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MARK L. BAKKE'S
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REPLY #24 TO
"EVOLUTION VS. CREATIONISM"
Boldfaced statements are parts of the original essay (or a subsequent reply) to which the respondent has directed his comments.
 Italicized/emphasized comments prefaced by (R) are those of the respondent and are presented unedited. My replies appear under the respondent's comments in blue text and are prefaced by my initials (MB). (R) 15 Questions for Creationists, I would like your criticism and assesment,and any suggestions for further points. (MB) I'll present your points here with limited commentary and await rebuttal of any or all of them from those who support Creationism. (R) 1) The simple question of where God came from? This question is often answered as: "He's always been there" This is to say infinite existence, I have a real problem with people criticizing a well documented theory, one that is backed by so much evidence, reason and explanation with the likes of this empty answer. (MB) This points out another example of why those who make positive claims bear the burden of proof. Anybody can make any claim which they can dream up. But, such claims are essentially worthless as real explanations for anything without some evidence to support them. (R) 2) Explain all the nonexistent fossils in the strata, and no finds at all of present existing species in the same strata. Example: Hominids, Dinosaurs, Megalodon(Ext.Shark), Cave Bear, Dire Wolf, Trilobites and American Lions. (MB) This is a rewording of the principle that we never find fossils from different eras intermixed in the same layer(s) of strata. If the Creationist Flood scenario had any validity, we should expect to find a lot of intermixing. (R) 3) How do you explain all the different races of man so diverse when coming from a resource of Adam and Eve? I've even heard explanations like: "Because they spread to different parts of the world and their environment changed them" Which is simply adaptation to environment otherwise known as Natural Selection. Examples: Negroes, Indians, Asians, Eskimos and Australian Natives and Pacific Island Natives. Don't forget the Sickle Cell trait common in blacks who had to adapt to disease not found in white or other races. (MB) There is more genetic variation between the various black tribes of Africa than between all the rest of the races/tribes of Man combined. This is exactly what we should expect to find if the evolutionary picture is correct. (R) 4) Why would God create over 250,000 species of Beetles? (MB) Obsessive compulsive disorder? I want to know how all those different species were supposedly identified and loaded onto the Ark by Noah. (R) 5) How do you explain the minute mutations of DNA and Cell Replication, which easily demonstrates modification in long periods of time, or you could be a creationist that excepts the Usher model of the young Earth. (MB) Creationists accept that mutations occur. However, they normally claim that all mutations are detrimental and will reduce the chances of survival, reproduction and inheritance. Therefore, they claim, no changes could accumulate to the point where speciation might occur. Needless to say, the observational evidence refutes this rather conclusively. (R) 6) Why would God create 20,000 infants to die of starvation daily? And the numbers are growing! Some people assert Deism in which God has no control over present situations, a create and watch kind of thing that makes even less sense. (MB) The first statement is an argument against the claim that God is omnibenevolent. The normal answer is "Well, it's all part of God's plan". Of course, that "plan" is never elucidated for us. The second statement describes an assertion that would challenge the dogmatic belief that God is omnipotent. Obviously, there could be no situation over which an all-powerful God could not have absolute and total control. (R) 7) Are you aware of Artificial Selection, or do you believe God created Mules, Thousands of Dog breeds, Various Cabbages and Vegetables, many Varieties of Sheep and Domestic Cattle? (MB) Here is where Creationists tend to mangle their meaning of the word "kind". They will acknowledge each of your examples as "variations", but will assert that each variation is of the same "kind" as all others. If speciation can not be refuted, then "kind" is arbitrarily bumped up from species to genus level. It may go even higher up the taxonomic tree if the need arises. Of course, this trivializes the concept of "kind" into meaninglessness. (R) 8) How is it so easy to assert something that has Evidence in support of it makes Less sense than something that makes no sense and has absolutely no evidence in support? (MB) The power of dogmatic belief transcends the intellect, I'm sorry to say. (R) 9) Are you aware of the imprisoned Jews in Babylon for centuries? How about the Mythical Pagan beliefs of Babylon such as a great flood, it even has Marduk their Pagan deity telling a chosen man to build a huge boat and save the chosen animals and in the end a bird finds the dry land. How to explain the obvious? (MB) Creationists try to revise history by claiming that others got their Flood stories from the Jews instead of vice-versa. (R) 10) Evolutionists believe in a sort of "Natural War" constantly raging between: Predators and Prey, Parasite and Host. They do not imply that Adam and Eve were Created with: AIDS, Herpes Simplex, Gonorrhea, Clymidia, and Syphilis. Note: Many of these diseases all though not all do not exist in the Animal Kingdom. (MB) Creationists tend to brush this off by saying that God creates these diseases to punish Man for his sins. (R) 11) Why do you have to finish a prescription of antibiotics? If you take only a portion you will destroy only the weakest bacteria and thus "selecting" a new batch that will need stronger doses and different antibiotics. (MB) Actually, some will survive whether you finish the prescription or not. Sure, the weakest will die first, but some will always get through. That's why, for example, that strains of influenza keep evolving and you have to get a different shot every year. (R) 12) How do you explain the existence of fossil Whales with stubby feet and well developed legs, including species that could have walked and others that could have simply waddled about on their bellies?(AND) Explaining the species of Whales that still have underdeveloped Pelvic Structures and Femurs, the same can be said of Primitive Snakes. (MB) Creationists accept that there are extinct species. They just refuse to accept that these species could have been the ancestors of modern species. (R) 13) You realize the age of the Earth is 4,500,000,000 years, the slightest mutation in successive gene/chromosome/cell generations are inevitable and it is the power of Evolutions Theory. (MB) These mutations take place between every generation of every living thing, so, for those purposes, it makes no difference how old the Earth is. The actual age of the Earth simply provides sufficient time for life to have evolved from its beginnings to the abundant diversity we see today. And, the process is ongoing. (R) 14) To assert that pregenitors(Hominids) of Humans are completely Ape is to assert the Apes have Evolved in a regress, to smaller brain capacities and lesser abilities to walk upright. (MB) Of course, Creationists don't believe that humans have *any* ancestors from any other species. They believe that Man was specially and separately created. (R) 15) Creationists make arguments over the impossibilities of "Spontaneous Generation" or "Random Matter" promoting or generating primitive life or simple celled organisms, and all the while clinging to an unimaginable arrangement of matter to accomplish any and everything by imposing will alone. (MB) The Creationist argument here is based upon a misunderstanding of how organic molecules combine. There is no randomness involved and nothing that requires any outside force or "help" in order to happen. (R) Cumulative Selection or Decent with Modification easily explains these problems, when a simple mutation is enough for dramatic change in light of the time available. Evolution is a growing theory that is not limited to a placed goal of discovery, that alone spells certain victory and acceptance from a true Scientific community. It simply takes time to shy people from the threat of Hellfire. The best and most reasonable theory of Evolution is Cumulative Natural Selection and Micromutations, perhaps Punctuated Equilibrium as asserted by Stephen J. Gould has some validity, but, it is a falsehood to claim even this theory is beyond the Darwinian scope. (MB) The theory of Punctuated Equilibrium is a modification of Darwin's original gradualist view of evolutionary change. Darwin had no knowledge of the various mass extinction events that have had such a tremendous impact on the evolution of life on Earth by interrupting any chance for gradualism throughout history.
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