Hi Rich,
You wrote:
>I understand Dennett's point to be this. If the cost of saving the Baptists
>is misinforming children, then that's too high a price to pay. We should
>teach children about evolution, and, if they all turn away from Baptism as a
>result, then so be it.
and
>Please be clear. What freedom are you talking about? Dennett is referring to
>the freedom to keep children from learning about evolution. Denying this
>freedom is certainly controversial, but it's far short of the things which
>some people are accusing Dennett of.
I thought you said that you found it important not to misrepresent? Well,
you have just misrepresented Dennett's views twice. The "falsehood" Dennett
wants to eliminate is as follows: "that "Man" is not a product of evolution
by natural
selection." Note the specific and explicit inclusion of "BY NATURAL
SELECTION."
Dennett is not simply talking about "evolution" as you represent him. He is
talking about a specific type of evolution - that which occurs "by natural
selection."
This Darwinian mechanism is, after all, the meat-n-potatoes of all his
sermons,
is it not? And "evolution" is not the same as "evolution by natural
selection."
It didn't take long for you to misrepresent after all.
Mike
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