evolution in KS

Neil Jones Neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk
Tue Aug 17 17:23:54 EDT 1999


In article <45F8A30CE009D2118F850000F805064D8FE502 at hqmail.gensym.com>
           MWalker at gensym.com "Mark Walker" writes:

> But then I'm sure you really mean to practice what you preach - and that you
> would in fact embrace the co-teaching of the science of creationism in
> schools along with the theories involving evolution.  Maybe we can co-author
> a petition to the Kansas State Board of Education - along with the other 49
> states?
> 
> Mark Walker.

Creation Science is a FRAUD. The Creation Research Society require their
members to accept the following creed. (And let me make it absolutely clear
I DO NOT believe in this.)


"1.The Bible is the written Word of God, and because it is inspired throughout,
 all its assertions are historically and scientifically true in the original
 autographs. To the student of nature this means that the account of origins
 in Genesis is a factual presentation of simple historical truths. 
2.All basic types of living things, including man, were made by direct
 creative acts of God during the Creation Week described in Genesis. Whatever
 biological changes have occurred since Creation Week have been accomplished
 only changes within the original created kinds. 
3.The great flood described in Genesis, commonly referred to as the Noachian
 Flood, was an historic event worldwide in its extent and effect. 
4.We are an organization of Christian men and women of science who accept
 Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The account of the special creation of
 Adam and Eve as one man and one woman and their subsequent fall into sin is
 the basis for our belief in the necessity of a Savior for all mankind.
 Therefore, salvation can come only through accepting Jesus Christ as our
 Savior." 

This is not science it is religion. It is based on faith. Science is based
on having proofs that are disprovable, religion is not.

Furthermore this creed is obviously disprovable. If all the bible's
assertions are literally true then according to Matthew the earth is flat
and according to Leviticus Grasshoppers have four legs and not six.

The "Noachian Flood" story is just ecologically impossible.  How on earth
would you get all the lepidoptera and their parasites to survive on an
ark at sea?

On this side of the Atlantic this is not an issue. Perhaps because people
believe less in primitive superstition. So called "Creation Science"
in a religious construct and has no place in proper scientific debate.

It is a fact that people believe in all sorts of wierd religions and there
is no logical reason to believe than any one is more valid than another.
You could just as easily argue that the world was flat and perched on the back
of a giant turtle. There is one major denomination whose "holy book" has
been shown conclusively to be a fraud and yet is still has thousands of
adherants! There seems to be a human psychological need to believe in these
mystics, never mind how weird their visions are. I often think that if the
ancient egyptians had had modern neuroleptic drugs the world would be
a very different place. 

Evolution on the other hand has ample proof. What is more it is demonstrable
mathematically that it is a logical consequence of the genetic systems known
to exist. The church of Elvis (and believe it or not it does exist) could
argue as much as they liked that 2 and 2 made 5 and they still would not.

The sad fact is that somehow the State Board of Education in Kansas
are so poorly educated they don't understand the difference between
science and religion. Having leaders who are poorly educated is often
a problem for society. (I recall the example of US vice president
Dan Quayle who thought that Latin Americans actually spoke Latin!)

Americans put a great deal of emphasis on their 1st Amendement right
to free speech. To have free speech is important but first must come
the freedom of thought. A freedom of thought where people are taught
to understand the world by applying logic and reason. 

-- 
Neil Jones- Neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk http://www.nwjones.demon.co.uk/
"At some point I had to stand up and be counted. Who speaks for the
butterflies?" Andrew Lees - The quotation on his memorial at Crymlyn Bog
National Nature Reserve


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