Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: nyu notesfiles V1.1 4/1/84; site ur-univax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!rochester!ur-univax!stro From: stro@ur-univax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.origins Subject: Re: Catastrophic Evolution: reply # 2 to Message-ID: <41500004@ur-univax.UUCP> Date: Tue, 13-Aug-85 18:27:00 EDT Article-I.D.: ur-univa.41500004 Posted: Tue Aug 13 18:27:00 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 15-Aug-85 00:47:21 EDT References: <369@imsvax.UUCP> Organization: University of Rochester: Computing Center Lines: 46 Nf-ID: #R:imsvax:-36900:ur-univax:41500004:000:2318 Nf-From: ur-univax!stro Aug 13 18:27:00 1985 > If Ron's 116 aren't good enough, I've got several more. The >one that really kills Darwinism as far as I'm concerned goes as >follows: chance mutations are mostly harmful or fatal and even >these are rare. The ones which aren't harmful are extremely >rare and are isolated in time and local e.g. a child with six >fingers may be born in Paris in 1725 A.D. and the next such >child in Chicago in 1912 A.D. What are the chances of these two >marrying and having six-fingered children? Further, many >higher animals will simply kill mutants. Amongst humans, in >every century prior to this one, this phenomenon took the form >of the witchcraft trial. Yes, mutations are rare, helpful ones are even rarer; no evolutionist will deny that. The thing creationists keep overlooking is that these mutations have had over a billion years to occur since life began on Earth. Simple life forms also have much shorter reproduction cycles ( some bacteria multiply every hour ) which of course increases the probability of a mutation in the species. Many, Many mutation may also be so subtle that they are not appearant to others of the species who might kill them. The opposable thumb of homo-sapiens evolved over many thousands of years from the left most finger of lower primates. Others in the species were so similar to the ones which had slight mutations that the difference was not noticeable. Background radiation, a major factor causing mutations, may also have been significantly greater in the past than it is today. But why do we even have to talk about this. Go to your local natural history museum and see for yourself the lovely fossil record of evolution which is solid, concrete, scientific evidence, not a 2000 year old fairy tale. If God created the Earth and he wishes us to believe that he did, why did he also create a magnificent fossil history of life and our planet which proves that we and our planet developed naturally. And none of this "God works is strange and mysterious ways" - which is just a cop out for "If the evidence doesn't fit the theory, disregard the evidence." - Steve Robiner University of Rochester {allegra|seismo|decvax}!rochester!ur-univax!stro "We begin the bombing in five minutes" - Ronald Reagan