Time to Abandon Darwin Evolution

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Time to Abandon Darwin?Evolution the Struggle
for Americas Scientific Soul
Kenneth R. MillerMolecular Biology, Cell
Biology, Biochemistry Brown University
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We Live in Interesting Times
Cobb County Disclaimer This textbook contains
material on evolution. Evolution is a theory,
not a fact, regarding the origin of living
things. This material should be approached with
an open mind, studied carefully and critically
considered.
An Accurate Disclaimer This textbook contains
material on science. Science is built around
theories, which are strongly supported by factual
evidence. Everything in science should be
approached with an open mind, studied carefully
and critically considered.
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anti-Evolution activity is Nationwide
If you believe in God, creation, true
science, vote for Debbie. .... If you believe
in evolution, abortion, sin, vote for her
opponent.
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Why is Evolution under attack?
Its not because its a shaky scientific theory.
There is a deeper reason.
Why Evolution?
Why not Cell Biology? Physiology? Organic
Chemistry?
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The Dover Board was following a legal
playbook coauthored by the Director of the
Discovery Institutes Center for Science
Culture, and published by The Foundation for
Thought and Ethics, which also published the ID
textbook Of Pandas and People.
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The Pennsylvania Academic Standards require
students to learn about Darwins Theory of
Evolution and eventually to take a standardized
test of which evolution is a part. Because
Darwins Theory is a theory, it continues to be
tested as new evidence is discovered. The Theory
is not a fact. Gaps in the Theory exist for
which there is no evidence. A theory is defined
as a well-tested explanation that unifies a broad
range of observations. Intelligent Design is
an explanation of the origin of life that differs
from Darwins view. The reference book, Of
Pandas and People, is available for students who
might be interested in gaining an understanding
of what Intelligent Design actually involves.
With respect to any theory, students are
encouraged to keep an open mind. The school
leaves the discussion of the Origins of Life to
individual students and their families. As a
Standards-driven district, class instruction
focuses upon preparing students to achieve
proficiency on Standards-based assessments
Dover High School Science teachers refused
to teach the Boards ID lesson - so it was read
to them by administrators.
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September 25, 2006Trial Begins
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Intelligent Design in the context of this
conflict ( trial), has a very specific meaning
Theists, by definition, believe in a
transcendent intelligence, sometimes expressed as
a view that there is an intelligent design to the
universe.
But this is not what is meant by ID.
ID is the proposition that design, in the
form of outside intelligent intervention, is
required to account for the origins of living
things.
This distinguishes ID from more general
considerations of meaning and purpose in the
universe, and makes it a doctrine of special
creation.
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At first, the champions of Intelligent Design
relished the chance to confront Darwinists in
the courtroom.
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Dembski The Vise Strategy Squeezing the Truth
out of Darwinistshttp//www.uncommondescent.com/
index.php/archives/59
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I therefore await the day when the hearings are
not voluntary but involve subpoenas that compel
evolutionists to be deposed and interrogated at
length on their views. There are ways for this to
happen, and the wheels are in motion... What I
propose, then, is a strategy for interrogating
the Darwinists to, as it were, squeeze the truth
out of them. Bill Dembski May 11,
2005
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Expert Witnesses Defendants
Michael Behe
William Dembski
Warren Nord
Dick M. Carpenter II
John Campbell
Stephen Meyer
Steve Fuller
Scott Minnich
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Steve Harvey
Vic Walczak
Eric Rothschild
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• And with respect to creationism, its your
  testimony that creationism was never said by any
  board member, including you, at any board
  meeting, isnt that correct?
• Thats true.
• And is it your testimony that creationism was
  never said to any reporters after any board
  meeting?
• Thats true.
• And is it your testimony that you never talked
  about creationism or to your knowledge none of
  the board members ever talked about creationism
  among themselves, is that your testimony?
• A. Yes.

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But newspaper accounts claimed that Buckingham
had indicated that he wished to see creationism
taught in Dover classrooms.
Why didnt he object to being misquoted in
these newspaper articles?
He claimed he never read any of them.
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• So there were six articles in the local papers
  that were delivered to your door every day,
  reporting on the June 7th board meeting, and you
  didnt read any of them, isnt that right?
• Thats true.
