Might put my post above in a new thread just for future reference. The soft tissue in dino fossils comes up quite a lot. I think it would be worth having the scientific explanation available. Might add it to to Evolution is a fact series.
Posts by cofty
-
42God and Unicorns
by Sea Breeze inatheist scientists now agree that "elasmotherium sibiricu" lived with humans.
all they had to do was read their bible to know that.
job 39:9 “will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?”.
-
-
-
196
would you be more happy not knowing what you now know?
by ExBethelitenowPIMA ina good question is would you be more happy not knowing what you now know?.
were you more happy pimi?
are all the pimis more happy than the the pimos or the pomos?.
-
-
cofty
Yes TonusOH I think SCM is a good example from this side of the pond who refuses to compromise on the science but maintains a belief.
The problem for JWs and fundie xtians is that it makes a particular type of god impossible. There can be no Adam, no fall from perfection, no ransom in the sense that JWs understand it.
I think it also radically affects your understanding of humanity when you know we shared a common ancestor with every living thing and got here after billions of years of carnage - including the almost total annihilation of all life on 5 or 6 occasions. It is far more interesting than the wilful ignorance (or 'informed ignorance' whatever that means) that Ex-B is arguing for.
My disbelief is not a result of evolution. that makes god unnecessary but not impossible.
-
196
would you be more happy not knowing what you now know?
by ExBethelitenowPIMA ina good question is would you be more happy not knowing what you now know?.
were you more happy pimi?
are all the pimis more happy than the the pimos or the pomos?.
-
-
cofty
Conway Morris believes (and has made his case in lectures -and a book?) that a study of evolution can lead one to the conclusion that there is an intelligence behind it
No he absolutely does not.
He is 100% committed to the scientific position that every single example of complexity in evolution can be completely explained without reference to an intelligent designer.
I have told you a dozen times that most Christians accept evolution without abandoning belief in God.
The earth is not flat: all living things evolved by evolution from a common ancestor over millions of years.
These two statements are equally certain. There is zero scientific debate about either of them.
That does not affect whether or not god exists.
I'm only trying to encourage you to not adopt wilful ignorance that you argued for in your OP. Thoroughly study everything that can be known and base your beliefs on reality.
-
196
would you be more happy not knowing what you now know?
by ExBethelitenowPIMA ina good question is would you be more happy not knowing what you now know?.
were you more happy pimi?
are all the pimis more happy than the the pimos or the pomos?.
-
-
cofty
ExB - SCM disagrees passionately with your assertion that complexity points to a designer.
SBF is up to his usual bs tricks where words have no meaning.
-
196
would you be more happy not knowing what you now know?
by ExBethelitenowPIMA ina good question is would you be more happy not knowing what you now know?.
were you more happy pimi?
are all the pimis more happy than the the pimos or the pomos?.
-
-
cofty
Here is an extract from a recent interview with SCM that address his views on evidence for intelligence having a hand in biological evolution.
I am typing on my phone so will leave a reference later.
Interviewer- I take it that in the case of evolution, there's sort of two ways to go for a theist. There's the idea that God just set everything up and made the rules, but then nature obeys those rules. But there's also a way that you could imagine God guiding the course of evolution. Do you have strong feelings about that dichotomy?
1:05:18.1 SCM: Oh, I have a strong feeling against the second option, very much so, 'cause that's something which as you say goes dangerously close to intelligent design or creationism
So SCM is 100% a traditional evolutionary scientist who happens to be a Christian - exactly as I have been saying repeatedly.
He does believe in an ultimate teleology but that is a philosophical question not a scientific one.
-
196
would you be more happy not knowing what you now know?
by ExBethelitenowPIMA ina good question is would you be more happy not knowing what you now know?.
were you more happy pimi?
are all the pimis more happy than the the pimos or the pomos?.
-
-
cofty
Are you saying that SCM believes that common descent can't be explained without resorting to non-natural explanations?
-
196
would you be more happy not knowing what you now know?
by ExBethelitenowPIMA ina good question is would you be more happy not knowing what you now know?.
were you more happy pimi?
are all the pimis more happy than the the pimos or the pomos?.
-
-
cofty
Yes still waiting for you name these biologists who think intelligence might have been involved in evolution. What are their names and qualifications and where are their peer reviewed papers?
I gave you a link to 3.8 million papers that say otherwise.
Just like I'm waiting for you to name the books about common ancestry that you claim to have read.
-
42
How do you feel about Brexit?
by SydBarrett inthe "independent scotland" thread got me thinking on this.
there are a lot of brits on this board.
what are your thoughts on brexit?
-
-
cofty
'Enjoy'? Don't think so. I just said it will be/is painful. It's a bit like a divorce after a long and unhappy marriage. Expensive and painful but necessary.
-
42
How do you feel about Brexit?
by SydBarrett inthe "independent scotland" thread got me thinking on this.
there are a lot of brits on this board.
what are your thoughts on brexit?
-
-
cofty
forget about blaming the EU for your sad results
No blame necessary. We left a corrupt authoritarian bureaucracy. Despite Boris' lies there was always going to be considerable pain in untangling our country from decades of membership. Anybody who thinks it is all good or all bad is not being objective.
-
20
Unbelief and Salvation
by lriddle80 inhebrews 6:4-8. for it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the holy spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of god and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the son of god to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
7 for land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from god.
8 but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.. but then i read articles that say that you cannot lose your salvation and that this scripture isn't talking about that.. but then 2 timothy says.
-
-
cofty
Thanks Lori.
If you ever want to discuss these topics I'm happy to do so.