Sorry to be Koontzian, but something occurred to me. The moderate creationists, by and large, are mostly upset about the exclusion of a God in the process, not necessarily insulted by the idea of descent. What we need, I think, is to create or publicize a new branch of science that deals specifically with non-biological to biological origins, thus diverting the creationists' attention away from Evolution, which is a damn sight more useful.
I'm sure a name already exists for those studying, but if scientists were to put it out in front, I'd guess that in a generation or so, evolution would be able to be taught with little fuss, while the fundies throw fits over the new branch. I've rarely seen a critic of evolution understand that it has nothing to do with the origin of life, only the ongoing change in organisms. Maybe the Theory of Origination?
Thoughts, please.
H.
p.s. Bill, you can have your own branch for Star Trek critters, I promise.
I always thought the the problem with evolution from a religious perspective is that it effectively states that <insert diety> created imperfect organisms. And if the diety in question isn't able to create a perfect organism, doesn't that shatter the idea of them being infallible?
Trying to divert attention by focusing media on "mike the garden pixie made everything" or something surely is still destined to fail when you want to continue to teach Evolution as science at the expense of creation
Interesting idea, but I suspect creationists & fundamental Christians would simply lump evolution & your new theory of origination together as liberal-academic-elitist hogwash. Fundamentalists believe in the literal truth of the Bible, so any theory or evidence that contradicts Biblical passages is attacked. Both evolution & your theory of origination would be undermined, since they both contradict Biblical doctrine. The best you could hope for would be to take the emphasis off of evolution. Creationists might shift focus to origination, just like they've shifted away from attacks on carbon dating & the age of the earth to the current debate on evolution.
More liberal Christians just view Biblical accounts as metaphors, or the best explanation available for humans writing at the time. Catholic doctrine allows for evolution with a few caveats:
a) the human soul is created by God, and therefore is immune from change over time
b) God, rather than random environmental adaptation, has guided the evolution of modern humans from more primitive creatures
I'm not sure what Catholics would say about the theory of origination. They might accept the science, but state it is immoral to convert non-biological to biological material, because only God should create material capabile of sustaining life.
Pandering to these people won't stop them whining about it. They don't usually understand the subjects they're whining about now anyway; adding a new one isn't going to phase them in the slightest.
Tried it, failed. This branch of science is called Abiogenesis. The problem is, we have no empirical information about the formation of life, only rudimentary hypotheses and no way to recreate or test the conditions in which life began. We barely know where to start, so there is little science can say on the matter right now. In regards to your question, it means that there isn't much in the way of a shiny new heathen scientific blashphemy to distract creationists with :)Originally Posted by Houngan
Evolutionists have been complaining for years and years that creationists lump evolution in with abiogenesis. Evolutionists complain all the time that God creating life doesn't prevent evolution occuring -- or that evolution's occurence doesn't mean that God could not have created life.
Creationists, however, continue to confuse life coming into being (genesis or abiogenesis) with the evolution of existing life. It is a deliberate tactic, an attempt to claim evolution is more than it really is, so as to make it appear less sound as an explanatory theory of life's development.
However, Creationists often describe the big bang and the formation of the Earth as "evolution," You cannot argue with this kind of deliberated misdirection, and there is no point trying. It is a political battle, a "culture War" if you are into that kind of terminology, and it is in that arena where the battle will be won or lost.
Besides, it's a well-known fact that all life was created by the Flying Spaghetti Monster when he laid His wobbly tentacles upon the Void, glory unto Him.
Indeed, my messenger name has been His Noodly Appendage for the last 3 weeks.
H.
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