Re: Introduction

paracelcus@email.com
Sun, 23 May 1999 15:52:11 -0400 (EDT)

"Paracelcus" wrote:
...I'm a design theorist...

Rich Daniel replied:
Do you agree with Behe that the evidence for common descent is convincing? In particular, do you accept that man and apes have a common ancestor?

My comments:
Behe is an emminant scientist whose theory of irreducible complexity is nothing short of brilliant, but it doesn't go far enough. Whole organisms can be irreducibly complex, like humans. The idea that man evolved from apes (which is really what you are saying, isn't it Rich?) is too comical to take seriously. I mean, what could be more irreducibly complex than the human brain? Besides, the earth isn't old enough for any real "common descent" to have taken place.

Or take the bombardier beetle? How could it evolve such a complex and intricate defense mechanism one piece at a time without blowing itself up, poisoning itself or getting eaten because the mechanism misfires? There's a good example of organism-level irreducible complexity.

Rich Daniel inquired:
Have you read http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/behe.html?

My comments:
I have; it's utter crap, and that's putting it mildly. A couple of brain-dead know-nothings who don't understand the subject they are trying to "critique" (hatchet-job would be a better description). If they think they can refute Behe, why don't they published their "results" in peer-reviewed journals like Behe has? Because they know any good biochemist would cut them to ribbons. They would rather write propoganda pieces for the electronic equivolent of a scandel sheet than do any real science.
Paracelcus
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