76. To begin with, the initial question was wrong!

The question is not "Do you BELIEVE in evolution?"...

Oh, why waste my time on this... no amount of reasoning will convince anyone. Particularly those who've come to think ( or had it hammered into their heads ) that they can "outscience" the scientists by nitpicking and utterly misinterpreting a few random facts in order to construct a framework of thought which PROVES, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the non-existance of Charles Darwin.

"Yes, Timmy, my son. Darwin was never really even born! He was simply made up in order to support the lies of all the baby-killing liberal global warming drive-by-media wackos! And remember, Timmy... BELIEVE it, or the Lorrrd... won't give you any candy when you die and go to heaven!"

Ok. You want facts, ... here, then, is a fact:

The Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection was not conceived of by Darwin alone. It was conceived of, quite independantly, by Darwin and also by Alfred Russel Wallace ( both products of Victorian England, but from families of different social standing ) as an explanation for the broad diversity AND patterns of LIVING species developement, which they had both observed and cataloged during extensive field studies conducted over a period of years.

To arrive at such a conclusion requires no leap of "faith". There is nothing more natural than seeing random mutations within individuals, when introduced into a population and subjected to the SELECTIVE forces of environmental niche interaction, as producing physical traits which either will or won't give a population an "edge" for survival. And that this either large or small edge for or against survival, operating within a given environmental niche, and over a period of many GENERATIONS ( yes, sorry, but sexual selection plays a big part in driving this process ) will produce the diverse physical traits which define seperate species.

Alright... enough of the Sunday School lesson, then. Just consider that this process is not so difficult to understand... PROVIDED that you do not attempt to isolate one tiny part of the picture in order to understand the whole... provided that you understand, as did Darwin AND Wallace, that this is not a "stand-alone" process, but one which stands upon a foundation of demonstratable laws in Newtonian Physics, and Chemistry, AND laws of socio-biological interaction, geology, meteorology, etc. etc.

And provided that you have at least a minimal ability to visualise these processes as occuring over a period of millions of years. Not just a comfortable short-term memory period of seven days and seven nights.

"But what does this have to do with... the LORD?" you may now be wailing, emphatically. Nothing. That is a seperate question... one that is dependant on faith, not theory . But let's just get this straight, for once: a theory is not "JUST a theory" - a theory is a framework of thought, constructed to explain a property, condition or event, which is based upon INDEPENDANTLY observable and verifiable phenomena ( what you might call... FACTS ). A theory does not merely exist... it WORKS!

Moreover, a successful theory works within the complex framework of other theories and observable phenomena. This process of being subject to independant verification in the face of questioning it's validity means that a theory is NOT based on "faith". SO GET OVER IT! It is a different approach to trying to make something sensibly coherent out of life.

AND, as a useful side-effect and bonus, the system of scientific enquiry also leads to the production of all those wonderful bits of stuff we like to take for granted... cars, TV's, digital watches, and so on... all of which are ( though, independantly, just bits of materialistic trash ) further proof of it's success!

Of course, the Universe is a complicated place, and, therefore, no theory can likely ever be constructed which is complete and explains everything. That doesn't mean you throw theory out the window, along with the baby and the bathwater. Just as Newtonian physics is incomplete ( is a subset of natural law which doesn't consider quantum effects ), it is not simply WRONG, but rather, still works, within it's range of application.

But, since you asked... insisted... wailed, "But what does this have to do with..."

Ok... you have a couple of choices:

You can believe, perhaps, that "God The Utterly Indifferent" ( boy... I'll bet that some of you are happy that he, K.V., is gone now ) created, over a period of billions of years, a coherent, self-consistant Universe that simply WORKS... one that not only doesn't require His ( or Her ) constant fiddling and string-pulling, but which also provides the useful added bonus of giving all of us little folk something to do, and something which we can figure out out...

