Evolution (Introduction)

by dhw, Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 08:04 (5595 days ago) @ xeno6696

On Friday 24 July at 07.57, I posted a summary of the salient points of the Theory of Evolution, plus a list of points that are agreed on or are in dispute. As I explained at the time, my object was to try to bring some order to a thread that has become increasingly diffuse (just try to trace all the different arguments) and subject to various misunderstandings. - One of the summarized points of what I thought was agreement read: "The theory is compatible with Theism but not with Creationism." Matt (25 July at 17.22) felt the distinction was not clear enough, as creationists are also theists, and so I have attempted to rephrase it as succinctly as possible. My latest version is: "The theory is compatible with belief in a conscious designer, but not with the Creationist account of the history of life." - Matt: I completely understand that you don't want to be grouped in with creationists, but "conscious designer" is still a euphemism for a God of some kind, be it via panthentheism or process philosophy. Not the God of Abraham, mind, but one that challenges creationists on theological grounds. It is still theism, just with an unwritten theology based upon your agnosticism. I see nothing wrong with this picture at all. I don't know why you care to argue it. - Of course it's a euphemism for a God of some kind. And it's deliberately meant to include, not exclude the God of Abraham. And it has nothing whatsoever to do with my agnosticism, and nothing whatsoever to do with my beliefs or my non-beliefs. And I'm not attempting to write axioms, or to present an argument. This is one item in what was meant to be a neutral list ... an attempt, in answer to your justified criticism of 25 July, to separate creationists, who do not accept the theory, from other theists who do. - However, the summary was clearly a misguided effort, since it has had precisely the opposite effect to what I'd intended. Instead of bringing order to chaos, I have added to the chaos. The "evolution" thread has turned into a Hydra, and it's painfully obvious that the 'h' in dhw does not stand for Hercules!