Reply to article by: "Jeff McCann" <NoSpam@NoThanks.org>
Date written: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 07:36:38 -0700
MsgID:<EcR_e.8618$7l.8189@bignews2.bellsouth.net>

What a sad, sad, sad, sad  joke!

A newly formed vested-interest organization known as The Campaign
to Defend the Constitution is sending a lettero all 50 U.S.
governors signed by Nobel laureates and other leading scientists,
calling on them to ensure that science classes in their states teach
evolution and do not allow any curricula based on intelligent design.

LOL! They're making an appeal to authority!!

How ironic. Of course, this is lost on most of you. Appeals to authority
have been considered a logical error since it was shown that Aristotle,
considered an absolute authority for centuries, was full of shit about
many things. (Objects in motion come to rest, heavy objects fall faster
than lighter objects, and so on.)

"Teach science! We're authorities, we say so!"

Scientists tried appealing to reason with believers but believers didn't want to
reason, so the scientists also tried an appeal to politics because believers
will listen to politics. But in no way, shape, or form are scientists using
their appeal to politics as an appeal to authority because it isn't a reason, it
is a plead.

It really doesn't matter since the believers are bound to lose, again, just as
they always have in the past ever since the Scope's Monkey Trial. The problem
just is that believers are sore losers so they keep trying to shove their stupid
nonsense down everyone's throat anyway.

Personally, I see the hand of God at work in the process of evolution, and
therefore lean towards Intelligent Design, but that's just my opinion.

You are not like the typical religious believer in that regard, as you at least
admit it isn't a fact but an opinion. People deserve to have their own opinions,
as long as they don't force them to be taught in public schools or government
institutions as fact.

The
"scientific method" has helped us unravel the intricacies of the
evolutionary process, and all that we have learned shows that "science" is
generally on the right track with the theory of evolution. There is much
left to learn, and there are still thorny problems to solve, but I see no
reason to discard the theory in toto.

Since the "theory of evolution" is, thus far, supported by the most current
science, and courses in biology are "science" courses, I see no reason not
to teach evolution in them.  Conversely, since ID, no matter how you dress
it up, is a faith based belief contrary to the current state of scientific
knowledge, I see no reason to teach it in a science class.  It's true that
there are some mighty big holes in the science of evolution, but the valid
criticisms of the current theory don't disprove it, and certainly don't
support ID as a scientifically valid "alternative theory."

Like evolution, physics is full of contradictions and conundrums, and all
the details are a long way from being worked out.  So why don't we teach an
"alternative theory" in physics classes?  After all, doesn't "Magic" offer a
better and more complete explanation of things we don't understand?  Maybe
we should teach "Alchemy" as an "alternative theory" to inorganic chemistry,
too?  Astrology instead of Astronomy?  Demonic Possession instead of
Abnormal Psychology?

I would never have an issue with you because you at least talk commong logical
sense so far. Religious believers in general have no such ability.

PS -- Evolutionism has no "holes" in it. Evolution is a proven fact. But
Christians don't understand evolution and Christians always choose to attack
things they don't understand, things like entropy or quantum physics.

The Sage

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My Home Page      :           http://members.cox.net/the.sage

"All those painted screens erected by man to shut out reality
       -- history, religion, duty, social position --
          all were illusions, mere opium fantasies"
         John Fowles, The French Lieutenant's Woman
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