I can see the atheist crowd approaches this debate without a desire to really read and understand the words. I see a raging emotionalism bordering on true believer zeal. When one of you posits a direct argument - we can begin the debate. so far your arguments have all been indirect and or circumstantial at best.
That is not a valid argument nor is a direct argument. It sort of attempts to re define the debate but it is not a direct argument against theism. In its simple form theism would be the belief that the universe was created by a Creator. A direct argument would be that the universe was not created or that there was no creator.
=============== Good start,Dr And 2nd law of thermodynamics over rules/disproves those having a consensus view of evolution. Sure are changes & choices are within a species, so as defined above, ''it is quite possible '' [Used concensus in a normal, truthful/Websters dictionary way, not like Al Gore does.] Al Gore should be sued for fraud, founder of weather channel says. Thanks.
at some point you would hope the religious would stop displaying their ignorance by posting nonsense. they must think they are in a church sunday school class where nobody will call them out for their stupid pratts. http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/thermo/probability.html http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/richard_carrier/foster7.html
I'm constantly amused by these theists who think they understand thermodynamics without ever actually reading a science or engineering text on the subject. Huge hint, thumpers: the Earth is not a closed system.
It was the high priest of your religion that stated "..The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts..", which in this case, controlling our thoughts keeps us from sticking ones' foot in ones' mouth. I quote David R. Boylan,Ph.D., Professor of Chemical Engineering, Iowa State University, Retired. Formally Dean of Engineering at Iowa State University, from his paper "The Development of Order": "...One of the most difficult concepts in the understanding of origins is the mechanism for the development of order. The problem has arrested the attention of much of the scientific community. Indeed, the "riddle" of life is this development. As is true of many scientific mysteries, explanations advanced for the "first cause" in the development of order in the universe or in living systems depend heavily upon the philosophy of the interpreter. Some have accepted the thesis that supernatural explanations can not be used to explain the origen of the universe or the complexity of life, and as a consequence, have proposed various mechanisms based upon natural processes. Others have accepted the concept of the supernatural in the matter of origins and find a very fundamental relationship between the operation of the universe and a creationistic explanation. The issue, of course, will not be settled in a scientific forum, for origins are indeed outside of the true provence of science, and data based on our present time span is far too short to make generalizations valid.........." Mr. Boylan has probably forgotten more info about thermodynamics and the development of order, than you, vhehn and myself have ever known. Not all "thumpers" are ignorant.
I wonder where would the hindu/buddhist countries have ranked if they were surveyed. As far as i have read, the ancient hindu-buddhist texts in talking abt the origin of life on earth talk has something quite similar to evolution, apparently there was some some kind of organism and then it generated a desire and it ate some kind of "savoury cream", this organism then began to mutate. Of course in their conception, there is neither beginning nor end, time is circular not linear. quite fascinating stuff actually.