[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

RE: evolution


Hi Folks,

I usually try to stay out of this one but what the heck. Might as well toss
in a few cents.

First of all I am in neither camp, neither Fundimentalista nor Evolutionary.
And I am not looking for flack from either or worse yet both sides.
Discussion of a theory or a particular part of a theory is a good thing.
But when we start a discussion we must accept the following possibilities:

Our position is wrong.
Our position might be partially wrong.
The opposing position might be right.
The opposing position might be partially right.
Both positions might be partially right.
Both positions might be partially wrong.

Some people call this "open mindedness". If one is completely convinced that
he/she has the only correct answer then debate is unnecessary and useless.
Except if ones goal is to persuade. Why should anyone really care what
someone else thinks? In the grand scheme of things this is actually one of
the more useless theories. It concerns changes in life forms over centuries.
None of us will live long enough to feel the impact of evolution. By the
time you are old enough to read and understand this message you are not
likely to further evolve into anything other than what you are. If you
believe in creationism the point is also moot. Things which are, have
already been created and if anything is to be created in the future it is
most certainly not up to anyone on this list. If I am wrong, and any
immortal, omnipotent beings capable of creating new life are lurking on this
list, you have my e-mail address and I would be more than willing to listen
to your take on natural history.

Long ago the Buddha was asked by a disciple of a competing religion, how to
make a decision in the absence of convincing proof. He responded by saying
that you should chose the one that most benefits you and brings about the
greatest good, everything else being equal. For different people this will
no doubt lead to different conclusions. That was true then, as it is now.

If either position makes you happy. Great. Don't change it!  If someone has
a different position which makes them happy leave them alone!  Why rain on
their parade? No matter what you believe on this matter none gets hurt, at
least until we start fighting about it.

If someone wants to discuss a theory rationally and with an open mind. I am
game. Why not?  Lets have some fun. If someone wants to impose their point
of view on someone else, why bother???? Could you possibly care what I think
in the privacy of my own home?  If you do, I'd love to know why.

This otherwise benign theory has become the poster child for the science v.
religion debate. This is unfair to either theory and serves no purpose to
either religion or science. Despite the pleasure which can be derived from
verbal intercourse and mental self-stimulation from this discussion the
debate is not particularly useful to the vast majority of people.

If someone really wants to have some fun with evolution. Lets talk about the
concept that life may have arisen from multiple events. That the conditions
necessary for spontaneous life have occurred many times over the past few
million years. Maybe even while I am writing this an entirely new life form
may be coming into being. Would this life form be substantially similar to
what preceded it. Would it be pathogenic to existing life, photosynthetic by
nature or what would it do to support itself? What if we could create the
conditions to create life in the lab, should we?  These are fun academic
questions worthy of discussion.

We could also ask some cool questions from the fundamentalists regarding
God's intentions in the creation of creatures which serve no purpose to the
human race. If Noah only took two of every creature on the ark how do we
allow for the insufficient gene pool to perpetuate any of the species?  If
at some time a large gene pool was not necessary to perpetuate a species,
why is it required now?

The permutations are infinite and we could have a great deal of fun with
many of them.  But what does it matter who is right? Whatever mechanism is
controlling circumstances as they were, are or will be, it is not in our
hands.

Creationism is not the basis for the Christian religion! Evolution is not
the foundation for modern science!  Therefore both will survive the debate
either way.

Best regards,


-RJ-



NetZero Platinum
No Banner Ads and Unlimited Access
Sign Up Today - Only $9.95 per month!
http://www.netzero.net
---------------
See http://www.aka.org/AKA/subkillietalk.html to unsubscribe
Follow-Ups: References: