Re: Stereotypes and reputations

Cornelius wrote:

> The problems with common descent are not minor issues that can be glossed
> over. I recall speaking with an evolutioniist about abruptness in the
fossil
> record (Cambrian explosion, etc.). She said she did not think that
> constituted evidence against the theory. So there was no evidence against
> evolution. Do you see the problem here?

What ices the argument for common descent versus the notion that a creator
pops new species into the environment at will is that evolution demands
that descendants be close in geographical proximity to their ancestors. A
creator has no such limitations.

What we see in the fossil record is consistent with evolution by common
descent. Monkeys arose prior to the splitting of Pangea and are found both
in Africa and South America. Apes descended from monkeys and are found
only in Africa as the continents had drifted apart before they evolved.
Had man not evolved from apes we could have popped up in Australia, but no
we had to develop where there are apes.

Lemurs are found only on the island of Madagascar. A creator could have
sprinkled lemurs all over the place, but natural descent limits their range
to the island. So the faunal pattern is consistent with evolution, or
perhaps, by a stealth creator who wanted the pattern to appear as if all
animal life evolved from common ancestors. There is always the possibility
of deceptive shenanigans going on just to throw us off the track.

Dick Fischer - Genesis Proclaimed Association
Finding Harmony in Bible, Science, and History
www.genesisproclaimed.org
Received on Sun Jul 31 16:57:56 2005