Can you good people please indulge a refugee from Religion & Spirituality?

Question

First of all my apologies if this kind of thing has been attempted before, but as far as I know none of the 'Intelligent Design' people have accepted the challenge to take their questions about evolution to the correct section.

So I'm taking it upon myself to do it for them! Following is a link to one of the typical 'how do explain this then' questions we see in R&S all the time. If nothing else it should give you a good laugh to see the level of sheer ignorance running rampant among Creationists (laugh or cry, hard to know which way to go sometimes.)

If you feel like trying to answer it that would be great. Or leave comments here, or both, whatever moves you.

Thanks heaps guys and gals!

http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AlZfLgCc4hjeytpO3Z3qfdQFEBV.?qid=20070428002548AAI8GQJ

Answer 1

We see these questions here all the time.

I'm sure that the frequency of the intensely stupid "why are there still monkeys?" question exceeds that in R&S.

I added my comments. Basically this person is caught up in the idea that everything happens as a result of some "purpose" (which is why she uses terms like "desire" or "wish" or "goal"). For some people, "purpose" is everything, and the idea that things happen without purpose is unsettling. If a life form developed eyes it must have been because it had the "desire" to see.

This is, of course, a path to despair. If you look to *biology* to give your life purpose, then you are in for a very sad awakening when you realize that very few things happen in nature for a "purpose". Rain falls from the sky without purpose. Plants convert sunlight to sugar without "purpose" (the plant is not acting on a "desire" for sugar ... the plant is just doing what the plant does). Things evolve without "purpose" (evolving is what living things do, along with breathing, eating, reproducing, and dying).

Thanks for the invite.

Answer 2

I have not been there, and I do not want to. Understanding the Spirit in Scientific terms is not a problem, adding religion is trying to comprehend the imaginary thoughts of lives lost. Evolution of the human mind has come of age of the teen years in relationship to growth. We have a heck of a lot to learn before we say anymore. Intelligent Design can only be defined by the creator of the term. Who knows what is in that mind or who really cares.
Mortality of the body is obvious, the spirit of the mind lives on in religion. Could this be the soul? I understand energy forces. So what I have written is contradictory, am I also a refugee?
To say I have not been there is not all together true, and to say I do not want to go there is, since I am already here.

Answer 3

What truly never ceases to amaze (disgust?) me is that not only is their ignorance level almost beyond belief, but they revel in it and insist on passing it on further.

I've simply begun to ask the ones who insist that "all ideas/theories should be taught with equal validity" if they'd have any objection to my pushing for a Magic 101 class taught by a long-time sorcerer. After all, no one can possibly understand how electricity works and even if they could, why should I believe them. After all they call it a Theory. I'm also pushing for them to stand at Ground Zero during a nuclear test. I mean, they should know they're going to be okay. After all, why buy into all those scientific Theories that describe nuclear forces. I mean I feel kids should have the options of being exposed to druidic theories and those of the middle ages as well and make up their own minds. Right?

The only reason I even bother answering their ENDLESS and MINDLESS questions is that I feel in some small way, along with the rest of you, I'm trying to hold back the loss of rationalism that seems to be gathering force.

Answer 4

It's true that we do get a handful of the 'intelligent design' types in here from time to time. But they (typically) don't hang around very long (for the reasons you enumerated). And yes, we've all experienced the almost unbelievable level of ignorance of even the most fundamental scientific knowledge ('does the Earth really go around the Sun'? kinds of things ☺) so I/we know your frustration with trying to carry on an intelligent conversation.


Doug

Answer 5

SHE SHOOTS, SHE SCORES!

What a wonderful idea, you clever girl. Maybe I'll take some of the biblical tautologies and post them on the philosophy section.

Answer 6

I quoted a small amount on colour vision evolution, and gave a couple of sources, but I doubt it will do any good.

Answer 7

Ha! I couldn't resist going over there and putting in my 2 cents worth too!

Answer 8

Thanks, I enjoyed that!! It makes total sense to me, I've just never heard it explained like that. I said I would never go back to R&S because it's so degrading, but I think I will go and give that person a star..... and you too, for giving me a reason to go there!!!