• And nobody told you that statements were being
  attributed to you such as wanting to teach
  creationism, no one told you that, isnt that
  right?
• A. I dont remember anyone telling me that, no.

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• That was you speaking, wasnt it?
• what happened was when I was walking from my
  car to the building, heres this lady and heres
  a cameraman, and I had on my mind all the
  newspaper articles saying we were talking about
  creationism, and I had it in my mind to make
  sure, make double sure nobody talks about
  creationism, were talking intelligent design. I
  had it on my mind, I was like a deer in the
  headlights of a car, and I misspoke. Pure and
  simple, I made a human mistake.
• Freudian slip, right, Mr. Buckingham?
• A. I wont say a Freudian slip. Ill say I made
  a human mistake.

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Trial Description not just in SCIENCE magazine...
But in the ultimate news source
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Dover voters didnt wait for the Court to Decide
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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA TAMMY
KITZMILLER, et al. Case No. 04cv2688
Plaintiffs Judge Jones v. DOVER AREA
SCHOOL DISTRICT, et al., Defendants.
MEMORANDUM OPINION December 20, 2005
INTRODUCTION On October 18, 2004, the
Defendant Dover Area School Board of Directors
passed by a 6-3 vote the following resolution
Students will be made aware of gaps/problems in
Darwins theory and of other theories of
evolution including, but not limited to,
intelligent design. Note Origins of Life is not
taught. On November 19, 2004, the Defendant
Dover Area School District announced by press
release that, commencing in January 2005,
teachers would be required to read the following
statement to students in the ninth grade biology
class at Dover High School The Pennsylvania
Academic Standards require students to learn
about Darwins Theory of Evolution and
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Judges Decision, Trial Transcripts, other
details? Just Google on Kitzmiller
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Eric Rothschild
Lessons from Dover 1) Collapse of ID as a
scientific theory 2) Exposure of ID as a
religious doctrine masquerading as sciencce
Richard Thompson
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Arguments based on the fossil record as a
problem for evolution backfired
So many intermediate forms have been discovered
between fish and amphibians, between amphibians
and reptiles, between reptiles and mammals, and
along the primate lines of descent that it often
is difficult to identify categorically when the
transition occurs from one to another particular
species. National Academy of Sciences, 1999
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Land Mammal
MissingIntermediates
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Reconstructions of representative Eocene
cetaceans. Clockwise from top a beached Dorudon
(Dorudontidae), Ambulocetus (Ambulocetidae),
Pakicetus (Pakicetidae), Kutchicetus
(Remingtonocetidae), and Rodhocetus
(Protocetidae). These cetaceans are shown
together for comparison, but they were not
contemporaries and lived in different
environments. Artwork by Carl Buell.
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October, 2006
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Comparative Genome Evidence for Human Evolution
was Decisive
More than a century ago Darwin and Huxley
posited that humans share recent common ancestors
with the African great apes. Modern molecular
studies have spectacularly confirmed this
prediction and have refined the relationships,
showing that the common chimpanzee (Pan
troglodytes) and bonobo (Pan paniscus) are our
closest living evolutionary relatives.
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Testing the Evolutionary Hypothesis of Common
Ancestry Chromosome Numbers in the great
apes human (Homo) 46chimpanzee (Pan) 48gorilla
(Gorilla) 48orangutan (Pogo) 48
Testable prediction If these organisms share
common ancestry, the human genome must contain a
fused chromosome.
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Ancestral Chromosomes
Chromosome Numbers in the great apes
(Hominidae) human (Homo) 46chimpanzee
(Pan) 48gorilla (Gorilla) 48orangutan (Pogo) 48
Centromere
Telomere
Testable prediction The marks of that fusion
must appear in one of the human chromosomes.
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ID tells us not to bother with research.
(Example the immune system)
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In fact, on cross-examination, Professor
Behe was questioned concerning his 1996 claim
that science would never find an evolutionary
explanation for the immune system. He was
presented with fifty- eight peer-reviewed
publications, nine books, and several immunology
textbook chapters about the evolution of the
immune system however, he simply insisted that
this was still not sufficient evidence of
evolution, and that it was not good enough.
(2319 (Behe)).
