Thursday, November 30, 2006

Wikipedia Hatchet Jobs on ID Leaders

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Categories : Intelligent Design

Editor :

published: jeudi 30 novembre 2006 18:32:30

A small group of Wikipedia admins with a grudge against ID have been running amok with no oversight performing and/or allowing hatchet jobs on ID and its leaders. It’s long past time to expose what they’ve been doing. Wikipedia is far too popular and reliable source of information, especially for school children, to let this travesty of justice continue.

Ringleaders: FeloniusMonk and JoshuaZ

Rubberstamps: Guettarda and KillerChihuahua

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ID in the UK: Is there a British media competition to get it all wrong?

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Categories : Intelligent Design

Editor :

published: jeudi 30 novembre 2006 15:45:43

So many media outlets have voted themselves the guardians of the bottom-up theory of life and the opponents of the top-down theory of life. Consistent with their mission, they seem to compete for what they can get wrong about intelligent design or any other idea that insists that mind comes first. Evidence has nothing to do with it. The Post-Darwinist skewers the nonsense.

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Theology corner: Why is the ID guy at the open theology conference a pork chop at a Jewish wedding?

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Categories : Intelligent Design

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published: jeudi 30 novembre 2006 16:01:59

Recently, a caffeine-deprived friend was grousing about the fact that ID proponents don’t tend to be welcomed at “open theology” conferences.

“Open theology” implies a much more limited sort of God than the Immortal, invisible, God only wise of the Western monotheist (Jewish, Christian, Muslim) tradition.

Now, it’s unclear to me why the ID guys, who are mostly hard math and science types, should even want to hang out with these children of a lesser god. But my friend insisted on hearing the view from O’Leary’s Point, so here goes. And I have followed it up with a testable prediction, too:

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Penn & Teller expose PETA

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Categories : Animal Rights Extremism

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published: jeudi 30 novembre 2006 12:59:48

PETA is an organization fighting for "total animal liberation", equating the keeping of pets with slavery. Isn't it then ironic that PETA run animal shelters, trying to find homes for homeless cats and dogs? Not really, since PETA employees kill more animals than they save condemn to servitude. In fact, non-PETA run shelters in the same area have a higher success rate in finding homes to their animals.

This is just one of the many revealing facts from the Penn & Teller show on PETA. There's quite a bit of swearing, and especially Penn gets very vocal with righteous indignation. So by all means, sit down and watch it:


"Extremists" shaping the future.

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Editor :

published: jeudi 30 novembre 2006 0:00:00

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More Science by Judicial Fiat

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Categories : Science, Courts

Editor :

published: jeudi 30 novembre 2006 7:07:15

Once again, when the secular ruling elite of the science establishment can’t make a convincing case on the merits they try to get their conclusions mandated by judicial fiat.

US Supreme Court appears divided over global warming

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Scientist Says Global Warming A Lost Cause

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Categories : Science, Culture

Editor :

published: jeudi 30 novembre 2006 7:34:07

Controversial scientist predicts planetary wipeout

Billions of people could be wiped out over the next century because of climate change, a leading expert said.

Professor James Lovelock, who pioneered the idea of the Earth as a living organism, said as the planet heats up humans will find it increasingly hard to survive.

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Marburger on ID

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Categories : Random Stuff

Editor :

published: jeudi 30 novembre 2006 4:22:21

The White House science adviser, John Marburger, recently spoke on a number of science related issues, including ID. From here:

Many scientists and science organizations have objected to what they perceive to be support within the Administration for "teaching the controversy" between evolution and intelligent design or creationism, noting that there is no scientific controversy because evolution is backed by extensive evidence and research. Marburger stressed that the debate has not affected his office.

"No one is putting pressure on me or suggesting that creationism should be a part of science education - that's ridiculous," he said. "I've never heard this discussed in any - in any - of the meetings or forums or private discussions…that I've ever had with anybody in the White House [or federal agencies]."

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ID in the UK: Is there a British media competition to get it all wrong?