...or you can believe in a great big celestial father-figure, who sacrificed his only biological offspring because he loves you like your own parents ( who were too preoccupied with hammering Bible quotes into your head ) never did. And who, one day long ago... and just for something to do, whipped out His magic wand... or whatever... and created, in the course of a single day, an infinite universe ( for all practical purposes ) populated by an infinite diversity of millions or billions of living species. Each one hand-molded to occupy a purpose within His Grand Design... or rather, His plan to lay waste to this planet in order to battle Satan ( who really should never have gotten out of hand in the first place )...

Which do you find it easier to... "believe" in?

Douglas at 3:37PM on May 4th 2007

77. Just when it appeared that God may have delayed his response to evolutionists, enter THE QUEST FOR RIGHT, a masterful work on creationism.

The great gulf of ambiguity that once separated Intelligent Design from legitimate scientific discourse has been abolished. It is a fact: The Quest for Right has accomplished that which, heretofore, was deemed impossible: to level the playing field between forces advocating creationism and those promoting evolution. A review:

The Lord has heard the cries of His people and responded with a scientific resource on creationism that will stop these onslaughts against Christianity. The Quest for Right turns the tide by providing an authoritative and enlightening scientific explanation of natural phenomena that will ultimately replace the Darwinian view.
For example, the investigation dismantles the hocus pocus responsible for the various absolute radioisometric dating techniques by which rocks and other materials are supposedly dated. Absolute-"perfect, complete, definite; without a prospect of being incorrect." On these incalculable formulae - and they are incalculable - rest the science council's claim that the earth is of great age, accreting some 4.6 billion years B.C.
Upon publication of The Quest for Right, the council's choice of the superlative absolute will be assessed to be a scurrilous invective, an "abusive, offensive, even vulgar, connotation." After all, who would question an absolute? It is a matter of record that these dating systems are the tools by which evolutionists have attempted to rip apart the validity of historical documentations, specifically, that the account of creation as recorded in the Bible is mythology. The Quest for Right has changed all of that: the scientific record of creation has stood undaunted against these attacks and has proven to be an invaluable asset to the in-depth investigation.

The first three volumes of the seven volume set will be published early fall '07. The Quest for Right is all new from the get go and is destined to make headlines that will reverberate within the halls of academia throughout the world. Coming soon to a bookstores and online merchants Barnes and Nobel and Walmart.com. Author, C. David Parsons, biblical scholar and scientist extraordinare.

C. David Parsons at 3:38PM on May 4th 2007

78. Sorry, Larry, but no. This complexity is beyond the scope of your ( and my ) limited comprehension. It is not beyond the possibities of a natural self-consistant system that... I repeat... simply WORKS.

For one thing... if it didn't work, well it wouldn't be Natural, now would it?

Douglas at 5:17PM on May 4th 2007

79. Evolution tels me how life on earth got from point A to point B, and B to C, and C to D. But it says nothing about how we got to point A in the first place. There's still room for creation, even if evolution is proven fact.

Steve Bonomo at 6:12PM on May 4th 2007

80. oh, and chris, science never said the earth was flat or that the sun revolved around the earth. the papacy in middle ages europe, plus the rest of the theocracy, said that the earth was flat and that the sun revolved around the earth. ever heard of copernicus? one of the greatest scientists of the middle ages? persecuted by the church for preaching his scientific proof that the earth revolved around the sun? while evolution may not be right, it's not looking good for creationism either when we've got so many people who don't know their facts defending it. science evolves - dumb theories don't last long nowadays in the highly competitive scientific community. but religion is stagnant. i believe in god, but also in evolution. they're surprisingly compatible

ned at 8:10PM on May 4th 2007

81. Few disallow the life and words of Jesus, who Himself was a creationist.

Paul Gruendler at 10:32PM on May 4th 2007

82. Shucks, I worship Jesus as the One Living and True God. he was pretty obviously a creationist, and I'll bet He don't give a rip who believes in evolution or not!
http://www.truthtapes.com

Paul Gruendler at 10:57PM on May 4th 2007

83. Our next president must have an IQ in excess of 92-94... A president who is to lead our nation out of its current abyss must rely on scientific inquiry rather than a wish... and a prayer. I observed no one with the wherewithal required to do this among the "talent" put up by the Rep's last evening... and that includes the absent TV star... Another "actor" just won't do in the 21st century. JR

John Russell at 12:59AM on May 5th 2007

84. I would say that a creator god would have to exist in at least 5 dimensions to overcome the problem of time limitations. If the first four dimensions encompass space and time, the fifth could be the infinity dimension. As usual there is no proof of this or against this, so the theory will fit right in with evolution and creation.

