Evolution-Creationism Debates

That may be true now, but science and religious beliefs used to be heavily intertwined. And the same was true of the precursor of modern science, natural philosophy.

'They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.'

To be fair, Columbus actually was wrong. He just happened to get lucky.

If a scientist creates a brand-new life form in the laboratory does that make him a Creationist?

To those accusing this man of playing god, I ask "What the hell do you mean playing?"

Like this is an amazing scientific achievement and all but anyone else think this is a horrible idea?

Could one even count the number of scientific advancements that, when first conceived, were considered "playing god"?

Relevant

Humanity playing God is what got us into the mess in the first place. If we are actually playing god, what makes you think it is a reason we would stop?

That makes no sense. Either we are empowered to make sense of and control our universe or we aren't. If we are not, then we should tear down all our buildings and technology and go live in caves.

We aren't perfect, so we make mistakes, but like a child and a hot stove, we only learn by doing. If someone creates a genetically engineered super-horror by accident, well, that's the stove teaching us.

People have been screaming that we're going to destroy ourselves and our planet for centuries. We haven't managed it yet, and it's not the scientists doing the destroying, it's the everyday idiots who misuse what the scientists create because they substitute faith (in the general sense, not necessarily the religious sense) for reason.

edited 17th Feb '14 9:24:10 AM by Fighteer

"You're playing God!" "Somebody has to!"

Because the original clearly fucked up. Just look at the human body. It would more accurately come under the rubric of "Not Particularly Intelligent Design".

edited 17th Feb '14 9:46:14 AM by tricksterson

Retinas in backwards. Who would even make a mistake like that?

Anyone who believes in Intelligent Design has clearly never studied biology.

edited 17th Feb '14 9:49:19 AM by Fighteer

I am now saddened by the fact that the laryngyal nerve's already been mentioned. There's so much fucked up about human biology alone that it's hilarious people dare call it intelligently designed.

Maybe we're just a cheap chinese knockoff of the original?

If you look very carefully in the back of your throat, there's a "Made in China" stamp.

The title of the article about Darth Venter's little baby makes me facepalm.

It's the fuckin' Daily Mail, what do you expect? They're the British Fox News.

The Designer was obviously a civil engineer.

Who else would put a recreational area right next to a waste-transport canal?

A counterpoint, as presented by the angry ghost of Charles Darwin.

edited 19th Feb '14 11:51:45 AM by Blueeyedrat

There are plenty of animals that don't piss out their dick. Octopi, for example.

Obviously, the Designer is an octopus.

All Hail Our Tentacled Overlords!

Waitasec, the FSM has "tentacles", too. And presumably does not excrete waste through or near its reproductive orifices.

Truly, His Noodly Appendage has touched me, and provided Enlightenment!

R'Amen!

Different evolutionary pathways = different results, exactly what you'd expect for unguided evolution.

Humans are basically the platypus of the hominid family.

We're all platypi in different ways. It's just more obvious in some species than in others.

I remember a few years ago Terry Pratchett wrote some New Years Resolutions for the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale from Good Omans. Both had "Encourage belief in Intelligent Design" on their list with Aziraphale adding "despite the fact that the human airway crosses the digestive tract. Who thought that was intelligent?"

edited 20th Feb '14 9:08:13 AM by SebastianGray