On Mon, 23 Aug 1999 19:44:10 -0500 (CDT), Susan B wrote:
[...]
>SJ>My point was that "*Darwinists* have used Darwinian evolution as a
>>vehicle to disseminate their materialist-naturalist philosophy in public
>>schools..."
>>
>>Whether the Pope believes in evolution does not change that fact one iota.
SB>my point (which you seem to have missed entirely) is that evolution *can* be
>taught without any sinister motive...
Who said anything about "sinister motive"? I assume that the Darwinists
use "Darwinian evolution as a vehicle to disseminate their materialist-
naturalist philosophy in public schools" for the very best of motives from their
perspective, namely they really believe it is *true*:
"But of course the naturalists do not leave theistic enclaves alone nor
should they. A naturalistic government that regulates everything else does
not hesitate to reward theistic educational institutions with their own tax
money if they agree to accept "diversity" standards. Secular academic
societies understandably withhold their approval from faculties that do not
meet secular standards of rationality....Granted the metaphysical
assumptions, none of this is in any way reprehensible. People who think
they have truth on their side naturally want to share the truth with others
and to bring enlightenment to private enclaves of superstition. People who
believe what they are saying tend to be persuasive in arguments with
people who suspect deep down that what they have been taught to believe
is only a comforting fantasy..." (Johnson P.E., "Reason in the Balance: The
Case Against Naturalism in Science, Law and Education", 1995, p203).
Steve
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"Our theory of evolution has become, as Popper described, one which
cannot be refuted by any possible observations. Every conceivable
observation can be fitted into it. It is thus `outside of empirical science' but
not necessarily false. No one can think of ways in which to test it. Ideas,
either without basis or based on a few laboratory experiments carried out in
extremely simplified systems, have attained currency far beyond their
validity. They have become part of an evolutionary dogma accepted by
most of us as part of our training." (Birch L.C. & Ehrlich P.R.,
"Evolutionary History and Population Biology", Nature, Vol. 214, 22 April
1967, p352)
Stephen E. Jones | sejones@iinet.net.au | http://www.iinet.net.au/~sejones
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