Missing link?

[Glen]

i don't understand why creationists can't just man the fuck up and say

'look guys. this is what i believe. it is some pretty fucked up shit, and it doesn't make much sense, but it makes me happy.'

i guess it must be more embarassing than attempting to argue with a paleontologist about evolution!

 

[Robo-Ky]

Just because you don't believe in God and National Geographic posts some evolution porn does not give you free reign to be a massive dick.

Um... "evolution porn?" Sorry DK, I'm not buying it.

Technically, the definition of pornography is:

obscene writings, drawings, photographs, or the like, esp. those having little or no artistic merit.

That doesn't really sound like science, does it? The theory of evolution has evolved into one of the largest, most successful scientific theories in history; I would not consider it "obscene." You probably believe in creation; I have no problem with that. I believe in evolution because there has not been a single piece of evidence to disprove it. This discovery supposedly establishes a link between higher primates and lemurs; doesn't exactly sound like two blondes pressing down on each other, does it?

 

[Luduan]

i didnt say it does but this dosent mean your forced to agree
besides i dont get why people just love bringing up contriversal topics every forum has this, in my opinion (i know you guys wont agree)this is a no win arguement. atheists cant convince evryone that evolution is real and in turn christians and other religons cant make all other religons and atheists convert to their religon its not worth wasteing time argueing about. if you guys want to just talk about this stuff im sure theres entire sites that are devoted to these topics lol

Tell that to Ken Miller. This has nothing to do with religion, only with idiotic interpretations thereof. Moreover, the point of a general discussion forum is to hold general discussions. The existence of websites devoted solely to a topic is irrelevant. There are also websites devoted to music, movies, and gaming; should Internet Renaissance be removed for this reason? Mentioning a recent scientific discovery is in no way "controversial"; certainly not more so than many of the other issues rehashed here ad nauseum. (Also, is it really that difficult to spell simple words and punctuate correctly?)

That doesn't really sound like science, does it? The theory of evolution has evolved into one of the largest, most successful scientific theories in history; I would not consider it "obscene." You probably believe in creation; I have no problem with that. I believe in evolution because there has not been a single piece of evidence to disprove it. This discovery supposedly establishes a link between higher primates and lemurs; doesn't exactly sound like two blondes pressing down on each other, does it?

He is Catholic, so I assume he accepts common descent. I am not sure what the "evolution porn" comment was directed towards.

 

[Deck Knight]

You guys didn't really just try and nitpick me about an obvious use of hyperbole, did you?

I mean, its not like National Geographic was posting a discovery involving apes getting it on, in which case porn might have been a serious descriptor.

suppressing class consciousness

LOL. And you have the gall to say religion spreads ignorance. I'd grant you that, but if only you'd admit "class consciousness" is a precept of your ideology which you accept based entirely on faith, thereby making your system also a religion.

 

[Nekada]

I really don't get the interest in fossils from that long ago. We're so far beyond that now, we've mapped the human genome along with countless others and are now starting to understand what that means for us. Why is it so important to know exactly where we came from when we have all eternity ahead of us?

It's a fossil. Calm down.

 

[Eternal]

Obviously the puddle failed in making entirely intelligent human life.
Incidentally, I've yet to see a religious person explain everything behind their holy scripture/way the world works.

There is nothing is nothing that will explain to you how the world works. Science doesn't. Religious beliefs would only tell you what to believe because human intelligence can't percieve anything in comparison to God.

 

[Gir!]

*shrugs i couldnt care less about this to tell you guys the truth, im am christian though i dont care if someone is atheist or not this isnt affecting my faith at all lol

Ummm, you do realize that being Christian (or any other religion, for that matter) doesnt mean you have to deny evolution, dont you? Creationism states that everything that exists was created by God. Also(and please, dont quote me on this, since Im not 100% sure it is true) it states that there was not only 1 creation, but many, saying that God destroyed everything and then started from scrath. Evolution, on the other hand, states that living beings suffer changes from generation to generation, in order to survive, they must adapt to their surroundings, those that succesfully adapt, survive and pass their genes to future generation, those that dont, just die and dissapear.