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published: mercredi 29 novembre 2006 22:50:00

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Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Declaration on Science and Secularism

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Categories : Education, Evolution, Intelligent Design, Darwinism, Science, Culture

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published: mercredi 29 novembre 2006 20:24:00

The Center for Inquiry’s new branch office in DC has issued a “Declaration on Science and Secularism” in which they lament the increasing appeal of ID among the unwashed masses. There’s a simple way for this problem to go away: stop stealing the money of the unwashed masses (in the form of taxes) to underwrite an ideologically driven materialistic conception of science; instead, get your money from secular elites like Paul Allen, George Soros, Charles Simonyi, etc.

For the text of the Declaration, go here: http://www.cfidc.org/declaration.html.

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Oh Yeah

Link to: original blogpost - comments

Categories : The Rabbit

Editor :

published: mercredi 29 novembre 2006 4:14:19

[image]

And we can dance!

[Big HT: Farshad]

Quote of the day

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Categories : Education, Evolution, Intelligent Design

Editor :

published: mercredi 29 novembre 2006 5:29:21

“You measure a democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists.” — Who said it and how does it apply to the ID-evolution controversy?

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The ID Debate at Utah Valley State College This Friday (Dec 1)

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Categories : /

Editor :

published: mercredi 29 novembre 2006 3:24:47

no description

The Sound of a Nested Hierarchy Shattering

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Categories : Intelligent Design

Editor :

published: mardi 28 novembre 2006 22:05:59

Chromosomal sex determination in the platypus discovered to be a combination of mammal and bird systems. The resemblance to birds is now more than just superficial.

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6568


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Tuesday, November 28, 2006

New Knowledge: Will the Theory Change?

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Categories : Science, Biology, Evolution

Editor :

published: mardi 28 novembre 2006 19:53:33

Mike reported last week about the discovery of some dramatic variation in the genomes of humans - at least 10% of genes vary in number of copies. The 11-24 press release from Howard Hughes Medical Institute entitled Genetic Variation: We're More Different Than We Thought says these findings are expected to change the way researchers think about genetic diseases and human evolution.

Now, it's not like this information wasn't out there to be discovered, it's just that researchers didn't believe what they were seeing because it contradicted their preconceived notions…

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“Beyond Belief”

Link to: original blogpost - comments

Categories : Education, Darwinism, Religion, Laws, Culture

Editor :

published: mardi 28 novembre 2006 17:57:48

If, like myself, you are in front of a computer all day and have the opportunity to watch/listen to online media as you work, then this apparent “summit” of top atheists and “skeptics” is worth a listen. I’m both amused and dismayed as I listen to this all-star cast discuss the best approach to evangelizing the religious masses.

Link

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Another ID-friendly scientist, Peter Korevaar, given airtime in prestigious scientific journal Nature

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Categories : Intelligent Design

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published: mardi 28 novembre 2006 19:53:34

From Anti-evolutionists raise their profile in Europe in the November 23, 2006 issue of the prestigious scientific journal Nature.

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ID Media Blitz in the UK

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Categories : Intelligent Design

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published: mardi 28 novembre 2006 21:43:06

Here are articles that came out just since last night on the challenge to Darwinian orthodoxy in the UK. It looks as though Truth in Science is causing a media storm.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/27/id_blighty

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2006/11/061127_intelligent.shtml

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Parody Site “The Brites” is back in business

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Categories : Evolution, Darwinism

Editor :

published: mardi 28 novembre 2006 5:52:50

With Dawkins and his village atheism getting so much attention, it’s only appropriate that THE BRITES is back in business: http://cedros.globat.com/~thebrites.org/index.htm.


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Beware the rabbits

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Categories : The Rabbit

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published: mardi 28 novembre 2006 5:41:16

Okay, I haven't seen Krauze for some time and I'm getting worried. Last time I heard from him, he was obsessed with chasing this rabbit all over campus. I told him to leave it alone. But he just wouldn't listen to me. Well, he called me last night. "Mike," he says, "I'm following the rabbit right now…he's behind Baker Hall." So I say, "Don't touch him! I'll be right there." When I got there, Krauze was gone. And I found his videocam on the ground……


Truth In Science Materials.

