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The only way creationists have maintained the macro/micro distinction is by constantly redefining microevolution to include more evolution.</font>[/QUOTE] What a hypocritical joke of an accusation. What is static and certain about ToE? Nothing except the absolute faith by those presupposing naturalism of it being somehow true.Originally posted by Mercury:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Scott J:
we must conclude that evolution is false since the microevolution he observed has never been proven to ever become macroevolution
Here's a stable definition for you. Microevolution pertains to the ability within the genome to adapt to its environmental conditions. Macroevolution pertains to the speculation that microevolution will exceed the boundaries of the genome to become a novel species.The only stable definition of the terms among creationists seems to be that microevolution is "the evolution we're willing to accept" and macroevolution is "the evolution we still feel the need to resist".
Materialists rely on natural explanations for gravity, electricity, magnetism, disease and nuclear power as much as they do for speciation and the diversity of life. Are you willing to throw out the "materialistic" explanations for all of those things as well? If not, why the inconsistency?</font>[/QUOTE] No inconsistency since you don't have to presuppose anything about "why" those "operational" areas of science work for them to be of value. Evolution has no operational value that cannot be replaced by simple categorization.</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />I agree with that much... but that end isn't very well served by accepting uncritically the conclusion of materialists that justifies their dismissal of God.
But that simply isn't a better explanation.</font>[/QUOTE] Yes it is. It relies on processes actually observed in the natural world. That makes it dramatically superior to any theory that relies on purely speculative mechanisms for most of its parts.</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Operating from supernatural premise, there are simply much better ways to explain the evidence than evolution. For instance, speciation from created kinds. God creates an original set of perfect animals with extraordinarily large genomes. From there, the speciation has occurred by deletion and atrophe rather than an accummulation of complexity via natural processes.
That isn't necessary for the idea to be true. You have no idea where the precursors for the Cambrian explosion came from... yet you are willing to place complete faith in the materialists' assertion that they were there. You have no mechanism that reasonably accounts for the diversity in the natural world via evolution... yet you place your faith in the materialists' explanations for how it might have happened.[*]You have no idea where the kind boundary is, and you certainly don't get it from the Bible (if you did, you'd agree with earlier creationists who equated kind with species).
a) Common design features in the basic, pristine genomes. b) Much more openness to these types of insertions prior to the massive deletions resulting from speciation. c) Simply the statistical, mathematical truth that having the insert in one place in one species does not preclude having it in the same place in another species.... especially if either the host or the original virus had a predisposition for those locations.[*]This provides no explanation for shared defects or shared retroviral inserts.
Yes and no. I have no doubt that early diversity was amazing by our standards. Also, Noah took two of every kind onto the Ark... that doesn't mean that every species was taken.[*]This posits hyper-evolution far more rapid than what is observed in order to get all the species of animals known from ancient times to come from prototypes on the ark.
Can you site this old dna?[*]This ignores DNA testing of organisms thousands of years old that does not show them being more perfect or having extraordinarily large genomes compared to modern organisms.
Actually the dating methods are demonstrably flawed and based on circular reasoning at its very worst.[*]This contradicts the fossil record, even ignoring the dating,
Not demonstrated by anything other than the interpretations of the data. [/quote][/qb] It even contradicts what you stated earlier about "the fossil record shows complexity arising suddenly", since complexity should not arise at all according to your view, except at the very beginning.[/quote][/qb] Not at all. Complexity is inherited, not acquired. The conclusion that an explosion of diversity occurred from the original kinds following the dramatic shift in natural law caused by the fall is consistent with earlier forms being more complex than later forms.because new types of organisms came about in different periods.
a) The gaps in the fossil record may or may not be there... though evolution depends on the presupposition that they are. b) My theory suggests no such thing. Please don't suppose to speak for me.Instead, as you admit, complexity does appear at many places in the fossil record. Evolution can explain this due to the fossil record not being complete, and not every transition being preserved. By your theory, it should be impossible for complexity to ever arise.
So what? You accept evolution. A theory that has massive problems and directly contradicts what God said He did.
That's just a non-technical start. I'm sure someone with a scientific background could explain many more problems.
Unsurprisingly, consensus science does. Maybe that's why the consensus view among scientists in general is no different than the consensus view among Christian scientists. </font>[/QUOTE]Conclusion not in evidence. The only thing we know about scientists' "concensus view" is that most of them were taught and accepted the naturalistic presupposition concerning nature and evolution.</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Which works with observations?
First, note that this "crack in the sidewalk" was widely accepted even by those who opposed evolution. In other words, it does not work to say that the evidence of the age of the earth or the evidence falsifying a global flood is all in the minds of those evil evolutionists. Even creationists saw it. In fact, creationists were influential in establishing those things.Originally posted by Scott J:
I would say the crack in the sidewalk between those who believe in an old geological universe with a recent biological creation according to the Genesis account is nothing compared to the chasm between those who effectively dismiss God's Word in favor of evolution... based on materialistic presuppositions.
Agreed. I'm curious, would you accept the common descent of all other life except for humans? If not, where do you draw the line, and do you have any biblical basis for where you draw it?The popular notion that Darwin responded to was that God created all of the species exactly as they appeared. That went well beyond what scripture said and what the evidence would support.
