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[IP] more on creationism and theocracy

------ Forwarded Message
From: Patrick W Gilmore <patrick@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 15:45:38 -0500
To: <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Patrick W Gilmore <patrick@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [IP] more on creationism and theocracy

On Feb 22, 2005, at 10:15 AM, David Farber wrote:

> Suppose the creationists had come to the school system(s) and said
> "Evolution is a theory. Creationism (or whatever the name) is also a
> theory. Neither theory has conclusively been shown, and therefore we
> feel strongly that the creationist theory deserves equal attention in
> the curriculum."
>
> Scientists would surely have gnashed their teeth at this position for
> quite some time, but after a certain amount of useless resistance they
> would have been forced to accept it. It is a proposition articulated
> using the values of science, and it would ultimately be hypocritical
> for
> science to reject this proposition framed in this form. I can imagine
> some wonderful debates that might have made the community of science
> dreadfully embarrassed along the way (probably would have been healty
> for us). After a time, faced with a gentle but unrelenting campaign of
> this sort, the community of science would have conceded rather than
> appear mired in doctrine.

I am afraid Mr. Shapiro is incorrect.

This approach has been tried, and it is not accepted, after any length
of debate, by the scientific community.

Creationism, ID, and the like are not "scientific theories".  They do
not hold to even the most basic of scientific principles.  For
instance, they make no predictions that can be tested, and they are
incapable of being proven wrong (at least from the PoV of those who
endorse the doctrines).


More interesting to me is that Evolution does not deal with _creation_.
  How the universe came into being is a totally separate subject from
how homo sapiens evolved from "apes".  Of course, many Creationists
will claim human beings were created whole out of clay (except the
females, of course), which is at odds with evolution.  But those people
are only showing their ignorance, not any logical scientific theory.

-- 
TTFN,
patrick

P.S. I also find it interesting that even the Pope believes in
evolution.  Not that many Catholics are Creationists, but many
Creationists assume anyone who is devoutly religious must be a
Creationist.


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