Saturday, September 22, 2007

What's God Got to Do With It?



This is a hysterical cartoon I found from a Creationist website.

My 17 year old daughter, Anastasia is being homeschooled this year and taking an AP Biology class at the local public school. We knew that Evolution would be a topic. As one Traditional Catholic told me, it is important to learn about the theory of Evolution, if for no other reason that to debunk it. We didn't have to wait long for Evolution to rear its head. A book assigned to the class called, "Survival of the Sickest" mentioned the "miracle of evolution". It's premise was that certain diseases like diabetes and even anemia can actually be beneficial to man. For example because diabetics has more sugar in their blood they withstand the cold better and the anemia caused by eating Fava beans (an African staple) helped the people avoid contracting malaria. Somehow the conclusion was drawn that these events proved evolution.

Ana, in her confident way, explained that it was confusing to her that while evolution was proposed there was no answer as to what began or initiated the process of evolution? What (or even more importantly who)was the catalyst? She finished her paper by pointing out that in discussing the "miracle of evolution", naturally a miracle indicated Divine assistance.

That's my girl.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

She's seems pretty smart. Must take after your side of the family

Petrus said...

Just looking at the pictures, I thought that this was the evolution of the beer belly.

Anonymous said...

How did Lucy evolve into man? I mean being a girl and all. . .

frival said...

That is one smart cookie you're raising there. I feel sorry for the person who tries to debate her on any serious subject.

Sanctus Belle said...

That comic is hilarious!

Curmudgeon said...

Try this, if you haven't already:

http://www.audiosancto.com/?y=2003

See the October 11 talk

Anonymous said...

Down with evolution. I once heard of a hilarious "evolution of the Canadian" comic, which ended up with a hockey palyer. I haven't seen it, but it would be worth searching out.

Anonymous said...

Your daughter has it right, but not for the reasons you seem to imagine. Believing that God directs evolution isn't debunking anything since science has nothing to say about the supernatural, which as a believer and a scientist is exactly the way that I want it. The creation science/intelligent design misinformation campaigns are bad science, but, even worse, they're bad theology. Science is a human creation, limited by our abilities, and isn't meant to present absolute truth. Dragging God down to a level where science is supposedly being used by us to define Him doesn't strike me as a good idea. Read "Finding Darwin's God" by Ken Miller, also a traditionalist Catholic, but one who understands science (http://www.findingdarwinsgod.com/),in order to get a better understanding of how science does not conflict with religious belief.

About the cartoon, its a lie on several levels, and there's nothing in it that represents science. The "facts" in it are purposely misrepresented, and the evidence contradicting poor anthropology like Piltdown Man was found by scientists at about the same time as the inaccurate claims, a long time ago. Lies of that sort is what the ID/creation science campaigns are made up of. A shameful thing for Christians to be doing. Raising your daughter to believe that the scientific community is a bunch of conspiratorial atheists, and that science is something that can be put to a popular vote (I would vote against gravity myself), would be a significant impediment for her. Instead I would hope that she learn the true nature of science, and that it can't be used as proof for, or against, religious beliefs. Everything in science might one day be proven wrong, but it won't be because the scientific community is a bunch of lying, stupid, atheists. The evolution and natural selection education she is getting in AP Biology is honestly the best that science has to offer at the moment. Learning it will be to her benefit, and should have no impact on her religious belief.

Lisa said...

Concerning the previous post... Oh, brother.

Anonymous said...

Concerning the post by Anonymous:

That's a whole bunch of words to say a very little thing!!!

As far as the cartoon is concerned, I challenge you to produce the evidence against it. Not only have I verified this facts with various publications and scientific works, but there's a lot more listed on the site ( http://www.squidoo.com/evolution-problems/) it's from regarding evolution. Additionally, the author is actively responding to any questions that are being brought up!
Learn to distinguish between actual science and myths propagated to prove ones beliefs. Creationism is far better supported by science than the superstition of evolution.

Anonymous said...

You're just driving a wedge (or allowing a wedge to be driven) between your, and your children's, understanding of science, and the scientific community (most of whom are believers, BTW). Simple definition of science: Science is what scientists do. Shutting yourself off from that doesn't help you, or your understanding of God. Scientific creationists, proponents of "evidence against evolution", etc., are not part of the process of science, and are dedicated to confusing your understanding of it.

Be careful of the term "creationism". Its commonly incorrectly used as synonymous with creation science. Theological evolution, the position of the Catholic church towards evolution, is creationism, but rejects creation science.

Don't be afraid to look beyond the few creation science sources for answers. The web has a huge amount of information on the subject of creation science misinformation. To be sure, some of it is written by atheists and humanists with social agendas, but these are fairly easy to identify. The rest is written by scientists and educators who sincerley want to correct the misinformation of the creation science campaigns without meaning to insult anyone's religious beliefs. http://talkorgins.org is an excellent site to start. Use the search engine to look up articles on "Piltdown Man", and the other misinformation represented in the cartoon. For more general help with the facts I recommend, again, Ken Miller's book for a Catholic's perspective, and Francis Collin's book "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief" for an evangelical's. A short article with pointers for the non-scientist in identifying creation science baloney is available at http://www.csicop.org/intelligentdesignwatch/arguments.html

I don't want to imply that theological evolution is the only way of dealing with evolution and religious belief, but a serious and truthful pursuit of a belief in a young earth, for instance, can't be based on science. Its puzzling why so many should insist that it should. Science is a human creation for examining, and using, the world given us. It doesn't provide a "God's eye" view. It is what it is, is constantly changing, and does not involve any insane atheistic conspiracy. Unfortunately, far too many supposed Christians have found it easy to make a buck promoting the paranoid fantasy that there's some secret society of "evolutionists" trying to corrupt us.

Anonymous said...

To the person running this blog:

It's sad that you choose to avoid critically thinking about the world as it stands.

It's sadder still that you have to convince yourself that, if science contradicts religion, then science must be wrong. Is there no way that both could be right, and you simply have been too lazy (or too frightened) to find out what that way might be?

Creationism--in the way that you mean it--is nothing better than a fictitious escape route, an escape route from thinking and digesting and processing facts about the world. Evolution happened. Does it disprove God? Well, that's up to you. Science doesn't make that call. But deal with the facts as they are, don't ignore the facts--otherwise, it makes it seem as though you would be willing to deny that 2 and 2 make 4 if only to preserve a belief in God.

If God exists, God exists in complete harmony with these facts about the world--in fact, He caused them to be so.

ApostateApostle said...

It takes all of about 5 seconds for the credulous Bible reader to know with certanty where all matter came from. They just read "In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth" and they know more about the matter than Charles Darwin did. All gods are pretend. Not just Jehovah of the Jews but all of them. Creationism is on the side of superstition. Evolution is on the side of science.

Dan L. Johnson said...

"As one Traditional Catholic told me, it is important to learn about the theory of Evolution, if for no other reason that to debunk it. "


Putting your children at the disadvantage of non-science fairy tales (and then pretending, as you do, that the science you have never investigated is the actual Malarkey), is a kind of child abuse.

Anonymous said...

Whats God Got to Do With It / byMassingale | Christian Coalition of ...
www.cc.org/blog/whats_god_got_do_it_bymassingale
Whats God Got to Do With It / byMassingale, a F.A.S.C. Concept by Henry Massingale, I guess some people have lost the abilty to even know if God is real our not. From the time of child hood we are told how to think, talk this way, be this way, walk this way, a Government Officials delet God as if he was a four letter word to be deleted and the ACLU brings in books to teach children sex issues in school, and still people do not unite... I am going to show you a truth about God.