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published: lundi 27 novembre 2006 0:00:00

no description

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Monday, November 27, 2006

Not by chance: From bacterial propulsion systems to human DNA, evidence of intelligent design is everywhere

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Categories : /

Editor :

published: lundi 27 novembre 2006 20:30:30

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the December 1, 2005 edition of the National Post of Canada

In December 2004 New Mexico Public Television scheduled, advertised and then, under pressure, canceled a documentary explaining the scientific case for a theory of biological origins known as intelligent design. In the same month, a renowned British philosopher, Antony Flew, made worldwide news when he repudiated a lifelong commitment to atheism, citing among other factors, evidence of intelligent design in the DNA molecule. Also in December, the ACLU filed suit to prevent a Dover, Penn. school district from informing its students about the theory of intelligent design. In February, The Wall Street Journal reported that an evolutionary biologist with two doctorates had been punished for publishing a peer-reviewed scientific article making a case for this same theory. More recently, the Pope, the President of the United States and the Dalai Lama have each weighed in on the subject.

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Introduction to the Controversy - Part 2.

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published: lundi 27 novembre 2006 0:00:00

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Does student achievement really spur national economic growth?

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Categories : School

Editor :

published: lundi 27 novembre 2006 12:55:47

Educational policy discourse supports the idea that increases in science and mathematics achievement correlate to nation-wide economic gains. However, a thought-provoking new study from the American Journal of Education challenges the perceived causal links between educational achievement and economic growth. Francisco O. Ramirez (Stanford University) and his co-authors find that without the so-called "Asian Tigers," the correlation diminishes and all but disappears.

-Here

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Sunday, November 26, 2006

Golden Oldies

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Categories : The Critics

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published: dimanche 26 novembre 2006 17:58:34

Back on April 16, 2004, I wrote:

The TEs might want to consider that if the ID Movement evaporates, they're next in line for wearing the “creationist” label.

Back on August 13, 2005, I wrote:

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Chicken Police

Link to: original blogpost - comments

Categories : The Rabbit

Editor :

published: dimanche 26 novembre 2006 2:38:11

There is someting that's just not right about this video -


Saturday, November 25, 2006

Should professional societies issue position statements at all?

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Categories : Intelligent Design, Science

Editor :

published: samedi 25 novembre 2006 19:41:53

Take a look at Ross McKitrick’s recent remarks on the subject of position statements from professional societies:

http://climatesci.atmos.colostate.edu/2006/11/23/should-scientific-societies-issue-position-statements-by-ross-mckitrick

He argues against the practice of societies issuing position statements. This has direct application to the ID debate and the public statements issued by the AAAS, NAS, AAS, etc. Here are two particularly insightful paragraphs from McKitrick’s post:

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When Sesame Street was Good

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Categories : The Rabbit

Editor :

published: samedi 25 novembre 2006 5:51:16


Book review: The Language of God and the language of men - genome mapper Francis Collins on his faith

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Categories : Intelligent Design

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published: samedi 25 novembre 2006 2:28:21

Here is my review of Francis Collins’ The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief (Free Press, New York, 2006), with a look at the other reviews.

Collins is a snapshot in time: the Christian scientist reassuring everyone that materialist science is no threat  - on the very eve of the big blowout. Some might think I haven’t been nice enough to him. Well, if nice is all you want … next time ask Mary Poppins to write a review.

Introduction

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Pinker in the Harvard Crimson

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Categories : Education, Religion, Science, Culture

Editor :

published: samedi 25 novembre 2006 5:07:29

Steven Pinker has published an interesting op-ed in today’s Harvard Crimson, criticizing the current report of Harvard’s committee on general education. If one could reformulate Pinker’s dogmatic pronouncements as questions to be examined, this would be a good essay. For example,

  • What is faith?

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Stickin' with ID

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Categories : Random Stuff, Intelligent Design

Editor :

published: vendredi 24 novembre 2006 22:17:25

"Hey Mike, since your views about Intelligent Design are so different from mainstream ID, why do you insist on calling them 'ID'? Why don't you come up with a new name?" For those who have these questions, I provide you my reasons.

1. It is logical to hypothesize 'intelligent design' when hypothesizing about the first life forms that were designed by an intelligence.

