Misrepresenting Darwin (Evolution)

by xeno6696 , Sonoran Desert, Tuesday, September 15, 2009, 22:13 (5357 days ago) @ dhw

dhw--Good to speak to you again,-> I find the last remark intriguingly cryptic, but would like to think that our duty entails continuing the quest even though the ultimate truth may be beyond our reach. Combine these quotes, and I think you have as clear a summary of the agnostic's position as you could wish for. Where, though, is the conflict between evolution and design?-In my observation it is because this conflict is actually about Scientific Materialism vs. Mysticism; a battle that has been raging since the enlightenment, spearheaded by such thinkers such as Voltaire. As pointed out by you and many other people with calm heads, evolution and design are not mutually exclusive. There is an infinite number of metaphysical explanations that can coexist just fine. -What has happened, is that evolution was made synonymous with atheism, and design with creationism. The two sides certainly think they're arguing about the issue at hand, but they clearly are not. Most of Hovind's arguments are against atheism, not evolution--because to him evolution naturally leads to atheism and Nazism. (Though he conveniently forgets that Eugenics began in the U.S. and was imported to Germany.) In my "former life" as David says, most of my attacks against Design were attacks against creationism... again, entirely different. Most of my first months at this site was to figure out that you gents really did mean "Design" and not the pseudo-creationism touted by organizations such as "The Discovery Institute." -But to stay on topic, the arguments against design are only valid within the realm of scientific materialism. Unfortunately, on Wikipedia the "scientific materialism" article has been replaced and linked to "Naturalism," two ideas that are complimentary, but quite different from each other. Naturalism and Materialism are different philosophies indeed.-Naturalism will allow you to believe in the supernatural, and materialism--will not.

--
\"Why is it, Master, that ascetics fight with ascetics?\"

\"It is, brahmin, because of attachment to views, adherence to views, fixation on views, addiction to views, obsession with views, holding firmly to views that ascetics fight with ascetics.\"