Re: Warning Labels

Bill Payne (bpayne@voyageronline.net)
Tue, 11 Nov 1997 22:37:26 -0600

Tue, 11 Nov 1997 22:12:31 -0500 George Murphy wrote:
>
> Bill Payne wrote:
> > The State School Board of Alabama adopted the following
> > statement which is now placed in the front of all public school science
> > textbooks in Alabama:
> >
> > A MESSAGE FROM THE ALABAMA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
> >
> > This textbook discusses evolution, a controversial theory some
> > scientists present as a scientific explanation for the origin of living
> > things, such as plants, animals and humans.
> >
> > No one was present when life first appeared on earth. Therefore, any
> > statement about life's origins should be considered as theory, not fact.
>
> This contains "we can't see the past" argument, the use of which
> is _prima facie_ evidence of incompetence.

It's not that "we can't see the past", but that we prefer to leave our
options open as to the interpretation of data buried under "millions of
years." Are you saying that you have absolute truth as to the origin of
life, such that it should be presented to children as fact? If so, what
is your definition of a scientific "fact"? Is your level of competence
such that your facts are not subject to revision? Precisely what are
the facts relative to the origin of life?

Bill

"God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our
understanding." Job 37:5