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Part Five: But, in the end, what choice did Collins really have?

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published: vendredi 24 novembre 2006 20:08:00

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Part Four: The scribbling tribe of reviewers divides into several parts

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published: vendredi 24 novembre 2006 20:20:00

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Part Three: The key weaknesses, as spotted by reviewers

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published: vendredi 24 novembre 2006 20:29:00

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Part Two Does it matter that genome mapper Francis Collins became a Christian?

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published: vendredi 24 novembre 2006 20:43:00

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Part One: How genome mapper Collins became a Christian

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published: vendredi 24 novembre 2006 20:47:00

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Book review: The Language of God and the language of men - genome mapper Francis Collins on his faith

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published: vendredi 24 novembre 2006 20:50:00

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Friday, November 24, 2006

Sophomoric Theologians

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Categories : Religion

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published: vendredi 24 novembre 2006 20:47:28

Recently there has been a rash of anti-religion books. One would think from all the rhetoric and broad public exposure of the likes of Dawkins, Harris, Dennett and other critics of religion that they are in the vanguard of those criticizing elements of irrationality and ill conceived dogma in religion. That could not be farther from the truth. These atheistic critics seem completely unaware of those within religion over many decades who have lodged many of the same criticisms they offer. Neither do they seem to know that many prominent thinkers in religion are just as serious about dispelling the superstitious and destructive elements in religion. The fact is that some of the best minds in religious thought have worked indefatigably to place religious thinking on a sounder footing within a modern world. These efforts have been an ongoing pursue of those who have been categorized as part of liberal theology.


This liberal movement perhaps found its footing in the historical critical method of biblical criticism that arose at least by the 19th century where scripture was found to be a very important but human document of faithing testaments that non-the-less had inconsistencies and various theologies. Then with theologians like Rudolf Bultmann who advocated the de-mythologizing of scripture and Paul Tillich who affirmed myth but said that it must be de-literalized, many theologians took up the task to embrace the best of all human thinking and experience while still affirming core intuitions about the fabric of the world and its relationship to God. This was also a movement that instead of shunning secular criticism of religion, welcomed it as an important data point for destroying the idolatries of religion. If history is any indicator of religious change it does not find its main traction from outside criticism but rather from criticism coming from within the theological circle.

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Granville Sewell on the backlash against ID

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Categories : Intelligent Design

Editor :

published: vendredi 24 novembre 2006 18:08:15

Why Are They So Angry?
Granville Sewell

There are a lot of articles out there on the web intended to refute my writings on Intelligent Design, but if there is one that isn’t full of anger and personal insults, I haven’t located it yet. Other ID proponents have experienced similar reactions to their writings, and must have also wondered, why are they so angry? I think we all know that the source of this anger is not, as our critics claim, a fear that drawing the obvious conclusions from the scientific evidence for design in Nature threatens the foundations of science.

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[Slightly off topic:] Baylor’s ongoing struggle with its Christian identity

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Categories : Education, Intelligent Design, Culture

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published: vendredi 24 novembre 2006 18:37:19

Baylor University, which in the past has figured large in the debate over ID (see here), continues to struggle with its Christian identity. Check out the following blog entry by Hunter Baker, and especially comment #5: http://www.southernappeal.org/index.php/archives/2124.

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Putting the sins of atheism in perspective

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Categories : Religion, Culture

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published: vendredi 24 novembre 2006 19:02:11

With Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, et al. on a rampage against religion, its worth putting the sins of atheism in perspective:

Atheism, not religion, is the real force behind the mass murders of history

By Dinesh D’Souza

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Dawkins says, "Eugenics may not be bad’’

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Categories : Bioethics, Richard Dawkins

Editor :

published: vendredi 24 novembre 2006 14:09:45

Richard Dawkins wants put to Hitler behind us and resurrect a discussion of eugenics:

IN THE 1920s and 1930s, scientists from both the political left and right would not have found the idea of designer babies particularly dangerous - though of course they would not have used that phrase. Today, I suspect that the idea is too dangerous for comfortable discussion, and my conjecture is that Adolf Hitler is responsible for the change.

