You are right, Walt. Certainly athiests who support evolution do so largely
because for them, there can be no other explanation of life's origins. They
have to be as dogmatic in support of evolution as YECS are in support of
their theory. However,after much gnashing of teeth and hard thinking, I have
concluded that the theory of evolution is and will likely remain the best
explanation for the diversity of life.It fits the evidence.OEC or
Progressive Creation (PC)does not fit the evidence as well, and Young Earth
Creationism (YEC) not at all.
I am sympathetic, however, to YECs. I understand how YEC fits in with their
literalistic interpretation of the Bible. I understand how that makes for a
comfortable, comprehensive worldview in which everything is accounted for
and all is right with the world. Hey , I was there myself.And I am
surrounded by YECs today who think I am on the road to apostasy or worse for
caccepting evolution.
I think we just have to follow the evidence wherever it leads. Right now it
points to evolution.That may change. But it would be wrongheaded to pretend
that it is pointing anywhere else.
-----Original Message-----
From: Walter Hicks [mailto:wallyshoes@mindspring.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2002 6:15 PM
To: Shuan Rose
Cc: vernon.jenkins@virgin.net; Asa
Subject: Re: A matter of trust?
I tend to support evolution. However, I do have to say that those
proving its existence do so by assuming it it is correct to begin with.
Example below.
> Shuan Rose wrote:
>
> Hi Vern,
> Check out
> http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-transitional/part1a.html.
>
> The link below shows a transitional fossil
>
>
http://tolweb.org/tree?group=Acanthostega&contgroup=Terrestrial_Vertebrates
>
>
> This link profiles the person who has spent forty years looking
> for and working on these fossils, so her explanation carries more
> weight to me than all those critics who have never even seen a real
> fossil. She lays out the whole theory of the transition, and answers
> the question of how digits developed from fins
That is fine but consider the words on that web site carefully. they
are:
"It's a classic chicken-and-egg conundrum: Did the distant ancestors of
land animals come
ashore and then evolve legs, or did they evolve legs and then come
ashore? This is a daunting
question considering the fish-to-four-legs transition took place some
370 million years ago.
For decades, the former proposition held sway: land first, then legs.
But Jenny Clack changed all that.
On an expedition to Greenland in 1987, this University of Cambridge
paleontologist
unearthed remains of a creature from the Devonian Period (408-360
million years
ago) that skulked around swamps on four legs. Through careful study of
the
anatomy, Clack determined that this creature, known as Acanthostega,
nevertheless didn't have a leg to stand on -- that is, these rudimentary
limbs could
not support the animal's weight. But they do support the notion that
legs came
first. In this interview, Clack gives particulars of her field-shaking
discovery and its impact."
It does not say that Clack has shown how land animals evolved for sea
animals. That is a GIVEN!
What Clack has done is to replace one theory of how with another theory
of how.
>
> http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/link/clack.html
>
> Also the link below, from Glenn Morton's site.You may want to email
> the question to him. He can answer your question in detail.
>
> http://www.glenn.morton.btinternet.co.uk/transit.htm
>
> Seek and ye shall find, Vern. The question is, do you really want to
> find that for which you are seeking?
>
> .
>
How many people who believe in evolution are seeking a different answer?
-- =================================== Walt Hicks <wallyshoes@mindspring.com>In any consistent theory, there must exist true but not provable statements. (Godel's Theorem)
You can only find the truth with logic If you have already found the truth without it. (G.K. Chesterton) ===================================
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