geddo_eskimo - 15 July 2006 04:03 PM

Now, I’m a creationist and I must say, this is an example of MICROevolution. basically, one species adapting to their surroundings through natural selection, and not changing species. MACROevolution is when one species changes their genetic structure into that of another species. MACROevolution has NEVER been proven. MICROevolution on the other hand is 100% accurate, and I completely believe in it. MICROevolution is why we have races, black, white, asian, whatever. As far as I know, the finches are still finches, just with small beaks, like a black person is still a person, just with darker skin.

(Above corrected for sense)

In 1912, a botanist at Kew Gardens crossed two common species of primrose to produce a sterile hybrid; however some of the plants were not sterile. A chance mutation in these individuals allowed them to reproduce, though neither they nor their offspring were compatible with either parent species. This new species was named Primula kewensis in honour of its birthplace.

In the 1920s, Russian biologists successfully crossed a radish with a cabbage in an attempt to produce a doubly useful crop plant with the leaves of a cabbage and the root of a radish. They were successful in producing a new species (in fact a whole new genus) that bred with itself and with neither parent. Unfortunately the adult plants had the leaves of a radish and the root of a cabbage (which I suppose might be interpreted as God telling you to stop f***ing about)!

You know, when it comes to religious beliefs, I am reminded of a quote from the guy (Bernie Ward) that does the ‘God Talk’ radio show on Sunday mornings on a San Francisco talk show.  Bernie is a jesuit drop-out, but does all right for himself, and is quite informative.

Anyway, Bernies quote:  ‘Most people adopt the religion they were taught at about age eight, and fail to let their beliefs evolve from there.’

It is true, sadly.  they never investigate any other religion or point of view, only the one they were born into; they have no tolerance at all for the beiliefs of others.  And of course, their religion is the olny route to heaven.  The rest of us infidels are doomed to Hell.

I never understood why it is so important to believe certain things in order to get to Heaven.  Is is not important to do good works, raise your children to the best of your ability, give to the poor, and so on?  Evidently, that is not the key to Heaven, the key is ....belief in the proper religion!

Whatever!

Dan the Non-Believer

To my utter chagrin, I completely forgot to mention talk.origins’s superb archive.

I am constantly relieved to find that biological science is actually quite well represented on the web, despite the best efforts of the Horvinds of the world to muddy the waters. If such resources had been around ‘when I were a grad’, I mightn’t have stuffed-up that question on concommitant immunity in schistosomiasis and got a first (it was doubly embarassing as I was helping a professor with a project on ‘bilharzia’ for the WHO at the time (it’s the same disease)).