Nobody wants to be caught agreeing with that monster, even in a single particular. The spectre of Hitler has led some scientists to stray from "ought" to "is" and deny that breeding for human qualities is even possible. But if you can breed cattle for milk yield, horses for running speed, and dogs for herding skill, why on Earth should it be impossible to breed humans for mathematical, musical or athletic ability? Objections such as "these are not one-dimensional abilities" apply equally to cows, horses and dogs and never stopped anybody in practice.

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A New Movement Among Us

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Categories : Science, Religion, The New Atheists

Editor :

published: jeudi 23 novembre 2006 23:12:10

I encourage everyone to download session 9 of the Beyond Belief seminar, as it is very informative. First, you'll see Sam Harris give a rather mundane, anti-religion talk. But then it gets interesting. Next up, is James Woodward. It seems pretty obvious to me that Woodward is disgusted with what he has been watching and felt compelled to throw together a new intro to his talk, where he has to teach the scientists how to do basic science. Then comes Mel Konner, who put together an excellent talk that echoes Woodward and truly spanks Dawkins and Harris.

Of course, I am biased here. Both Woodward and Konner make the same basic point I have been making about Dawkins and his followers for years. Put simply, Dawkins has abandoned science and the scientific approach when it comes to his condemnation of religion and his solution to the Religion Problem. Dawkins and Harris substitute emotionalism, rhetoric, anecdote, and stereotype for science. Yet they posture as Ambassadors of Science.

Then came the discussion, with Woodward and Konner on one side of the table, and Harris and Dawkins on the other side.

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Thursday, November 23, 2006

Genetic Surprise

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Categories : Biology

Editor :

published: jeudi 23 novembre 2006 14:49:47

Scientists have discovered a dramatic variation in the genetic make-up of humans that could lead to a fundamental reappraisal of what causes incurable diseases and could provide a greater understanding of mankind.

The discovery has astonished scientists studying the human genome - the genetic recipe of man. Until now it was believed the variation between people was due largely to differences in the sequences of the individual " letters" of the genome.

It now appears much of the variation is explained instead by people having multiple copies of some key genes that make up the human genome.

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"Hi, I'm a friendly ID supporter. Got any secret plans?"

Link to: original blogpost - comments

Categories : Intelligent Design, The Critics

Editor :

published: jeudi 23 novembre 2006 13:02:46

These days, it seems that getting contacted by ID critics badly disguised as ID supporters is even more likely than getting an e-mail from a Nigerian prince who wants to make you rich.

Celeste Biever, Bob Holmes, Donald M. O'Malley… The list of ID critics going undercover to get supposedly embarrassing information from ID supporters is getting longer and longer. From Larry Caldwell at Evolution News & Views comes the latest example: Mark A. Farmer, biology professor at the University of Georgia, who sent Caldwell and his wife e-mails, asking them if they "support the word of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ being taught in our public schools." Only one little snag: He's an anti-ID activist, involved in letter-writing and petition-signing against intelligent design.

Figuring him out was no trouble - he even used his real name and university e-mail address. What's the thinking behind that? Hasn't he heard of Google?

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Vanity, Vanity, All Is Vanity!

Link to: original blogpost - comments

Categories : Intelligent Design

Editor :

published: jeudi 23 novembre 2006 5:18:26

In this UD thread, Mentok brought up something that, it seems to me, is quintessentially behind the ID versus materialism controversy: Is there, ultimately, any purpose or meaning behind anything, especially our lives?

With thanks to William Lane Craig, the author of Ecclesiastes, and Carl Sagan, I offer the following:

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What I am Thankful For

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Categories : Random Stuff

Editor :

published: jeudi 23 novembre 2006 0:19:42

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

To be or not to be… a creationist

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Categories : Intelligent Design, Creationism, The Critics

Editor :

published: mercredi 22 novembre 2006 18:57:05

The contention that intelligent design is a form of creationism is popular in anti-ID circles. Here's Ed Brayton from his latest response to me:

I could, if I wanted to bother doing so, take each and every major ID argument and trace it back to its creationist ancestors. They're all there, from irreducible complexity (including the specific examples Behe uses, like the flagellum) to peppered moths to Haeckel's embryos to specified complexity, and they are all routinely used in creationist journals long before they were coopted for use in the ID programme. But this is well known and so obvious as to be indisputable.

