Henry Rollins - Evolution
November 17, 2008 by askegg · Leave a Comment
Expelled with proper subtitles
November 5, 2008 by askegg · Leave a Comment
Someone has been thinking. On this site you can find subtitles which correct the inaccuracies in Ben Stein’s movie “Expelled - No intelligence allowed”, much like the video below. Enjoy 
Debates with believers
November 4, 2008 by askegg · Leave a Comment
Over the past few weeks I have been discussing faith, God, creationism, the scientific method, evolution, and the Bible with a few friends on Facebook. Sometimes it feels like it would be more fun to stab myself in the thigh with a fork, but I have learnt some new things in the process.
Many of the same old tired arguments come up which have been addressed by thousands before me, but occasionally I see something new which forces me to research the topic, and I think that’s one of the fundamental differences. I have a genuine thirst for knowledge. On my days off I will read philosophy books, uncover the methods of encryption used during wartime, read about DNA, marvel at advances in astronomy, watch nature shows on Discovery, or just get online and take part in various discussion forums. I feel that many theists are not interested in the world in the same way.
Once a person is convinced that there is an afterlife and an all powerful, all loving God will punish you forever if you do not follow his list of things to do and don’t, then all that really matters is trying to stick to the rules - anything else is a distraction that may knock you off the narrow, winding path to eternal bliss. It’s no wonder that many feel immortally threatened when the foundations of theor faith as questioned.
Well, it’s not so much that the foundations are questioned, but the vague realisation that they really do not have the answers. Admitting something like the big bang is true, or evolution really does occur means the Bible (and many other “holy” books) is literally wrong. If one part is wrong, then it is not the perfect word of God and the house house of cards comes tumbling down. In their mind either the Bible is 100% correct, or it is not.
This kind of atomic thinking make it impossible for them to see that questioning one part of a theory does not falsify it in its entirety. I think that’s one of the key differences. Rational thinkers allows themselves the possibility of being wrong - it makes no difference to them. By being proved wrong we gain a deeper insight into the true nature of reality.
Theists cannot allow themselves to be wrong since there immortal souls are on the line. Who would risk an eternity in paradise? Fundamentalists take it one step further and do not allow the text of their chosen “holy” book to the wrong in any way. There is no room for interpretation of what the book of God says, unless of course it is allegory, symbolic, or a parable.
2% is a lot!
November 1, 2008 by askegg · Leave a Comment
In a recent discussion with some friends I made the comment that the difference between Human and Great Ape DNA was around 2%. The retort was that this amounted to a massive amount of raw data, therefore somehow nullifying the point.
In preparation for an upcoming video I decided to do a little checking. According to Biblical web sites (such as http://agards-bible-timeline.com/q10_bible-facts.html) the King James version of the Bible contains 66 books. 2% of 66 is 1.32 books. To be somewhat more accurate, the KGV contains some 783,137 words in 1,189 chapters - an average of 658 words per chapter. So if I were to change 23 random chapters this would equate to 2%.
According to the numbers on the given web site, just changing the words “Lord” and “God” to something else, say “Salami”, would account for a 1.4% change in the source text. If I were to do such a thing, then claim that the book suddenly and spontaneously appeared on my bedside table on night, you might think I was a little crazy - especially given the striking similarity to other “holy” texts.
Yet isn’t this exactly what creationists are asking us to believe? Surely such amazing coincidences in the texts of the two books points to a common ancestry? One book must have been based on the other. Statistical analysis would certainly lead one to reach this conclusion.
The same can be said for the genetic code. Such similarities are not adequately explained by a magical being poofing them into existence - both sets of DNA share a common ancestor. Just think about the many different versions of the Bible out there to choose from. Are they all the one true book? Or is it more likely that they all share a common ancestor - one root holy text from which all the others are derived. What do you think?
The Evolution of Sex
October 25, 2008 by askegg · Leave a Comment
Evolution of Christianity - Defense Mechanisms
September 26, 2008 by askegg · Leave a Comment
A biologist reviews an evolution textbook from the ID camp
September 25, 2008 by askegg · Leave a Comment
What happens when a group dedicated to the overthrow of modern science writes a science textbook? Ars reviews Explore Evolution, a textbook written by members of the pro-Intelligent Design Discovery Institute, which is generally convinced there’s not much about evolution worth exploring.
Evolution is NOT a ladder
August 20, 2008 by askegg · Leave a Comment
Louisiana passes first antievolution “academic freedom” law
June 28, 2008 by askegg · Leave a Comment
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has signed the Louisiana Science Education Act into law, singling out evolution, origins of life, and global warming for criticism. Let 1,000 Dover trials bloom!
How Evolution REALLY Works, Part II
June 19, 2008 by askegg · Leave a Comment
