RE: [asa] Polkinghorne quote on time required for the evolutionary process

Hi John:

It doesn't have to be totally random and self contained. The great
Gipetto in the sky could be pulling all the strings and hiding all
evidence. How would we know? Causes have to be natural to qualify as
science, that's all. Total randomness is not a requirement. Random
genetic drift, plus environmental factors (something Darwin overlooked),
coupled with natural selection, however, seems to prove sufficient. Is
idolizing a scientific theory worse than idolizing the Bible? Any idol
takes attention away from the living God. You can't say one idol is
good but another one is bad.

Dick Fischer

Dick Fischer, Genesis Proclaimed Association

Finding Harmony in Bible, Science, and History

 <http://www.genesisproclaimed.org/> www.genesisproclaimed.org

-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
Behalf Of John Walley
Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2007 6:07 PM
To: 'Steve Martin'; 'AmericanScientificAffiliation'
Subject: RE: [asa] Polkinghorne quote on time required for the
evolutionary process

Good for him. This is an excellent example of critical thinking that as
Christian's we should be supplying to the debate. Why does it have to be
totally random and self contained? Because it is intellectually
fulfilling to atheists by being non-threatening, that's why. And that's
just as much an idol as natural revelation.

John

-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
Behalf Of Steve Martin
Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2007 4:32 PM
To: AmericanScientificAffiliation
Subject: [asa] Polkinghorne quote on time required for the evolutionary
process

I remember seeing a quote by Polkinghorne to the effect that it
mystified him how evolutionary biologists were so confident in their
account of the development of life on earth. How could they be so
sure that 3.5 billion years was enough for the evolutionary process to
explain the development of single celled organisms all the way up to the
current state of terrestrial diversity? As a physicist and a bottom
up thinker, he felt that more detailed calculations should be provided
before conclusions were so confidently proposed. (I'm pretty sure he
closed the paragraph saying he trusted the evolutionary biologists
anyways).

My question: Does anyone know where this quote is from? I'm skimmed
through a couple of Polkinghorne books now and can't seem to find it.

-- 
Steve Martin (CSCA)
http://evanevodialogue.blogspot.com 
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