Many important religious authorities have accepted the Evolution theory(which, in my opinion, is more like a fact by now), however, there are still some radical religious groups who accept Creationism as true, even when theres a lack of physical evidence. (Then again, isnt faith by definition the blind beleif in something without proofs of its existence?)

 

[Mountain Dewgong]

I really don't get the interest in fossils from that long ago. We're so far beyond that now, we've mapped the human genome along with countless others and are now starting to understand what that means for us. Why is it so important to know exactly where we came from when we have all eternity ahead of us?

It's a fossil. Calm down.

Nekada? Morm's going to tear you a new one. I'd run, boy. Run while you still have functioning legs.

 

[Luduan]

Ummm, you do realize that being Christian (or any other religion, for that matter) doesnt mean you have to deny evolution, dont you? Creationism states that everything that exists was created by God. Also(and please, dont quote me on this, since Im not 100% sure it is true) it states that there was not only 1 creation, but many, saying that God destroyed everything and then started from scrath.

I suppose this refers to the Deluge. According to the story there was a repopulating of the earth by Noah's family and the animals present on the Ark rather than a re-creation. (Incidentally, it is rather obvious that the Flood myth, besides simply being a remnant of ancient Mesopotamian mythology, was local rather than global. This is compounded by the fact that there are two distinct Flood myths presented in Genesis, which is easily explained by the Documentary Hypothesis but poses significant problems for literalists.) Some branches of Old Earth Creationism believe that there were, in a sense, multiple creations; i.e. that YHWH specially created discrete species at specific points in time. Gap Theory (using the word theory in a very nonscientific sense) holds that an original creation took place in Genesis 1:1, which lasted for an indefinite amount of time (so as to explain the age of the earth), during which time angels were created and ha-Satan (Lucifer) fell from heaven. YHWH then destroyed the original creation and undertook a second creation, recounted in Genesis 1:2-31.

I really don't get the interest in fossils from that long ago. We're so far beyond that now, we've mapped the human genome along with countless others and are now starting to understand what that means for us. Why is it so important to know exactly where we came from when we have all eternity ahead of us?

It's a fossil. Calm down.

Promoting ignorance is never a good idea.

 

[Nekada]

Promoting ignorance is never a good idea.

I'm not promoting ignorance, if anything i'm asking to search for answers. It just doesn't connect how fiercely people are arguing this because I can't see how it is relevant.Basically, I believe in expansion, not regression and this seems like a regressive argument to me. I don't really care who I've been; who I become is what matters. Genetic engineering, the end of world hunger and all of space awaits us and as a species.

I'm out of this now thread now because I think i'm arguing something completely unrelated. I believe the fossil exists and might be the missing link.

 

[Morm]

I really don't get the interest in fossils from that long ago. We're so far beyond that now, we've mapped the human genome along with countless others and are now starting to understand what that means for us. Why is it so important to know exactly where we came from when we have all eternity ahead of us?

It's a fossil. Calm down.

It's important to study fossils because they can tell us about extinction, specifically, and how to avoid it. Uniformitarianism is really all you need to know about to know why it's important.

who I become is what matters. Genetic engineering, the end of world hunger and all of space awaits us and as a species.

Studying the past, specifically adpatations in various environments, can show us how our own evolution may go given certain circumstances, or at least give us a 'heads up' on what has been successful in the past. Other than that, any additional information we can get about the world we live in can only help, wouldn't you agree?

There is nothing is nothing that will explain to you how the world works. Science doesn't. Religious beliefs would only tell you what to believe because human intelligence can't percieve anything in comparison to God.

Physics? Chemistry? I'm not entirely grasping what you're trying to say here. Science doesn't yet explain everything, because it's a process and isn't set in stone. Are you in favor of religion? what is going on here?

 

[Tytus]

I initially found this article through Google, then later watched the TV special on NGC (which was wayyy to long btw). The thing that irks me most is that this was kept in a private collection for, what, 10 years before it was finally turned over to the scientific community? Who knows what else is out there that we may never see because some rich guy feels that he should keep it to himself.

I think it's really neat that this was discovered in Germany, being of German descent myself. It's kind of cool to know that humankind may have begun some initial distinction there.