How does intelligent design explain the evolution of humans in recent history?

Question

For example in the middle ages the average human lifespan was 40 years, but now we live nearly twice that in most countries. We live longer because we have learned more about hygiene, nutrition, and medicine. We have evolved.

Well, evolution is a change in traits of over generations, including but not limited to the emergence of a new species.

If you put a living organism into a different environment it may change over time, if you put it back where it was before it will most likely change back over time.

After generations of living in an environment different from the middle ages I don't think that we would automatically revert if our environment suddenly changed.

Why wouldn't proper hygiene, good nutrition, and advanced medicine lead to genetic changes over generations of time?

Answer 1

If you look at the Biblical record, even in Moses' day the normal lifespan was 70-80 years (see Psalm 90:10, which was written by Moses).
This has nothing to do with evolution.
I for one do not believe in macro-evolution - the theory that one species evolves into another.
I believe in specific creation of the species.
Really what you are referring to is sometimes called "micro-evolution", which is not evolution at all, but simply the adaptability of the species.
If you are interested in the subject from both a Christian and a scientific viewpoint, I recommend the following website:
http://www.reasons.org/

Answer 2

To answer, simple: evolution. Creationism and Intelligent Design have no argument other than "God did it". The vast majority of creationists spend their time trying to disprove or discredit evolution rather than building a scientific case for their beliefs. "First I want to say this: that even most scientists will admit "that evolution is a theory, not a fact. Why? because it has not been proven." Actually, evolution itself is an confirmed, observable fact. The theory aspect of it is how it operated. "The Second Law of Thermodynamics/The Law of Entropy states that everything tends toward disorder. This is a law that Scientists discovered and know to be true." Yes, that holds in a closed system. The Earth is not a closed system, and it has an huge external power generator. "Also, if evolution is true, where did the first cell come from? Not to mention, the earth, the sun, our entire solar system, the Milky Way Galexy, and the universe as a whole. I somehow doubt that the big bang could create all of that by chance. And even if it did, what/who caused the big bang? These are all questions that evolutionist scientists can't answer. I find these questions to be to big for me to believe these scientists. There are, however, Scientists that believe in ID and they can answer all of these questions." The theory of evolution does not make statements of either the origins of life or the origin of the universe. Those would abiogenesis and the Big Bang theory. "I honestly believe that it takes more faith to believe in evolution than intelligent design." No it doesn't. The evidence for evolution is well documented around the world. You only need to look it up. The "evidence" for Creationism is the Bible and appeal to emotion argument of "look around you, it's evident". "People say that the similarities in different animals are reason to believe in evolution. But if their was an intelligent designer of the world, it would make sense that they would use some of the same types of designs in different animals." Irrelevant "If you look at how buildings and bridges are made, they both have similar things in them. They often are both made with triangles. Why? because they help strengthen the structure. They also both use similar metals and other materials because they work well. Why would an intelligent designer not use the same principle when creating all the different animals in the world?" Why do humans have a vestigial organ that pretty much gets infected and can kill you? Why do our eyes have a blind spot on them due to our blood veins being backwards, when squids have perfect vision? Why do we have little toes? Why are some human babies born without faces? (Treacher Collins Syndrome) Why are some human babies born with tail bones? Why do whales have small leg bones?

Answer 3

We have not evolved genetically because we have improved technology in the modern world. I would argue that as social creatures we have set goals to improve human lives through subsequent generations. This technological improvement parallels genetic evolution, but it is a meaningful form of evolution based on human interests. Kind of like the secular equivalent of intelligent design, without the pseudoscience.

In the future, human evolution may be driven by improvements in genetic engineering. We could potentially direct the evolutionary process at an exponential speed, and create meaningful genetic changes, much in the way a farmer breeds good traits from their crop selection.

As a side note, intelligent design is still the equivalent of green j-ello when it comes to scientific theory. Evolution is supported by fact.

Answer 4

The oldest person in the Bible was Methuselah at 969 years, then later God lowered the average life span to 120 years, and then even lower to our current average of 70 to 80 years--and this because of the increasing wickedness of mankind.

http://www.biblebb.com/files/tonyqa/tc04-178.htm

So actually intelligent design exposes that we have not evolved only become worse so bad that God has to limit our lifespan. Our knowledge is nothing compared to what a person living in old testament times could gain by being able to live for a few hundred years so we really havent learned alot but in fact have forgotten alot. You could say we under a curse of not being able to live as long as we once could.

Answer 5

Why would that be evolution? If there were some sort of Stephen King in the The Stand scenario and we had to go back to basics with no electricity and such, the lifespan of the human would revert immediately back to the middle ages.

Answer 6

Daisy, you have contradicted yourself. You say we live longer because we have evolved. then you say we live longer because of advances in hygiene, nutrition and medicine. Most reputable scientist do not attribute our longer life spans from the middle ages to now to evolution but to your second reason. to say that it is due to evolution is like saying I have evolved in one generation from my mother because I'm now older than she was when she died. But I know that diseases such as diabetes and hypertension run in my family and therefore I take more precautions. Some of my siblings younger than me already suffer from these maladies.

Answer 7

This is not evolution in the darwinian sense. Natural selection did not play a part in these advances. They were achieved through the non-genetic transfer of knowledge between generations.

Answer 8

It was for a few reason.Today we have medicines and thing to treat and weaken diseases and we also have less chance to get it because of cleanliness.

Our eyes have been opened to health.We have not evolved.
Their is evidence for a creator everywhere.That is no proof of evolution.

Answer 9

AIUI, they use normal evidence but "argue" from incredulity that it couldn't happen naturally.

And *NO*, THAT IS NOT EVOLUTION AT ALL! ... Evolution is random *genetic mutation* and *natural selection* - neither of these central points are involved in your nutrition/age example.

Re Your: "if you put it back where it was before..."; this is totaly WRONG. This has *never* been seen and is *NOT* theorized.
Re Your: "Why wouldn't..."; this is "irrelevant*. Evolution is not based on "what-ifs"... as I stated before, there *needs* to be genetic change (& you're right, not necess. species change) .

Answer 10

And you are saying these advances in hygiene, nutrition, and medicine are actually evolutionary and did not involve intelligence?