Now, I could quibble with the accuracy of Brayton's statement - for example, the bacterial flagellum was first used by the agnostic ID supporter Michael Denton in 1985, whereas creationists seem to first have discovered it almost ten years later, in 1994, where it was featured in the Creation Research Society Quarterly Journal. But I won't, as this will only play into the illusion that this game of "who thought up which argument first?" actually helps us learn anything about the logic of intelligent design.

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Brayton vs. Moran

Link to: original blogpost - comments

Categories : Intelligent Design, School, The Critics

Editor :

published: mercredi 22 novembre 2006 21:29:47

More on Larry Moran, the biochemistry professor who wants universities to "flunk the IDiots". He was criticized by Ed Brayton, and now has a post up, at the same claiming that he was just kidding and that he wasn't:

Ed Brayton's opening attack on me refers to my tongue in check suggestion that students who reject evolution should be flunked, or not admitted to university in the first place. Anyone with a brain can recognize the humor and sarcasm in such a remark. The fact that it sets the Intelligent Design Creationists all atwitter is part of the fun.

However, behind the humor is a serious point. If students entering university have already made up their minds that evolution should be rejected, then that's a serious problem. It's not a question of ignorance. Those students have made an active decision to choose superstition over science. Given a choice of students to admit into university science programs, I would choose the ones who show some understanding of science over those who reject one the fundamental facts of biology. Wouldn't Ed?

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A Den of Vipers

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Categories : Science, Religion

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published: mercredi 22 novembre 2006 3:28:32

George Johnson reports on a meeting where many scientists, including Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, gathered to bash religion. Luckily, there were some clear-thinking scientists who were present. One such scientist is anthropologist Melvin Konner. According to Johnson's report:

[Dawkins] own take-no-prisoners approach (religious education is “brainwashing” and “child abuse”) was condemned by the anthropologist Melvin J. Konner, who said he had “not a flicker” of religious faith, as simplistic and uninformed.

This is the first time I have seen a scientist criticize Dawkins' pseudoscientific notions of religion as child abuse.

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Priceless Entertainment — For Free!

Link to: original blogpost - comments

Categories : Intelligent Design

Editor :

published: mercredi 22 novembre 2006 3:41:47

Check this out: The Strange Case of Dr. Darwinist and Mr. Creationist

What a hoot! This guy is as dumb as the guy who robs a liquor store and leaves his ID behind.

Inspector Clouseau would be proud to have such a proficient protégé. With clumsy enemies like this, who needs friends?

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Genome mapper Francis Collins vs. evangelical atheist Richard Dawkins: Why is Collins in religion section but Dawkins in science?

Link to: original blogpost - comments

Editor :

published: mardi 21 novembre 2006 17:02:00

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Peer-reviewed literature that supports intelligent design?: Here is a list from a friend

Link to: original blogpost - comments

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published: mardi 21 novembre 2006 17:06:00

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Textbooks: Backing away from materialism?

Link to: original blogpost - comments

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published: mardi 21 novembre 2006 17:39:00

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I am the Alpha Delta and Omega

Link to: original blogpost - comments

Categories : Religion, Science

Editor :

published: mercredi 22 novembre 2006 0:21:10

There’s a hilarious typo in the illustration accompanying the article on the recent Salk Institute evangelical atheism conference that appeared on the front page of the Science Times today. The fact that this got by the author and the editors at the NYT speaks volumes about the broader cultural illiteracy of the science-worshipping, liberal literary establishment. The conference itself was remarkable — I include the opening paragraphs of the Times story and a link below.

