References:
(1) “On the Origin of Species” by Charles Darwin.
(2) The scientists Fransesco Redi, John Needham, and Louis Pasteur DISPROVED spontaneous generation.
(3) Cliff Knecktle says: atheists believe in 6 miracles: (a) Life comes from non-life. (b) Existence comes from non-existence (from the Big Bang). (c) Order comes from chaos. (d) Personal comes from non-personal. (e) Reason comes from non-reason. (f) Morality comefrom matter. In terms of the 6th miracle, do atheists really believe that a stone can give the 10 Commandments?
(4) Despite their obvious differences, creationists and evolutionists do AGREE on several things. For example, they both agree that (a) the universe and life came into existence in the past; (b) these origins were one-time EVENTS, not repeatable by humans, nor were they OBSERVED by any human witness; (c) we do not have and probably never will obtain DIRECT KNOWLEDGE of how these origins occurred, regardless of how many ways we demonstrate that they could have occurred; and (d) individual variation and MICRO-evolution have occurred.
(5) But the agreement DISAPPEARS when we bring up the subject of MACRO-evolution. Perhaps it’s advantageous to recall the definitions of these 2 terms. Microevolution refers to SMALL-SCALE evolutionary changes, typically within a SINGLE POPULATION, that occur within a population or species over a relatively short period of time. In CONTRAST, macroevolution refers to SIGNIFICANT evolutionary changes that occur over LONG PERIODS, often resulting in the emergence of NEW SPECIES. Microevolutionary changes are often DIRECTLY OBSERVABLE and can be EXPERIMENTALLY TESTED, such as coloration of a population. Macroevolutionary changes are typically INFERRED from the fossil record, comparative anatomy, and molecular data, making them LESS directly observable.
(6) Darwin ASSUMED the basis of life — the cell — was UNCOMPLICATED, maintaining the cell was essentially a BLOB of material enclosed by a membrane, called PROTOPLASM. But Darwin did not know all the FUNCTIONS of the cell. Neither did he know about DNA.
(7) One of the most important causes of the creation/evolution CONTROVERSY is the MISUNDERSTANDING OF WORDS. The word EVOLUTION causes much confusion because of its several meanings, implications, and misuses. When someone asks, “Do you believe in evolution?” Are they asking about the scientifically DEMONSTRABLE changes WITHIN a species (called MICRO-evolution) or of the UNDEMONSTRATED theory of evolution where NEW SPECIES develop over millions of years (MACRO-evolution), or are they asking for both?
(8) There is NO CONFLICT between creationists and evolutionists with regard to the 2 lower levels of evolution (that is, individual VARIATION and MICRO-evolution). There is, however, a DEFINITE CONFLICT with regard to MACRO-evolution.
(9) I believe it was Stephen Jay Gould, the Harvard paleontologist, who said “Evolution is FACT,FACT, FACT. But if no supporting evidence to substantiate that claim, then it is merely OPINION, OPINION, OPINION.
(10) The 3rd tenet of Darwinian evolution is Random mutation.
(11) But here is the TRUTH: most mutations are HARMFUL to a creature. So a LARGE NUMBER of mutations would be necessary in order to increase the CHANCES that the mutation would be BENEFICIAL. This increase will give more mutations, but I suspect that the increased number of mutations will actually make it LESS PROBABLE that mutations would be beneficial.
(12) The fourth point of the 6 factors is Natural selection. Darwin observed a STRUGGLE for survival in which the stronger creatures SURVIVED and the weaker ones DIED OFF. This is what he called NATURAL SELECTION. My question is: How do we know the survivors were stronger? With all this RANDOMNESS going on, could it not be that the survivors were just RANDOMLY SELECTED for survival? Could it not be that what looks like STRENGTH actually covers a WEAKNESS?
(13) In the 4th chapter of the book “The God Delusion” Richard Dawkins says that natural selection is the ONLY KNOWN SOLUTION to the unanswerable RIDDLE of where the information [of the origin of life, etc.] COMES FROM. Dawkins also said, “Natural selection not only EXPLAINS the WHOLE of life; it also raises our CONSCIOUSNESS to the power of SCIENCE to explain how organized complexity can EMERGE from simple beginnings without any deliberate GUIDANCE.” Dawkins continues, “But Darwinian evolution, specifically natural selection, …. SHATTERS the ILLUSION OF DESIGN within the domain of biology, and teaches us to be SUSPICIOUS of any kind of DESIGN HYPOTHESIS in physics and cosmology as well.”
(14) So Dawkins claims that natural selection is the explanation for the existence of life! That is a STRANGE CLAIM — natural selection only operates after living organisms have produced offsprings.
(15) I asked Britannica.com the question: Can natural selection explain the origin of life. Here is their answer: “Natural selection cannot explain the origin of life. The theory of natural selection is a process that explains how SPECIES EVOLVE over time through the ADAPTATION of organisms to their environments.”
This is episode 280.
