Follow closely because I am not exactly going to go in order here.
To follow along with the spirit of the OP, I am going to start with a quote of which this discussion reminds me. A quote from Darwin, in fact. From Descent of Man.
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge."
Why do I bring this up? Well Let's look at something Scott said near the end of his latest response to me. I had made the assertion that one way in which evolution produces new and useful genetic sequences is through duplication and mutation. Scott has conveniently snipped my example of duplicating globin genes and how they show us just how it is that hemoglobin evolved. I then expanded that to include the observation that almost all genes show evidence of being members of one of a relatively small number of families of genes all produced through duplication and mutation. My summary introduction to that line of argument was to say "Empirically, we see where this seems to be the case over and over."
Scott responded "Empirically.... seems..... Yes, that is the evolution argument. Claim that it is certain while in reality it is only what "seems" to be..."
Now,let's look at this.
Go find some scientific papers and read them. Most any will do. You will find that researchers very often frame their statements in such a way as to make liberal use of works like "seems" or "appears" or "suggests." Those that know the most about a subject are also those most likely to use caution when making statements about it.
This even seems to be a significant source of the dispicable quote mining that goes on. Surely we have all seen where AIG or some other group will quote these phrases trying to suggest that even those who support evolution may have some doubts. You seem Scott here trying to score points for using such words and I am just a layman. Science is by its nature an ever changing field. To be a scientists, you must be willing to change your mind, to fit theories to new data as it comes in.
But then look at the arguments of the YEers. Do you ever see any such phrasing from them? Rarely! Look at this thread. Any such phrasing from the YEers? Go to AIG or ICR. Do you see much there written by scientists educated in biological evolution? I don't. A lot of engineers and lawyers. You may get the occasionally chemist or even biochemist. But not really anyone who is a professional, an expert.
But have you ever seen a more confident group! Close minded indeed.
Only by being an expert in some field can you know enough to really understand it. And knowledge tends to lead towards cautiousness. The evolution deniers are extremely confident about science which they collectively know very little about.
If your car is stalling you are not going to see your doctor about it and if your knee hurts you shouldn't go see your mechanic. And for good reason. But YEers want us to throw reason out the window when it comes to science. They say that we should not listen to the experts, those who have dedicated their life's work to the field and who are the most knowledgable in it. They say that we should instead listen to the rantings of those who are comparitively ignorant of the sciences, who do not have a full plate of knowledge in front of them and those who proclaim things that the experts repeatedly show to be wrong.
Rarely would you ever advise someone to ignore the experts and go with the lay, uninformed opinion, but that is just what they want us to do here. Confidently.
To follow along with the spirit of the OP, I am going to start with a quote of which this discussion reminds me. A quote from Darwin, in fact. From Descent of Man.
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge."
Why do I bring this up? Well Let's look at something Scott said near the end of his latest response to me. I had made the assertion that one way in which evolution produces new and useful genetic sequences is through duplication and mutation. Scott has conveniently snipped my example of duplicating globin genes and how they show us just how it is that hemoglobin evolved. I then expanded that to include the observation that almost all genes show evidence of being members of one of a relatively small number of families of genes all produced through duplication and mutation. My summary introduction to that line of argument was to say "Empirically, we see where this seems to be the case over and over."
Scott responded "Empirically.... seems..... Yes, that is the evolution argument. Claim that it is certain while in reality it is only what "seems" to be..."
Now,let's look at this.
Go find some scientific papers and read them. Most any will do. You will find that researchers very often frame their statements in such a way as to make liberal use of works like "seems" or "appears" or "suggests." Those that know the most about a subject are also those most likely to use caution when making statements about it.
This even seems to be a significant source of the dispicable quote mining that goes on. Surely we have all seen where AIG or some other group will quote these phrases trying to suggest that even those who support evolution may have some doubts. You seem Scott here trying to score points for using such words and I am just a layman. Science is by its nature an ever changing field. To be a scientists, you must be willing to change your mind, to fit theories to new data as it comes in.
But then look at the arguments of the YEers. Do you ever see any such phrasing from them? Rarely! Look at this thread. Any such phrasing from the YEers? Go to AIG or ICR. Do you see much there written by scientists educated in biological evolution? I don't. A lot of engineers and lawyers. You may get the occasionally chemist or even biochemist. But not really anyone who is a professional, an expert.
But have you ever seen a more confident group! Close minded indeed.
Only by being an expert in some field can you know enough to really understand it. And knowledge tends to lead towards cautiousness. The evolution deniers are extremely confident about science which they collectively know very little about.
If your car is stalling you are not going to see your doctor about it and if your knee hurts you shouldn't go see your mechanic. And for good reason. But YEers want us to throw reason out the window when it comes to science. They say that we should not listen to the experts, those who have dedicated their life's work to the field and who are the most knowledgable in it. They say that we should instead listen to the rantings of those who are comparitively ignorant of the sciences, who do not have a full plate of knowledge in front of them and those who proclaim things that the experts repeatedly show to be wrong.
Rarely would you ever advise someone to ignore the experts and go with the lay, uninformed opinion, but that is just what they want us to do here. Confidently.