Freethought & Rationalism Archive

lpetrich · 06-19-2002, 06:51 PM

(deleted as having been misposted)

[ June 19, 2002: Message edited by: lpetrich ]</p>

Jack the Bodiless · 06-20-2002, 02:01 AM

Wrongman, it's really very simple.

The TITLE of this thread, plain for all to see, is spontaneous generation: belief of evolutionists.

The phrase "spontaneous generation" refers to the creation of maggots in rotting meat etc. It is NOT a "belief of evolutionists".

Coyne, in commenting that scientists no longer believe in this theory, pointed out that scientists DO believe in something that could loosely be called "spontaneous generation" (but is actually called abiogenesis): the formation of simple self-replicating molecules in the "primordial soup".

Guess what, wrongman? WE ALREADY KNEW THAT.

...So what was the actual point of this thread?

I could just as easily create a thread called Wishing Things Into Existence: belief of creationists on a creationist board. I could then imply that creationists believe they can wish things into existence (because God once wished things into existence). I could replace your Coyne quote:

Quote:

Today, most scientists believe that spontaneous generation took place at least once - when certain chemicals came together to form the first simple living organisms more than three billion years ago.

with this:

Quote:

Today, most creationists believe that wishing things into existence took place at least once - when God wished everything into existence about 6000 years ago.

However, I am not stupid enough to think that this sort of thing will impress any creationists.

You seem to be making a deliberate effort to convince us that you're not too bright, wrongman.

[ June 20, 2002: Message edited by: Jack the Bodiless ]</p>

Oolon Colluphid · 06-20-2002, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jack the Bodiless:
<strong>You seem to be making a deliberate effort to convince us that you're not too bright, wrongman.
</strong>

I'd take Ockham's Razor to that line of reasoning...

Oolon

Stephen T-B · 06-20-2002, 03:31 AM

"Today, most scientists believe that..."
The word "believe" as it is used here has a different meaning from that which it has in this sentence: "Creationist believe the stories in Genesis."
There may be scientists who believe in Santa Claus, in fairies, angels, demons and ghosts. That's personal and has nothing to do with their activities as scientists - or shouldn't.
In the sentence quoted by randman, "believe" means "think that."
The case he hopes to make is therefore based on a false premise, and I suspect he knows that as well as I do.

scigirl · 06-20-2002, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by randman:
Seems so many others eee it as such a simple proposition as if all that is required is to think it happened, and voila, it must have.

Well isn't that exactly what creationists do? God did it, and voila you have life.

scigirl

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06-19-2002, 06:51 PM	#51
lpetrich Contributor Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Lebanon, OR, USA Posts: 16,829	(deleted as having been misposted) [ June 19, 2002: Message edited by: lpetrich ]</p>

06-20-2002, 03:31 AM	#54
Stephen T-B Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Leeds, UK Posts: 5,878	"Today, most scientists believe that..." The word "believe" as it is used here has a different meaning from that which it has in this sentence: "Creationist believe the stories in Genesis." There may be scientists who believe in Santa Claus, in fairies, angels, demons and ghosts. That's personal and has nothing to do with their activities as scientists - or shouldn't. In the sentence quoted by randman, "believe" means "think that." The case he hopes to make is therefore based on a false premise, and I suspect he knows that as well as I do.

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