Who are you referring to? People like me who accept consensus science, including evolution? My own experience was quite the opposite. I assumed YEC but the evidence eventually pushed me to TE. Probably most of the non-YECs on this board had a similar experience, whether they ended up as OEC or TE. They probably didn't change their view because they wanted to, but because the facts they became aware of compelled them to.That is one of the principle things I find dishonest about evolutionists today. They assume evolution, interpret the evidence within that paradigm, then claim the evidence supports evolution.
No... Because God DID claim creation and gave a specific though not detailed NARRATIVE for how He did it. What kind of straw man argument is that anyway?</font>[/QUOTE]It's not a straw man because using a literal interpretation of Scripture also leads to God providing specific though not detailed accounts that contradict modern science on these other things.</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />In any case, do you also reject electromagnetism, germ theory, gravity, atomic theory, and all the other scientific processes that God never directly claimed? If not, why the inconsistency?
Nope. As you have so adequately proven, it is based on explanations of observations as governed by presuppositions that favor the theory.</font>[/QUOTE]If I had an interest in doing so, I could handwave all the observations of gravity away the same way you handwaved away some observations that lead to the conclusion of common descent. But in both cases, that is denying reality, not showing that the observations do not exist. The end of that thinking is nihilism. The point is that the observations exist, and they are the basis of the theories. Both for gravity and evolution.</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Evolution is based on observations just as surely as gravity.
And what is "the boundary"? If it is so clear, surely you can define it.A species adapts within the scope of its genome... but when it reaches the boundary, it can go no further.
[Godwin's Law] supported once again.Originally posted by Scott J:
The concensus view of the Hitler youth was that Jews were subhuman...
[Godwin's Law] supported once again. </font>[/QUOTE]Straw man demonstrated once again.Originally posted by Mercury:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Scott J:
The concensus view of the Hitler youth was that Jews were subhuman...
First off, you can drop the melodrama. I think evolutionists are wrong. I think what they sincerely and for the most part innocently believe is in fact evil since it is contradictory to God's Word... but I have not, and do not, say they are "evil".Originally posted by Mercury:
In other words, it does not work to say that the evidence of the age of the earth or the evidence falsifying a global flood is all in the minds of those evil evolutionists. Even creationists saw it.
Yes you do... but not your own. You say you don't accept materialism... then turn around and swallow hook, line, and sinker the explanations and speculations of those who do. Worse yet, you accept these human, materialists opinions and speculations even as they directly contradict what God said He did.Secondly, I don't accept evolution based on materialistic presuppositions, and neither do Christian scientists who accept it.
First off, concensus is NEVER a valid measure of TRUTH. Second, concensus opinions can be created through the control and manipulation of information... exactly as evolutionsts have done for roughly 100 years now.Evolution is consensus science because scientists, regardless of their presuppositions, come to the same conclusion.
That is utterly and totally false not to mention condescending. MOST of the strong advocates for creation and ID were once evolutionists and were definitely taught evolution. I was.... and not as a theory either. I tried my best to figure out how to reconcile it with the Bible.That is what separates it from creationist ideas that can only be seen if you look through the right glasses (and even then, you have to squint).![]()
That's because it is irrevocably linked to assuming materialism/naturalism to come up with explanations. You can believe that God is somehow operating in the background if you like... but you cannot deny that evolution's design explicitly makes God unnecessary to explain nature.Most of your arguments against evolution are based on attempting to tie it to materialism,
Do what?or attempting to claim that only atheists believe it, or attempting to expand the term "evolution" to refer to everything in science you disagree with.
Depends on just how blind you truly are to what you are accepting. On the one hand you claim to reject materialism and on the other you accept naturalistic assumptions as limits to what can be "true" about natural history.Do you really expect those approaches to be compelling to someone like me who rejects materialism,
The problem with that is that evolution doesn't explain it within the realm of operational/experimental science.is a Christian, and knows that evolution explains life's diversity, not the universe as a whole?
Agreed. I'm curious, would you accept the common descent of all other life except for humans?</font>[/QUOTE] Not from one form but rather from an original set of animal "kinds". Yes.</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />The popular notion that Darwin responded to was that God created all of the species exactly as they appeared. That went well beyond what scripture said and what the evidence would support.
The biblical line around man's creation is given by God Himself in claiming to directly rather than indirectly create him... a fact affirmed by Jesus Himself.... as was the flood.If not, where do you draw the line, and do you have any biblical basis for where you draw it?
Who are you referring to? People like me who accept consensus science, including evolution?</font>[/QUOTE] If the shoe fits...</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />That is one of the principle things I find dishonest about evolutionists today. They assume evolution, interpret the evidence within that paradigm, then claim the evidence supports evolution.
The "facts" or the arguments? IOW's, Did you go out and study the evidence for yourself or simply believe what someone operating on the assumption of evolution said about it? I would tend to agree that evolutionists have more resources to make their case than creationists... they even normally use much more impressive language.They probably didn't change their view because they wanted to, but because the facts they became aware of compelled them to.
Originally posted by SuperBaptist:
Maybe, if there is no gravity, the Earth just sucks!