Delta and Omega

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Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Thinkquote of the day: More antireligious dogma in publicly funded biology text

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published: mardi 21 novembre 2006 16:55:00

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Intelligent design, Darwinism, and creationism in Canada: Online course riles BC teachers' federation

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published: mardi 21 novembre 2006 16:58:00

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DNA and Other Designs

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published: mercredi 22 novembre 2006 1:19:42

Originally published in First Things

For two millennia, the design argument provided an intellectual foundation for much of Western thought. From classical antiquity through the rise of modern science, leading philosophers, theologians, and scientists--from Plato to Aquinas to Newton--maintained that nature manifests the design of a preexistent mind or intelligence. Moreover, for many Western thinkers, the idea that the physical universe reflected the purpose or design of a preexistent mind--a Creator--served to guarantee humanity’s own sense of purpose and meaning. Yet today in nearly every academic discipline from law to literary theory, from behavioral science to biology, a thoroughly materialistic understanding of humanity and its place in the universe has come to dominate. Free will, meaning, purpose, and God have become pejorative terms in the academy. Matter has subsumed mind; cosmos replaced Creator.

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Time Magazine: Maybe materialism is not winning?

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published: mardi 21 novembre 2006 13:22:00

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Junk DNA that isn’t

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Categories : Intelligent Design

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published: mardi 21 novembre 2006 20:39:48

I suspect that the “junk DNA” hypothesis was originally made on explicitly Darwinian grounds. Can someone provide chapter and verse? Clearly, in the absence of the Darwinian interpretation, the default assumption would have been that repetitive nucleotide sequences must have some unknown function.

Source: University of Iowa
Date: November 21, 2006

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There are more things in heaven and earth, Paul, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

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Categories : Intelligent Design

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published: mardi 21 novembre 2006 20:50:28

It’s funny how Paul Myers, Richard Dawkins, Eugenie Scott, et al say that evolution isn’t about religion yet you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting one of their rants on religion. But that’s not the point of this article.

I have a problem with these people in that they arbitrarily limit what science can potentially explain. The so called supernatural remains supernatural only as long as there’s no metric by which to measure it. Once a metric is discovered the supernatural becomes the natural.

Paul quotes someone on the virgin birth of Christ saying that it defies everything science has revealed in regard to mammalian reproduction. This is utter dreck. Even (especially!) Myers should know that meiosis is a two stage process wherein the first stage results in the production of two perfectly viable diploid cells. The second stage of meiosis then splits these two cells into four haploid gametes. Interrupting the process at the completion of the first stage results in parthenogenesis. Indeed, there are number of organisms in nature that have lost the second stage of meiosis and now reproduce parthenogenetically. See here for more detail. Moreover, it has also been scientifically established that an XX genome can produce phenotypical male offspring. Morever, while all observed XX males in humans are sterile, pathenogenetic populations can still reproduce sexually if sexual reproduction still exists in the species (Da Vinci Code fans will be happy to know this). While it was widely believed that mammals had completely lost the ability for parthenogenetic reproduction, in 2004 researchers in Tokyo managed to create viable parthenogenetic mice. So Paul, science now reveals that the virgin birth of a human male is quite possible. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. What I want to know now is whether ignorance or dishonesty explains why you’d quote someone who claims the virgin birth of Christ defies everything we know about mammalian reproduction. Neither explanation becomes you of course and it gives me immeasurable delight to put you in the proverbial position of choosing between a rock and a hard place. :lol:

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Psychiatry: Minds are not molecules

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published: mardi 21 novembre 2006 12:43:00

Here's a treat: A sympathetic look by Jeffrey Oliver in The New Atlantis at Thomas Szasz's lonely crusade against mechanistic and materialistic psychiatry, as it was practiced in the twentieth century:
Szasz's attack targeted the cornerstone of modern American psychiatry: the marriage of mind and molecule, the notion that behavior can safely be classified as "sickness" and that the mind can safely be "treated" just like any other organ. In calling that marriage a sham, Szasz mocked the efforts of almost every major American psychiatrist back to Benjamin Rush, the profession's founding father. "The subjects [mental diseases] have hitherto been enveloped in mystery," Rush wrote in the late eighteenth century. "I have endeavored to bring them down to the level of all other diseases of the human body, and to show that the mind and the body are moved by the same causes and subject to the same laws." This was the error Szasz aimed to correct.

