General Chat

What I find fascinating is how in the space of just over a century the "civilised" world (debatably) has progressed at such a terrific rate. More so than it has done for thousands of years. You look around at some of the other trouble spots in the world and they could be going through our Dark Ages or earlier. I once read a book called "Chariots of the Gods" written by french scientists I think. Showed arieal pics of Peru from space. Huge runways marked out on ground. When examined were replicas of our modern day ones. Makes you think.

It has been said that the coincidences that have occured, if evolution is true, would be like the Oxford English Dictionary resulting from a printing press explosion.

Hi, Dan, I'd like to know what evidence the person who suggested the Oxford dictionary/printing press explosion used. I tend to think a lot of these statements are somebody's unsupported opinion. Before believing or rejecting it - check out the evidence, its validity and the reasoning. You used the variability of fingerprints as evidence against evolution. Why? It is individual variability which is supposed to make natural selection (one of the tenets of most evolutionary theories) possible. The usual statement is not that man descended from apes, but that apes and human primates all descended fom a common ancestor. There is a fair amount of fossil and genetic evidence to support this. There's much similar evidence to support other species' evolutionary paths. Too much for me personally to ignore! Try reading some of Richard Dawkins ' books. He is at the least very interesting on this subject, and very readable. Good luck! Michael

Yes, Bendy... give it another century, apes will have disappeared. Sad, isn't it? But species evolve to fill environmental niches, adapt or die. Eliminating unsatisfactry traits is a by-product of evolving, not its purpose. I think! Michael

We may call it the Theory of Evolution (or even Evoultion) but it is in fact the Theory of Natural Selection which postulates that those best suited to their environment will survive while those unsuited will perish.

Jean - not mocking, just intrigued - you believe every word ? Earth and heavens created in 6 days (he rested on the 7th I believe), pilars of salt, all that ?

Which Bible version do you believe? First Account (Genesis 1:1-2:3) or the Second Account (Genesis 2:4-25)? In the first account, humans were made AFTER animals and men and women made AT THE SAME TIME. In the second account humans were made BEFORE animals and women was made AFTER man, from his rib.

one more comment - if what is written in the bible is correct, how do we explain dinosaurs, neanderthal man etc etc Not to mention that the age of the earth is clearly much greater than the x thousands of years that the bible implies

Lets get this straight folks - the bible is a book written by men, for man. It may pander to those who have a genetic need to believe in the existence of a God and all that entails, but it does not prove the existance of said entity. Now evolutionary theory may have got thing wrong in the past, and will get things wrong in the future, but it is a developing science. Many people here have said they can't comprehend the complexity of all the variety of species being a product of netural selection and consequent evolution. I can't see any logic in it being the work of one all powerful entity floating around in the cosmos!

What intrigues me is what will present-day humans evolve into?

Hi Wendy. Thats the logical Electronics Engineer in me showing!

Me Mum and Dad!

It seems to me there are two issues regarding religion. Belief in the words in the bible and their subsequent interpretation. To me all that seems a mechanism for one group of men to empower themselves over others and exercise control. Then there is the need in many people to satisfy a spiritual longing, a need to believe. As a humanist I reject both.

More difficult than I expected, Wendy, I can't sit on the bikes 'cos of me hip, and found it difficult getting around. Roll on Feb and me tin hip! Still managed about 12 Guinnesses though! Burp!

Andy I could not agree more, the bible is no more than a fairy tail. Humans where put on this earth to destroy it, we do not belong here and we never will. Ask the young person in your life the colours in a rainbow in order, they will not be able to tell you. Ask them do identify the differant garden birds, they will not be able to answer. We are are meant to save this planet for our future generation, they dont give two monkeys for this planet. Which brings me on to evolution, if evolution was happening why are there still apes, surely they would be humans by now. there is only one thing that drives us on and that is money. That has no part of the natural world.

Jean and Bendy. I ask again: which Creation story do you believe? The Bible clearly gives two versions. Common sense dictates that at least one must be incorrect. If there were two theories of evolution, you would be justified in asking us to clarify which one we favoured.

I'm not at all surprised at your declining to answer. Funnily enough I have asked this to Creationists before and not had a response. I'm not bothered about anyone's relationship - or lack thereof - with any Deity or Deities either, but that wasn't what my question was about. Incidently, why doesn't my question hold water?

Wendy, that's a bit smug isn't it? Pulling the shutters down?

Well said Wendy. doesn't it come back to the fact that those of us who believe in the bible have faith and don't need proof while the scientists amongst us do need proof of everything?? I wasn't going to join this debate as i was always told to steer clear of politics and religion. But now i have. Coming down firmly on the side of the Bible. Ann Glos

"Have faith and don't need proof" Says it all!