From: George Murphy (gmurphy@raex.com)
Date: Mon Dec 02 2002 - 09:26:06 EST
A very simple & broad statement of evolutionary theory is not hard to give:
Biological species change over long periods of time, with some
becoming extenct and some
new species arising from old. Various species are thus related to
one another. Such
ideas are, of course, not uniquely Darwinian.
Michael has correctly noted several ways in which such a
simple theory could be
falsified. (I waive for now the right to raise questions about the
falsification
criterion in view of the possibility of always defending a theory's
"hard core" with
auxiliary hypotheses.) This simple theory has not been falsified.
There is, in fact,
no serious question about its correctness or its character as a
scientific theory.
The question of _how_ evolution takes place is of course more
difficult. But we
would avoid a lot of wasted time & posturing if we would agree that
it _has_ taken
place.
Shalom,
George
Walter Hicks wrote:
>
> Michael
>
> In my post I asked for a
> definition of the THEORY of
> evolution and you have not
> provided one. Do you
> understand what I asked for? I
> did not ask for a list of
> things having to do with YEC.
> You seem to be actively
> avoiding a response to the
> question. (This is no
> surprise, since I have yet to
> meet someone who will stick
> his/her neck out.) It is easy
> to criticize others, not so
> easy to defend your own
> opinion.
>
> For example, Darwin suggested
> that THEORY is that evolution
> (right up through mankind) has
> taken place by :
>
> 1.) Natural Selection
> (survival of the fittest)
>
> and
>
> 2.) Constant mutation by
> various random processes
>
> Would you subscribe to that?
> If not, what is your version
> of the theory? In either case,
> what would you offer for
> falsification criteria (I say
> "falsify", not support)
>
> Walt
>
> Can't get rid of this yucky
> green stuff.
>
> Michael Roberts wrote:
>
> > Of course it is a list of
> > things which if demonstrable
> > will conclusively refute
> > evolution.Hence all the
> > silly arguments about
> > proving a young
> > earth Michael
> >
> > ----- Original
> > Message -----
> > From:
> > RFaussette@aol.com
> > To:
> > michael.andrea.r@ukonline.co.uk
> > ;
> > wallyshoes@mindspring.com
> > ; gmurphy@raex.com
> > Cc:
> > hoss_radbourne@hotmail.com
> > ; asa@calvin.edu
> > Sent: Sunday,
> > December 01, 2002
> > 4:16 PM
> > Subject: Re:
> > Evolution &
> > Identity of the ID
> > designer
> > In a message
> > dated 12/1/02
> > 9:39:10 AM Eastern
> > Standard Time,
> > michael.andrea.r@ukonline.co.uk
> > writes:
> >
> >
> >
> > > Evolution is
> > > easily
> > > falsifiable.
> > > 1.) Find human
> > > fossils in the
> > > mid-Tertiary or
> > > earlier
> > > 2.) Find
> > > palaeozoic
> > > mammals
> > > 3) Precambrian
> > > vertebrates.
> > > 4) A young or a
> > > youngish earth
> > > i.e less than
> > > 100 million -
> > > consider what
> > > Kelvin nearly
> > > did to evolution
> > > after 1860
> > > 5)0 our DNA
> > > more like
> > > insects than
> > > rats
> > >
> > > We could go on.
> > >
> > > Hasn't anyone
> > > got the skill to
> > > falsify
> > > evolution on
> > > these points
> > >
> > > Michael
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > michael,
> > You've posted a
> > list - how does
> > your list falsify
> > evolution?
> > rich
> >
> --
> ===================================
>
> Walt Hicks
> <wallyshoes@mindspring.com>
>
> In any consistent theory,
> there must
> exist true but not provable
> statements.
> (Godel's Theorem)
>
> You can only find the truth
> with logic
> If you have already found the
> truth
> without it. (G.K. Chesterton)
> ===================================
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Michael
>
> In my post I asked for a definition of the THEORY of evolution and you
> have not provided one. Do you understand what I asked for? I did not
> ask for a list of things having to do with YEC. You seem to be
> actively avoiding a response to the question. (This is no surprise,
> since I have yet to meet someone who will stick his/her neck out.) It
> is easy to criticize others, not so easy to defend your own opinion.
>
> For example, Darwin suggested that THEORY is that evolution (right up
> through mankind) has taken place by :
>
> 1.) Natural Selection (survival of the fittest)
>
> and
>
> 2.) Constant mutation by various random processes
>
> Would you subscribe to that? If not, what is your version of the
> theory? In either case, what would you offer for falsification
> criteria (I say "falsify", not support)
>
> Walt
>
> Can't get rid of this yucky green stuff.
>
>
>
> Michael Roberts wrote:
>
> Of course it is a list of things which if demonstrable will
> conclusively refute evolution.Hence all the silly arguments
> about proving a young earth Michael
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: RFaussette@aol.com
> To: michael.andrea.r@ukonline.co.uk ;
> wallyshoes@mindspring.com ; gmurphy@raex.com
> Cc: hoss_radbourne@hotmail.com ; asa@calvin.edu
> Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2002 4:16 PM
> Subject: Re: Evolution & Identity of the ID
> designer
> In a message dated 12/1/02 9:39:10 AM Eastern
> Standard Time, michael.andrea.r@ukonline.co.uk
> writes:
>
>
>
> Evolution is easily falsifiable.
> 1.) Find human fossils in the
> mid-Tertiary or earlier
> 2.) Find palaeozoic mammals
> 3) Precambrian vertebrates.
> 4) A young or a youngish earth i.e less
> than 100 million - consider what
> Kelvin nearly did to evolution after
> 1860
> 5)0 our DNA more like insects than rats
>
> We could go on.
>
> Hasn't anyone got the skill to falsify
> evolution on these points
>
> Michael
>
>
>
>
> michael,
> You've posted a list - how does your list falsify
> evolution?
> rich
>
> --
> ===================================
> Walt Hicks <wallyshoes@mindspring.com>
>
> In any consistent theory, there must
> exist true but not provable statements.
> (Godel's Theorem)
>
> You can only find the truth with logic
> If you have already found the truth
> without it. (G.K. Chesterton)
> ===================================
>
-- George L. Murphy gmurphy@raex.com http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
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