Steve Bonomo at 12:09AM on May 6th 2007

85. Find an Error in the Man-written Black Book? How about Genesis- Multiply and subdue the Earth? Ain't Workin' yee Bible Thumpers. Ever hear of Planetary Heating? Mother Earth, (Creator's Creation)is presently kicking that little ditty all to Hell. And to the Red-Neck Ignorant and his Trailor' Park- Hah! yup at six figures and up- casino Indians don't live in Trailer Parks! Check the Shakopee Sioux rez in Minnesota you dum dum.

Eagleman4 at 9:26AM on May 6th 2007

86. If evolution isn't a fact, your cat or dog must be a mirage. Francisco Ayala has created a new species of fruit fly over a period of just a few years, and grass breeders have also created new species. There are many more examples, try googling "evloution debate". The level of anti intellectualism in the world is simply amazing.

David Alford at 10:04PM on May 6th 2007

87. Where to begin ?? First of all, in response to fish4allenelbk, THEORY is defined as "a coherent group of general propositions used as principles of explanation for a class of phenomena: Einstein's theory of relativity" When spoken of in scientific terms, a theory has met the highest standard of proof, not the lowest.
In response to Ronald L. Stabile, each of his 3 points are incorrect. Evolution has been observed in many species, and DNA evidence has proven links between others.
In response to Tia, where in the Bible is your proof? Just the fact that a group of Jewish leaders wrote Genesis 5,000 years ago? It's only your belief that the Bible is "God's word" that leads you, and others to say things like this. Truths can be spoken in metaphor...There is no reason not to believe in God and evolution. And it is the highest form of hubris to think that we, with all our flaws, is the best that God can do.
In repsonse to Kathy Corry, virus mutation IS evolution, an organism responding to its environment.

Ed McCarthy at 6:01PM on May 8th 2007

88. You wacky individual compare the certitude of a plane flying to the theory that humans evolved from animals? Your brain obviously needs a lot of evolution before it can become rational. Evolution is a theory and a lousy one at that. It cannot be proven whatsoever and has so many holes in it (no one has ever found an intermediate species because there is none, etc.) that it's incredible that anyone with a rational mind can embrace it! God has left you with many things in life to accept on faith because faith transcends reason and goes to the essence of God Himself, that is, Love. Once your heart finds love, it will have an easier time trusting God rather atheistic theorists on life.

Christian at 2:32AM on May 15th 2007

89. If you and I were standing in front of a building and I told you that it just fell into place over a few billion years it would be an insult to your intellect. You know that the building had a builder. No one questions that a painting had a painter. The alternative, that it happened by chance is to move into an intellectual free zone.
The human eye has 40,000,000 nerve endings, the focusing muscles move an estimated 100,000 times a day, and the retina contains 137,000,000 light sensitive cells. Charles Darwin said, "To suppose that the eye could have been formed by natural selection, seems I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree."
George Gallup, the famous statistician said, "I could prove God statistically, take the human body alone; the chance that all the functions of the individual would just happen, is a statistical monstrosity."
Albert Einstein said, "Everyone who is seriously interested in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe -- a spirit vastly superior to man, and one in the face of which our modest powers must feel humble."
Evolution is not and never was a scientific fact. It is a theory that one must have A LOT of faith to believe. Schools should teach the theory of evolution alongside Creation. Let the people decide what makes more sense to them and chose their own faith.

Nicole at 9:39PM on May 8th 2007

90. If people are created in the image of God....Boy, are we screwed!!!

bee152 at 10:13PM on May 9th 2007