[QB]
Originally posted by BobRyan:
Then we are agreed - humanism does need to ignore all evidence for a world wide flood. It has as much difficulty accepting that part of God's Word as it does accepting Genesis 1-2.
Paul of Eugene said
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When did we start talking about humanists? I'm a Christian, a baptist even, and I also accept the findings of science. I would have no difficulty whatsoever accepting evidence for a world wide flood, of which I have never seen any, although some false candidates have been proposed.
Which type of Baptist church teaches the mythologies of evolutionism? I am not familiar with it - but would love to hear more about it.
Humanism is simply the notion that man is more "reliable" than the Word of God - that man is the creator of himself. Hence the Word of God takes a backseat to the "real origin" mythologies of humanism as does the flood account in God's Word.
Bob said --No doubt mutant defects have crept in and can be observed - but it is STILL one mtDNA strain - which is a "huge strain" on the mythologies of evolutionism.
Paul of Eugene said
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I'm not following your logic here. I don't think you've even communicated a clear idea of what "one strain" would BE for mtDNA. For example - if you took the mtDNA from a chimpanzee and switched it into your own cells, it would work. Does that mean it is one strain, or not?
Wrong again. Not only is the mtDNA of a chimp NOT the same strain - EVEN Neanderthal man is TOO FAR removed from us to be classed as "human" from the standpoint of his mtDNA.
But that was a nice try Paul of Eugene.
We are in fact of ONE strain due to the simple principle that UNLIKE our normal DNA - the Mother passes on her EXCACT mtDNA - to all of her children. Think it through. That means ONE strain for ALL MANKIND since we have ONE Mother - Eve.
The ONLY differences are mutational glitches NOT variations in genes or new individual mtDNA in the way that we have individual DNA.
And the fact that the injection rate of mutations has already been shown to be "variable" simply "assuming" that it is not - is ill conceived.
Paul of Eugene said
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OK I think you're saying the rate CAN vary
No I am saying that Evolutionism "needs" a constant mutation rate so it "can calculate time" backwards.
But we have "observed" variations in the rate and have no indicators as to how WIDE that variation can be over time. In fact we have no limiting principle to attribute to it.
And as already noted - we DO see a catastrophic debilitating influence on the biology of man at the flood in terms of longevity.
Your continual appeal to "exhaustive records of all variations in the history of man" - is kind of silly. The evolutionis "assumption" of "constant rate" is already dead - from imperical evidence alone.
Paul of Eugene said
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If you have no working hypothesis to explain why we have the degree of genetic variation we have, then you have no reason to question what has already been presented.
The question is brought in by the imperical evidence ALREADY showing variation in the rate.
Bob said --
The catastrophic decrease in human longevity recorded in scripture as precipitating at the flood - would be a "possible part" of God's Word to eventually "take seriously", if one was not sold on humanism. It may well represent changes in the atmopshere, ionosphere, plant life, and mutation rates.
Paul of Eugene said
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I will ignore that irrelevant remark.
First you propose "constant rate" and that is "shown" to be a fallacy.
Then you propose that I come up with a theory showing indications of a sharp/drastic/catastrophic rate change in ancient human history - which I do above. And you say "I will ignore that".
What you need is a little objectivity to go along with your faith.
Paul of Eugene said
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What you need to find is some way to account for 200,000 years worth of variation in mtDNA in just a few thousand years. The wild variation would have to have occurred AFTER the flood.
This is the part where you could have paid "attention to that comment above" about events just after the flood.
Perhaps you should reconsider.
Paul of Eugene said
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Any particular thoughts as to what caused the wild proliferation of mtDNA mutations in the immediate generations following the flood, required by your literal interpretation of scripture?
Is this where we talk about the clear word of God telling us that man lived for many centuries before the flood - but after the flood the numbers came down - by multi-century punctuated gradations until it came to the low to mid 100's.
Remember I am a "Bible believing" Christian - not a humanist so this "Bible text" will keep coming as "noteworthy" in my view.
In Christ,
Bob