. Christian Europe is losing against atheistic socialists today and this has to change." - Giertych, praising the late Spanish dictator Franco, before the European Parliament, July 2006. (source)

Commentary:
Maciej Giertych may be thought of as the Pat Robertson of Poland. He is known for making phenomenally stupid statements in highly visible venues, most recently praising the late Spanish dictator Franco before the entire European Parliament (see quote above). His quotes on evolution are of similar caliber - he may not know of any "biological data relevant to tree genetics that would require evolutionary explanations," but the fact of the matter is that it would be easy to find scores of plant geneticists who would unequivocally give the lie to Giertych's nonsense. Likewise, his critiques of paleontology (which he mispells, twice, at "Answers in Genesis"), sedimentology, and dating techniques hinge on standard creationist arguments, virtually all of which can be shown to be flawed, to the degree that they may be considered deliberate "disinformation" (lies).
Also like Pat Robertson, Giertych has actively endeavored to bring his ultra-right wing viewpoints into Polish politics, most recently having made a bid for the Polish presidency, running under the auspices of The League of Polish Families (LPR), a party which the European Tribune characterizes as "Extreme right. Emphasis on extreme..." and goes on to note that "...Poland in their eyes is being persecuted and exploited by the Jews, the Masons, the Germans....They are also anti-American and until very recently tended to be pro-Russian - opposing NATO membership and the Ukrainian revolution..."
As a final note, the Tribune noted, in regard to Giertych that, "It seems intelligence and charisma skipped a generation."http://www.eurotrib.com/story/2005/9/21/13356/8038
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:M2xejYs1Y6cJ:primatestew.blogspot.com/2006/08/maciej-giertych-head-of-genetics.html+Maciej+Giertych+evolution&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5
0 Replies
 
gungasnake
 
  1  
Reply Tue 17 Oct, 2006 09:33 pm
I'll say it again. Evolution isn't about science; if it was, it would have been abandoned 70 years ago after the fruit fly experiments. Nobody defends any sort of a science theory the way evolution is defended, i.e. to the last man, at all costs, and the truth be damned, particularly when all of the evidence contradicts it.

Evolution is about wanting to feel good about perverted lifestyles.

http://www.islandentertainmentsonline.com/acatalog/flamingo.jpg
0 Replies
 
rosborne979
 
  1  
Reply Tue 17 Oct, 2006 10:19 pm
Hey look, it's a lady wearing a GungaSuit.

gungasnake wrote:
Evolution is about wanting to feel good about perverted lifestyles.

http://www.islandentertainmentsonline.com/acatalog/flamingo.jpg
0 Replies
 
DrewDad
 
  1  
Reply Tue 17 Oct, 2006 11:28 pm
Hey, GungasnaKKKe. How's it hangin'?
0 Replies
 
gungasnake
 
  1  
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 06:28 am
One example of a perverted lifestyle whose adherents/practitioners must have welcomed Chuck Darwin with open arms for making them feel better was the practice of conducting wars for the protection of the opium trade of the East India Company and the British empire.
0 Replies
 
spendius
 
  1  
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 11:48 am
And justifying 16/7 working weeks in dangerous environments, and child labour, whilst the creme-de-la-creme pratted about their estates in their bellying waistcoats, eating putrifying game and as pissed as farts.

And it will all come back if evolution theory dominates only moreso. What would there be to stop it?

Anti-trust laws and evolution theory. Is somebody pulling my leg.

Enron would be a chortling job.
0 Replies
 
edgarblythe
 
  1  
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 12:20 pm
That's not evolution; that's selfish cut throat people.
0 Replies
 
spendius
 
  1  
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 12:32 pm
Evolution is red in tooth and claw Ed.

The northern cotton manufactures jumped all over Darwin like he had scored the winning goal.

Some say Darwin got the idea of the struggle for existence from the factories of his time which, through his wife's Wedgwood money, (potteries),* enabled him to live the life of a country gentleman and magistrate sending starving people to goal for stealing a loaf.

It was only the sex angle which gave him the heebie-jeebies. He only accepted bits of his theory. The bits that filled his plate up. He didn't wish to fight the local yeomanry for his property.

* Ever read about the kiln workers ?
0 Replies
 
JLNobody
 
  1  
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 12:50 pm
Remember, it's not "The Theory (in the sense of a grand so-far-unfalsified hypothesis) of Evolution"; it's "Evolutionary Theory", a general framework for the theoretical integration of theoretical findings from the natural sciences, i.e., genetics, geology, biology, etc..
Unfortunately, evolutionary theory is viewed by fundamentalists as a quasi-religious doctrine on a par with fundamentalist christian doctrine. While all scientific theory contradicts the superstitions of fundamentalist fairytaleism (i.e., the allegory* of Genesis taken literally), it is not itself a religious doctrine. Therefore, fundamentalist christians should not get so exercised over it's failure to affirm their fairytales. It's not because "Evolutionism" offers a competing religion--frankly I get no comfort or spiritual nourishment from evolutionary theory--they should, instead, fret over the failure of their fairytales to coincide with reality as revealed by both Science and contemporary Philosophy.

*Allegories can be edifying as interpretive stimulants, but when taken literally they are no more than fairytales.
0 Replies
 
edgarblythe
 
  1  
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 05:09 pm
The thing that makes evolution so great to me, it gives insight into where we came from, opening hitherto closed doors. I love being able to relate to dinosaurs through birds, to see the puzzle of humankind being slowly gathered and fit together, a piece at a time. Much more exciting than counting angels on the ends of needles, or prostrating oneself to a vision of a white haired old creater. While there is an element of truth in the analogy spendius is pushing, that is but a portion and not the whole of it, just as religion is more than a mere delusion of the faithful, it is also humans striving to rise above "inhumanity" and attatching the struggle to the myth making process, humans becoming detached from their roots by relying on faith. Humans by reaching the current stage of development are far from the best that nature could produce. We seem at a crossroads, in which we waver between a higher process and being the destructive animal that kills and screws over others for gain. I am not pessimistic, nor am I hopeful. I can't guess which way we will be in the long term future.
0 Replies
 
spendius
 
  1  
Reply Wed 18 Oct, 2006 05:25 pm
Ed wrote, among other interesting things-

Quote:
humans becoming detached from their roots by relying on faith.


That's sums it up. The roots being too ghastly to contemplate.
0 Replies
 
 

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