Is the Theory of Evolution the Best Available Explanation For the Diversity of Life?

[Autodidact]

Originally Posted by tomspug

As far as OTHER scientific theories... I'm sure they are out there, but evolution seems to be one of those things that scientists refuse to allow to be questioned.

Baloney. ToE went through the challenging gauntlet of scientific questioning before being gradually and with difficulty, accepted. Scientists accept it not because it cannot be questioned, but because it is correct. If a Biologist somehow established that it was not correct, that person would win a Nobel prize.

[Autodidact]

Originally Posted by tomspug

The theory of evolution has a lot to account for. Science has yet to find any real connection between invertebrates and vertebrates.

Yet another fascinating field to explore. The fact that we do not yet know how each and every thing evolved does not in any way falsify ToE. That's what science does and how it progresses.

Natural selection on its own, actually, I think best explains the diversity of this planet.

What is being selected? Where does the diversity come from that gets selected?

The theory of evolution, in my opinion, is merely an attempt of the human race to egotistically be able to re-create life. We WANT there to be a complete connection between everything, because that is the easy explanation.

Do you feel like you have a strong understanding of what ToE says? Because this view indicates to me that you may not.

The idea that the diversity of the planet is intentional, in my opinion, most satisfactorily explains its apparent harmony in the midst of such incredible diversity.

You mean creationism?

[leahrachelle]

With the knowledge we currently have, yes.
But you have to realize that there is so much out there that we do not know about. We assume things way too much.

[Autodidact]

Originally Posted by leahrachelle

With the knowledge we currently have, yes.

Well yeah, and have had for over a hundred years...

[leahrachelle]

Originally Posted by Autodidact

Well yeah, and have had for over a hundred years...

And it continues to grow. We know absolutely nothing compared to how much there is to know.

[Autodidact]

Originally Posted by leahrachelle

And it continues to grow. We know absolutely nothing compared to how much there is to know.

I agree completely. I think that we know like .0000001% of what there is to know.
Also, paradoxically, each thing we learn raises more questions, so in an odd sense the more we know, the more we don't know.

[Jeremy Mason]

Originally Posted by Jayhawker Soule

My wife and I had the very real pleasure of having dinner with Bishop Antje Jackelén and her husband. She spoke of a number of things, most notably the importance of religious literacy. Later, she gave a talk on the wonders of chaos and how at the edge of chaos one finds the most magical creativity. She spoke of appreciating and embracing the chaos ...

This was some time ago, and I am in no way doing her presentation justice. But it is true that we have a bias in favor of harmony and against "tohu va vohu". As a result, when we think of 'design' we think of the design of happy, harmonious humans populating happy, harmonious communities, and not the 'design' of a remarkably creative system capable of producing new and remarkable subsystems.

Whatever one thinks about "Intelligent Design," there is much to be said about embracing the chaos.

I found this post interesting. I would be curious to understand how, in laymen terms, how inanimate through chaos formed life.

[leahrachelle]

Originally Posted by Autodidact

I agree completely. I think that we know like .0000001% of what there is to know.
Also, paradoxically, each thing we learn raises more questions, so in an odd sense the more we know, the more we don't know.

Very, very true. That's a really good point.

[albertt]

The Theory of Evolution is part of an atheist ideology that is, practically speaking, a religion.

[Caladan]

The biodiversity found in the ecosystems of the planet are a result of billions of years of evolution. new questions will rise in the frame of our scientific thought, questions that will direct us in finding further explanations.