The extremist/OverReligious people.: the most dangerous pest

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snake321
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28 Oct 2007, 9:18 pm

Lepetiteprince wrote:

"There's a very very slight different between the extremists and the 'over religious/fanatics', the only difference is in the practice but the mentality is the same ."

The only major difference is that fanatical muslims are in poorer countries where they can get away with more. If religious extremism was barred from American politics, rednecks would end up bombing government buildings in the name of Jesus.
But in America there is more pressure on us to make a better example in the international community, there are structures to keep this from happening. But those structures, and those checks and balances are currently being systematically removed more and more by the religious fanatics within the republican party.



Angelus-Mortis
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29 Oct 2007, 9:46 am

I would explain fanatics as being so obsessed with their religion or ideology that perhaps they miss the central point of what is actually being intended by the religion or ideology itself. Then you could say that this has more to do with human nature and their own selfish ideals rather than going with what the religion itself actually says. But the problem with these fanatics is that their successes individually are relatively low, and so they must resort to things such as ignorance, argumental fallacies, making fake evidences, or bribing politicians, who have no knowledge of certain things that would prevent them from disagreeing with the fanatics.


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LKL
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29 Oct 2007, 1:07 pm

nice summation, pbcoll.



OrderAndChaos30
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29 Oct 2007, 6:12 pm

pbcoll wrote:
OrderAndChaos30 wrote:
LePetitPrince wrote:
^not at all , evolution is a part of science and evolutions theories follow the regular scientific methods.


It is clear that populations of organisms adapt to their environment in response to external pressures. This fact is the very basis of civilization, the ability to mold the traits of domesticated life forms. Naturally Darwin's observations on this point are well known. But the finches where all still the same species in spite of specializations in specific populations.

However where is the explanation for the origin of any complex system? Where is the example of anything that is not a modification of a previously complete and functional biological system? One of the most fundamental principles in engineering is that a simpler but complete system is going to accomplish a task more reliably them a complex but incomplete system. How can an incomplete system, say an aerodynamic wing, be a survival benefit against a simpler but more complete solution?

Based in this draw the conclusion you want. I am simply citing points that even casual acquittance with any engineering discipline raises, not even to start into the demonstrated principles of statistics and thermal dynamics. I am not even interested in a lengthy Evolution v. Creationism debate. I leave thinking through these points as an exercise of the reader. My only point I am making in this is that the Atheist/Evolutionist mind set can be as closed minded as any religiously motivated point of view.

I choose to draw conclusions based on demonstrated fact rather then assertions based on "insert fantastically unlikely event here" explanations. Regarding the scientific method, the occurrences required to explain evolution are about as reproducible as divine intervention. So based on application of Occam's Razor I favor a creator verses unobservable violations of probability and directly experienced principles of designing dynamic systems. Draw what ever conclusions you choose.


Actually, the most abundant lifeforms are bacteria so yes, the simplest organisms are completely dominant - the simpler designs are indeed reliable, and multi-cellular organisms are, by numbers, a (bulky) sideshow. even among land animals, non-insects (with their fancy extras like, in the case of mammals, being war-blooded) are a sideshow. bacteria are indeed more successful at the task of survival. I don't see how an aerodynamic wing is less complete than an less perfect wing. Occasionally a mutation could produce something more complex that still managed to survive (it is indeed more improbable, otherwise bacteria wouldn't be dominant). There are no violations of probability involved, the probabilities are low (hence evolution doesn't happen overnight, even though mutations occur all the time) but not zero (and don't violate the laws of thermodynamics).
Actually, the occurrences required to explain evolution are perfectly reproducible - lab experiments have been carried out on how colonies of bacteria evolve to adapt to new conditions due to natural selection. likewise, experiments have been performed on, for example, survival of the fittest in animals (in fruit flies, snails, etc). There is hard evidence for survival of the fittest, for complex organisms having simpler ancestors (the fossil record), mutations, the emergence of genetically distinct populations due to survival of the fittest, etc. Occam's razor does not eliminate these facts, and there is nothing unobservable about them.


As expected you are showing the blind spot that adherents of Evolution have and the question I asked fell squarely into it. Adaptation of complex living systems is an established, even obvious fact. But that does not answer the question about what crosses the monumental gap between modification of an existing system and the appearance of a complete unique and functional biological system. I am aware of the science and the evidence all that has ever been demonstrated but where is the emergence of any unique biological system?



LKL
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31 Oct 2007, 2:15 pm

You're talking about the origin of life, specifically?

Just so you know, the ToE does not address that problem; evolution can only occur in existing populations.



pbcoll
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31 Oct 2007, 2:33 pm

if you refer to the appearance of new species: modify an existing system enoughtimes, and you'll get a distinct one, i.e. a new species arising from another one (the fossil record shows this has happened many times). also, continental drift, regional variations in climate, etc means subsets of the same original species are forced to adapt to different conditions, becoming separate species given enough time. note also that the existence of parasites and pathogens favours genetic diversity in a given species, as has been demosntated in experiments with snails.
if you're refering to the origin of life, i second LKL. the formation of a living bacteria out of non-living chemicals may well be an extremely rare fluke, we just don't know (we don't know how common life is in the universe). what we do know is that organic molecules can form in abundance, without living organisms involved, in conditions similar to those of pre-life Earth.



hoqnq
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04 Nov 2007, 11:54 pm

Can't all people just drop religion altogether? I mean, does it REALLY make a difference? Does it REALLY help? We already have the brochures, booklets, manuals, etc., do we really need the membership too?



Sand
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05 Nov 2007, 12:08 am

Or maybe we should merely fulfill their fondest wish and send them all to heaven.



Pandora
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05 Nov 2007, 8:47 am

How do we/they know they are all going to go there?


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Sand
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05 Nov 2007, 9:02 am

Isn't that their problem?



richardbenson
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07 Nov 2007, 7:58 pm

religion is garbage. thats fine if you want to pray and believe in santa clause, because i do to but in the end you have to know your words probably arent leaving the atmosphere