For me, the evidence is strong for the punctuated equilibrium theory of how macroevolution usually takes place, at least in regards to the idea that speciation events tend to take place in an isolated very small subset of the population.That is why those fossils are especially hard to find. But the genetic code in every living species contains a 'fossilized' genetic record of its evolutionary ancestry.
The Evidence of Human Evolution keeps getting stronger and stronger
by Disillusioned JW 47 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Disillusioned JW
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notsurewheretogo
JW's dismiss evolution along with many folks because they think evolution is a) a theory not proved and b) is the origin of life.
Facts show that evolution is true but it is simply the terminology of the word "theory".
A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment. Such fact-supported theories are not "guesses" but reliable accounts of the real world.
Thus the theory of gravity, relativity and evolution fall into the above definition.
Most folks confuse the terminology of "theory" with "hypothesis" but a scientific hypothesis is the initial building block in the scientific method. Many describe it as an "educated guess," based on prior knowledge and observation. A hypothesis also includes an explanation of why the guess may be correct.
Evolution is NOT a "hypothesis" in the above definition.
Then there is the confusion between the origin of life, or more accurately the arrival of living matter from non living matter and evolution which discusses literally no part of that conversation.
The origin of living matter is Abiogenesis and whilst some disagree is mostly "hypothesis" by definition.
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S0ShowdidIgethere
Along these lines...
This past weekend we (the family) watched the first day of the convention, which includes an interesting dramatic Bible reading on Noah...
While listening to this, and viewing pictures of the animals perfectly lined up and marching into the ark...all I could think is, there's no flippin way that a man and a few members of his family could coral all of these wild animals like this. Last weekend we visited a nature reserve that had cheetahs...they were kept behind barbed wire fences and common sense tells you that if you got too close to these creatures it would eat your face off...You mean to tell me that Noah just said "Hey come on you guys, queue on up" to LIONS, GIRAFFES, HIPPOS, EAGLES, ALLIGATORS?? maybe with some bait...MAYBE!!
So, as I'm thinking these thoughts in my head. I'm sitting next to my husband, who says out loud "Isn't it amazing that these animals just KNEW what to do. Their instinct kicked in and, I bet Noah didn't have to do anything"...Like the animals suddenly had some divine inspiration to get on the ark??? This blew my mind because...from what I know at least, JW doctrine teaches sort of the opposite right? Only man was made with the desire to know and worship Jehovah...not animals? right? anyway...that was bizarre...
Another thing my husband tries to teach myself and the kids as absolute truth is that animals eat each other and are only violent and vicious because humans started eating them...As in when man asked Jehovah if they can eat meat, and he set forth the way to do it and whats clean and unclean etc. So before that no human ever ate meat, and that only then did animals start imitating humans and become vicious...So that's why in paradise when we stop eating them it will tame them...and its our fault in the first place...
Third, and I think my last thing that he believes and teaches us all is that Carbon Dating is flawed because of the flood. Since the "mist" surrounding the earth was blocking or filtering the Sun, the way that it aged things is off, and after the flood when the mist rained down and was gone, the SUN and it's UV rays or whatever, like roasted all the fossils so everything seems much older than it actually is.....
Have fun with that!
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JoenB75
I like it all. Bible, evolution and extra terresticals. I hope Star Trek will come true
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FFGhost
SOS,
I know!
OK, so Jehovah can miraculously "change the instinct of animals" so they can go marching up into a big wooden box....
So why not just "miraculously" kill all the evildoing men & Nephilim & leave the poor animals in peace?
Why did 99.9999% of all animal life have to die, if Jehovah can casually perform such miracles as "get animals to march into a box"?
That's the kind of question that can get you disfellowshipped, of course.
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JoenB75
The flood is just an ancient allegory
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S0ShowdidIgethere
Yeah...
Rinse and repeat allegory of "Do what I say, or you will die."
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JoenB75
The reason they had to die, was probably because sin was supposed to be universal and animals are the subjects of man, his possession (Genesis 1:27). They then become part of the sinful kosmos just like the earth was cursed for Adam's sin (Genesis 3:17). Yet God in his mercy allowed human creation to continue through that ship. This is before God became Christian you could say, man is viewed through the federal headship glasses. That would be my answer to the elders. AM I df'ed?
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Disillusioned JW
While abiogenesis is not the same as biological evolution it is what scientists (especially ones which have a big history picture of the universe) call chemical evolution (or which is considered a part of what is called chemical evolution). Likewise there is what is called cosmological evolution. One astrophysicist, Eric Chaisson, has a book from 1981 called Cosmic Dawn: The Origins of Matter and Life and his revision (and enlargement) of it is called the Epic of Evolution: Seven Ages of the Cosmos. I wish I had read the first book before making the decision to get baptized since it probably would have made a difference in my life. I am very impressed by the latter book. The books are about the evolution (in the the broad sense of gradual change and even transmutation, such as transmutation of one atomic element into a another by nuclear fusion) of the universe. It includes cosmological evolution, chemical evolution, and biological evolution. His book also talks about cultural evolution.
Eric Chaisson also has a book, from 2001, called Cosmic Evolution: The Rise of Complexity in Nature. A brief description of the book from Wikipedia is the following. "It examines cosmic evolution which includes the history of natural evolution from the Big Bang to the present from the perspective of the emerging multi-scientific discipline of Big History.[2] It offers an explanation of why simple structures billions of years ago gave way to more complex structures, such as stars, planets, life, and human beings in complex civilizations.[2] It is written for a general audience interested in science." [See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_Evolution_(book) .]
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Vidiot
notsurewheretogo - "JW's dismiss evolution along with many folks because they think evolution is a) a theory not proved and b) is the origin of life."
Not quite.
They do use those arguments to dismiss it, but they're not why they dismiss it.
JWs and other creationists reject evolution because their religious cosmology is dependent on the assumption that the Genesis creation narrative must be literal history (particularly regarding Adam and Eve in Eden).
If life - and by extension, humanity - evolved, then the events in Genesis did not actually happen, and by extension, the historicity of the Bible - and ultimately, the legitimacy of Christianity itself - is called into question.