Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!floyd!vax135!ariel!houti!hogpc!houxm!ihnp4!ixn5c!inuxc!pur-ee!iuvax!isrnix!tim
From: tim@isrnix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.religion,net.misc
Subject: Re: Faith in Evolution.
Message-ID: <264@isrnix.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 1-Jul-83 04:01:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: isrnix.264
Posted: Fri Jul  1 04:01:03 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Jul-83 06:55:35 EDT
References: cbscd5.220
Lines: 41

I am not really all that interested in responding to Creationists
attacks on Evolution because I feel it is a waste of time. But I do
find it amusing to contrast Creationists with the anti-Copernicans
who refused to believe that the Earth revolved around the Sun for
200 years after Copernicus presented his theory, largely on the basis
of such Biblical references as Joshua making the Sun stand still,
and so forth.  I suppose it will another 150 years (assuming we survive!)
before the Creationists finally give up! They will nitpick with this or
that little detail of exactly how evolution took place, whether it
possibly COULD take place (but of course not wonder at the miraculous
supposed appearance in 7 days of the whole universe!) and forget the
larger picture which is conclusive.  The anti-Copernicans did the same
thing, even Tycho Brahe who was one of the best astronomers of his day
wouldn't accept Copernicus theory, and indeed by a lot of diddling he
came up with a model which was ever so slightly better than Copernicus
in explaining the planets motions as they knew them at that time.
But of course he was wrong! So Creationists nitpick about carbon-dating
this fossil was a fake, nobody's found the "missing link" to human
ancestry (tho more links are discovered all the time there's always
one "missing"!) and so forth.  But then they will forget to mention that
there are whole geological strata that are nothing but trilobites,
other strata in which there are nothing but dinosaurs and a few
small rodentlike mammals, and so forth-i.e. the conclusive evidence
that well, at this time there nothing but trilobites and then there
nothing but dinosaurs and then there were predominantly mammals.
Hmmmmmm, I think one might assume there was some sort of sequence perhaps
shall we even call it "evolution" from one period to another......
Exactly how that process works evolutionists cannot be sure, but that 
there has been some sort of progression or change across the eons is
indubitable.  Just as it is indubitable that the Earth revolves around
the Sun.  Or would anyone like to argue that point from the Scriptures
as past Christians have done?
Whether Evolution itself is divinely inspired is a good question and
not at all ruled out.  Teillhard de Chardin was both a paleontologist
AND a prominent Catholic theologian whose works have pondered exactly
that question-how might evolution have worked into God's processes?
I think Christians would find better use of their time considering that
question than trying to deny established scientfic fact. But as long
as they try to deny it I remain amused......
      tim sevener
      decvax!pur-ee!iuvax!isrnix!tim