While Szasz went overboard, as Oliver shows, he made vastly more sense than he was given credit for. The attempt to reduce psychiatry to neurology never worked and couldn't work:

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Skeptic Paul Kurtz founds Darwinist think-tank in DC

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Categories : Evolution, Darwinism, Religion, Science, Culture

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published: mardi 21 novembre 2006 16:23:18

Obviously this new think-tank is not about science as such but about pushing a materialistic, Darwin-undergirded conception of science. Question: Did Kurtz ever get the memo from the NCSE that evolution is religiously neutral?

Mission statement: A Global Federation committed to science, reason, free inquiry, secularism, and planetary ethics
Source: http://www.butterfliesandwheels.com/articleprint.php?num=221

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No more Mr. Nice Guy

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Categories : Evolution, Intelligent Design, Darwinism

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published: mardi 21 novembre 2006 17:08:34

First Richard Dawkins calls Michael Ruse the Neville Chamberlain of the evolution-ID debate. Now PZ Myers attacks Eugenie Scott for being too soft on us. It reminds me of the old joke about fascists in South America after World War II sitting around a table and musing: “Yep, we’re going to do it again, but this time no more Mr. Nice Guy.” What’s next PZ? Internment camps of ID proponents — or do you prefer interment camps?

Eugenie Scott in Kansas

Key line: “Take off the comfy cardigan, Dr Scott. Scientists have a role to play in our culture, and it’s not as the pleasant, soothing flim-flam artists, mumbling consolation and excuses in return for a donation on the offering plate. We’re supposed to be clear-eyed and critical, even when it’s easier to play the priest and lie. I think you’re doing a bang-up job of accommodating the American citizenry to the fluff and nonsense of woolly religious thinking, but that’s not a job that needs to be done, and it’s not your job.”

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Myers Attacks Scott

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Categories : Science, The Critics, Religion

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published: mardi 21 novembre 2006 2:41:48

Apparently, Eugenie Scott gave a presentation explaining the differences between religion and science and how it is possible for them to reasonably co-exist. Of course, this is contrary to the preachings of Dawkins, so it should be no surprise that one of Dawkins' followers, PZ Myers, publicly attacks Scott and her reasonable position on his #1 Science Blog. With a clearly detectable streak of venom, ol' Steel Toes lets her have it:

Take off the comfy cardigan, Dr Scott. Scientists have a role to play in our culture, and it's not as the pleasant, soothing flim-flam artists, mumbling consolation and excuses in return for a donation on the offering plate. We're supposed to be clear-eyed and critical, even when it's easier to play the priest and lie. I think you're doing a bang-up job of accommodating the American citizenry to the fluff and nonsense of woolly religious thinking, but that's not a job that needs to be done, and it's not your job.

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Even More Intelligent Design Creationism

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Categories : Intelligent Design, The Debate, Creationism

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published: lundi 20 novembre 2006 23:59:21

I've argued before that historian Ronald Numbers' work on creationism supports the position that ID and creationism are separate ideas.  So when I heard that a new edition of Numbers' book, The Creationists, was coming out that covers ID, I was curious to find out if I interpreted him correctly.  In searching for information about what he says about ID in the new edition, I ran across this interview with Numbers.  In it, he confirms that my reading of him was correct - Numbers sees ID and creationism as two separate ideas:

As a historian, personally I don’t believe in intelligent design at all, but I do think that those people are right in differentiating themselves from scientific creationism, to emphasize what is distinctive about scientific creationism and what is distinctive about intelligent design. Except for the fact that both of them oppose evolution, they have nothing in common.

I think it’s a good ploy, rhetorically, to say, “This is the same thing and we’ve all rejected creation science; so you don’t need to give this a second thought.”

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Hitler as social Darwinist: Another salvo in the barely civilized controversy

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published: lundi 20 novembre 2006 20:15:00

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Hitler as social Darwinist?: Another salvo in the controversy

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Categories : Intelligent Design

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published: mardi 21 novembre 2006 1:20:30

Over the past few months,  The Post-Darwinist has been host to quite the little controversy over whether Hitler was a social Darwinist or a creationist. If you want to pursue that in detail, try

“Does Darwinism devalue human life?” (July 2, 2006)

What did Hitler believe abut evolution? (September 2006)

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