Re: Intelligent design controversy in Canada

From: Denyse O'Leary (oleary@sympatico.ca)
Date: Thu Nov 06 2003 - 12:23:49 EST

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    Howard J. Van Till wrote:

    >> From: "Denyse O'Leary" <oleary@sympatico.ca> >

    >> The Darwinism taught in the school system and university is
    >> reductionist, atheistic, and chance-oriented. And it reflects not
    >> only Darwin's view but that of key evolutionists today.

    > In Darwin's own words:
    >
    > "There is grandeur in this view of life; with its several powers
    having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into
    one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the
    fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most
    wonderful and most beautiful have been, and are being, evolved."
    >
    > Is this the sentiment you want to stamp out? Or, do you wish to
    contest maximal naturalism?

    Darwin didn't believe anything more or less than Lucretius did. He did
    not find a way to eliminate a First Cause. And he was a great prose
    stylist, as witness the passage above.

    So? We lesser hacks know how that is done. And I am not the least fooled
    about what it means.

    It's all okay with me, understand, but it is a doctrine, and should not
    be taught exclusively in the school system, as if by right. I believe
    that the American courts were wrong in their judgement in this matter.

    > And if it's the latter, why demonize the name of Darwin to make your
    > point? How would you like your name demonized to make a point foreign
    > to your own agenda?

    Demonize? I should think Darwin would be proud to have gotten his theory
    taught for so long, so exclusively, in so many venues, far beyond its
    actual evidence base.

    Stephen Hawking has yet to do anything like as well with his no
    boundaries hypothesis. Tegmark's four levels of multiverses are still
    viewed as speculation. Only Darwin has the courts behind him. Now if
    only he had the evidence.

    Denyse

    > Howard Van Till

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    Denyse O'Leary 14 Latimer Avenue Toronto, Ontario, CANADA M5N 2L8 Tel: 416 485-2392/Fax: 416 485-9665 oleary@sympatico.ca www.denyseoleary.com



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