On Wed, 6 Dec 1995, John P Turnbull wrote:
> Denis Lamoureux said:
> >
> > Finally, one last comment. If you will note that on the reflector I
> > rarely engage in any of the conspiracy rhetoric--you know that talk of
> > evil secular scientists and church destroying Christian academics (like
> > me). But take note all the conspiracy theorists: this week Time magazine
> > gave you a lot of ammunition with a terrific article on the Cambrian
> > Explosion. Yes, evolution sure was quick, wasn't it? And yes, you are
> > sure quick to say, "Too quick, God must have been in there directly
> > intervening in His creation . . . there is just no way life could
> > have evolved that quickly." BUT FOLKS, REMEMBER ALL THIS RESEARCH
> > (YES, YOUR AMMO) IS BEING GIVEN TO YOU BY THOSE EVIL SECULAR SCIENTISTS
> > FROM THE SECULAR ACADEMY. You know, those guys that cannot possibly be
> > trusted with interpreting the data. Did the Time article cite the
> > contributions of the PCs and YECs? No, of course not, because they are not
> > contributors to the main body of scientific knowledge. For that matter,
> > most are amateurs, positionned a great distance from the actual data.
> > What contributions are they actually making to the field, other than
> > taking the data of others and skewing it into their THEOLOGICALLY
> > (and suspiciously poor theology at that) based science? The
> > answer is "none". Rather ironic situation would you not say?
> > Amateurs appealing to professionals, yet amaterus standing in judgment of
> > professionals. The question becomes, do the amateurs even have the
> > tools to dialogue with the professionals? Ironic or incongruent? I
> > will leave the conspiracy theorists to decide. Any PCs or YECs feeling
> > just a wee bit guilty?
> >
> > "In all debates, let truth be thy aim, and endeavor to gain
> > rather than expose thy opponent."
Clever use of my signature quote! I did feel "just a wee bit quilty" in
sending this post.
> Gould does not describe people like Walcott as deceitful. But
> he forcefully makes the case that our preconceptions can have
> a powerful influence on coloring our perception of reality.
> And when the facts didn't fit they simply closed their minds.
> They refused to accept the now established fact that the testimony
> of the fossils told a very different history of life then the
> history they expected.
Lovely quote here John. Can I take its rhetorical structure and "dress"
in theological garb to make a point?
LAMOUREUX does not describe people like YECs and PCs as deceitful. But
he forcefully makes the case that our preconceptions OF THE EXEGESIS OF
GEN 1-11 can have a powerful influence on colouring our perception of THE
ORIGINS OF THE UNIVERSE AND BIOLOGICAL LIFE. And when the facts OF
SCIENCE didn't fit THEIR EXEGESIS OF GEN 1-11 YECs and PCs simply closed
their minds. YECs and PCs refused to accept the now established fact that the
testimony of the fossils told a very different history of life then the
history they expected.
>I admire honest scholars like Stephen
> Jay Gould who have attempted to set the record straight. Perhaps
> now we will all know that the perception we all learned about the
> fossil record derived from Darwin's expectations were false.
I admire his honesty as well. And in my many evolutions discussions with
evolutionary colleagues I have experience this same candor and honesty.
OK, Darwin got a lot of things wrong. Science has now gone beyond him,
and Gould's position testifies it. But Gould remains a firm evolutionist.
In Him,
Denis
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Denis O. Lamoureux DDS PhD PhD (cand)
Department of Oral Biology Residence:
Faculty of Dentistry # 1908
University of Alberta 8515-112 Street
Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton, Alberta
T6G 2N8 T6G 1K7
CANADA CANADA
Lab: (403) 492-1354
Residence: (403) 439-2648
Dental Office: (403) 425-4000
E-mail: dlamoure@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca
"In all debates, let truth be thy aim, and endeavor to gain
rather than expose thy opponent."
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