Classic retort re: Evolution vs. Creationism

[No Exit]

Hope I'm not violating posting rules here, but this guy whose comment I saw on DavidCorn.com--this anonymous guy--GETS it!

"Saladin,

Isn't that what the "bird flu" scare is? I mean, if these folks don't believe in evolution, why are they so concered about the H5N1 mutating into a virulant strain?

And, if there was true concern about biological risk factors, wouldn't the more effective response be Universal Health Care, which would include screening for contagions, diets which bolster immune systems, basic hygeine guidelines, etc.

Posted by: Robert Schwartz at October 17, 2005 01:51 PM"

Source: DavidCorn.com

It bears repeating: "IF THESE FOLKS DON'T BELIEVE IN EVOLUTION, WHY ARE THEY SO CONCERNED ABOUT THE HSN1 (virus) MUTATING INTO A VIRULANT STRAIN?"

Relax, Fox News Channel watchers! God would never intelligently design something that would hurt us! God is all good, remember?

[AllyCat]

1. Good one. I'll try it. nt

[saltpoint]

2. ...and as an aside, can avian flu be introduced --

-- only in the red states?

Please?

[SteppingRazor]

3. Um, no.

Sincerely,
A Red State Liberal

[saltpoint]

6. SteppingRazor, I had in mind the strain that can be

contracted ONLY by red voters. Blue voters in any state would be immune.

[SteppingRazor]

8. Ah! Fire away then!

:evilgrin:

[MindPilot]

5. Nope it's a blue state disease

Seriously, there is an article in the latest Men's Health (sorry no link--I'll go look for one) that shows coastal areas are more susceptible to pandemics.

[saltpoint]

7. Makes sense. Port cities have always been

the centers of anything exchanged -- commerce, ideas, illness, etc.

[Dr.Phool]

9. Well I guess we're lucky

Our port will probably disappear this week-end. Tampa-Wilma.

[HereSince1628]

4. Unfortunately, it betrays a number of misunderstandings

of biology and the nature of the evolution debate.

I encourage people to read about viral inheritance before they go on and on about "mutating" viruses.

Moreover, creationist accept mutation. The creationist intellectuals that drive the movement accept every known mechanism of microevolution. What they don't accept is that the macroevolutionary event evolutionists call speciation, isn't directed by a creator.

If you are talking to a rw'er who knows only as much biology as this guy it might work. But if you are talking to a well read creationist you'd end up revealling you understood neither biology nor the creationist position.

In short you could end up looking dumb.

[No Exit]

10. When you put it that way:

"Moreover, creationist accept mutation. The creationist intellectuals that drive the movement accept every known mechanism of microevolution. What they don't accept is that the macroevolutionary event evolutionists call speciation, isn't directed by a creator"--when their spiel is described in this way, it does not sound unreasonable.

I used to ponder about it thinking, "Both positions--that of the creationists, and that of the evolutionists--could possibly be simultaneously true."

I know enough to know that mutation is an important part of the whole theory of evolution as Darwin laid it out.

I think, however, that the average fundamentalists screaming about this argument do NOT know the biology, have not examined the nuts and bolts of the whole debate, and are simply trying to shoehorn "God" (THEIR concept of God, of course) into the public classrooms by insisting on framing the whole thing as evolution vs. creartionism. And with these people, I do think that the poster's retort was RIGHT ON.

[AllyCat]

11. Yeah, but think how many we can convince not to get the vaccine

That saves it for the rest of us.