Thursday, August 20, 2009
Out and About the Intertubes
Fit PhilosophyOne of the creationists favorite arguments is that Natural Selection is a tautology ... that organisms that are fit survive and "fitness" is defined as that which enables organisms to survive. Perhaps more than most creationist arguments, this one raises some interesting philosophical problems and John Wilkins is tackling them, starting off with a history of the tautology claim.
Update: "tautology 1a: corrections"
Update II: "Tautology 1b: Butler"
Suitable God
James McGrath has a post on the similar Biblical exegesis practiced by atheists and fundamentalists. In discussing why both groups denigrate liberal Christians, he has this priceless line [emphasized]:
[A] lot depends on what one means by "God" and what one means by "incarnate". The idea that is so prevalent in popular Christian thought, that Jesus was simply a divine person dressed up in a human being suit, as it were, was condemned by the Council of Chalcedon more than a millenium and a half ago.
Honorable Violence
You've probably already heard about Anna Falling, the mayoral candidate in Tulsa, Oklahoma who is making it a central focus of her campaign to get a creationist display installed in the city zoo:
You've probably already heard about Anna Falling, the mayoral candidate in Tulsa, Oklahoma who is making it a central focus of her campaign to get a creationist display installed in the city zoo:
By rejecting the Creation exhibit at the zoo, God has been dishonored ... By placing the images of other gods and creation stories, excluding the Biblical account of Creation, the city has challenged the First Amendment ...
We wonder why Tulsa has nearly twice the national average for violent crimes or the police have been called over 9,000 times in the last 4 years to the Tulsa Public Schools ...Where God is not honored at any level, we see the results of these decisions.
Curious, I looked up some crime statistics for 2007. Tulsa had a population of 381,469 and 4,552 violent crimes that year -- or one violent crime for every 84 residents. New York City had a population of 8,220,196 and 50,453 violent crimes -- or one violent crime for every 163 residents.
I'm certainly glad New York's status as a God-honoring, creationism-friendly place had finally been recognized!
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I'm certainly glad New York's status as a God-honoring, creationism-friendly place had finally been recognized!
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