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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA TAMMY
KITZMILLER, et al. Case No. 04cv2688
Plaintiffs Judge Jones v. DOVER AREA
SCHOOL DISTRICT, et al., Defendants.
MEMORANDUM OPINION December 20, 2005
INTRODUCTION On October 18, 2004, the
Defendant Dover Area School Board of Directors
passed by a 6-3 vote the following resolution
Students will be made aware of gaps/problems in
Darwins theory and of other theories of
evolution including, but not limited to,
intelligent design. Note Origins of Life is not
taught. On November 19, 2004, the Defendant
Dover Area School District announced by press
release that, commencing in January 2005,
teachers would be required to read the following
statement to students in the ninth grade biology
class at Dover High School The Pennsylvania
Academic Standards require students to learn
about Darwins Theory of Evolution and
The trial exposed ID as a religious doctrine
masquerading as science.
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The Dover Board Argued that their statement was
not religious
The Pennsylvania Academic Standards require
students to learn about Darwins Theory of
Evolution and eventually to take a standardized
test of which evolution is a part. Because
Darwins Theory is a theory, it continues to be
tested as new evidence is discovered. The Theory
is not a fact. Gaps in the Theory exist for
which there is no evidence. A theory is defined
as a well-tested explanation that unifies a
broad range of observations. Intelligent Design
is an explanation of the origin of life that
differs from Darwins view. The reference book,
Of Pandas and People, is available for students
who might be interested in gaining an
understanding of what Intelligent Design
actually involves. With respect to any theory,
students are encouraged to keep an open mind.
The school leaves the discussion of the Origins
of Life to individual students and their
families. As a Standards-driven district, class
instruction focuses upon preparing students to
achieve proficiency on Standards-based
assessments.
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But even the Boards own witnesses admitted that
ID was inherently religious
Defendants expert witness ID proponents
confirmed that the existence of a supernatural
designer is a hallmark of ID. First, Professor
Behe has written that by ID he means not
designed by the laws of nature, and that it is
implausible that the designer is a natural
entity. (P-647 at 193 P-718 at 696, 700).
Second, Professor Minnich testified that for ID
to be considered science, the ground rules of
science have to be broadened so that supernatural
forces can be considered. (3897 (Minnich)).
Third, Professor Steven William Fuller testified
that it is IDs project to change the ground
rules of science to include the supernatural.
(Trial Tr. vol. 28, Fuller Test., 20-24, Oct. 24,
2005).
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Intelligent Design means that the
various forms of life began abruptly through an
intelligent agency, with their distinctive
features already intact fish with fins and
scales, birds with feathers, beaks, and wings,
etc. Of Pandas and People, 1993, pp. 99-100
Creation means that the various forms
of life began abruptly through an intelligent
creator, with their distinctive features already
intact fish with fins and scales, birds with
feathers, beaks, and wings, etc. Biology
Origins, 1986, pp. 2-13, 2-14.
The History of the ID textbook Pandas closed
the case
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Something remarkable must have happened in 1987!
creationism
intelligent design
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What does the collapse of ID mean for Science
Education?
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It Means Continuing Controversy. Why? The
question What about Evolution quickly becomes
What about something else
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The Science / Faith Conflict is often the First
Issue Raised in Opposition to Evolution
The Colbert Report January 12, 2006
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Whats behind this is a deliberate strategy to
put science religion at odds
The objective of the Wedge Strategy is to
convince people that Darwinism is inherently
atheistic, thus shifting the debate from
creationism vs. evolution to the existence of God
vs. the non-existence of God. From there people
are introduced to the truth of the Bible and
then the question of sin and finally
introduced to Jesus. Church State
magazine, April 1999
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Intelligent design is just the Logos theology of
Johns Gospel restated in the idiom of
information theory. William Dembski, 1999
My colleagues and I speak of theistic realism
or sometimes mere creation as the defining
concept of our movement. This means that we
affirm that God is objectively real as Creator.
Phillip Johnson 1996
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In a famous article, "Nothing in biology
makes sense except in the light of evolution"
(Am. Biol. Teach. 35, 125129 1973), Dobzhansky
described his religious beliefs "It is wrong to
hold creation and evolution as mutually exclusive
alternatives. I am a creationist and an
evolutionist. Evolution is God's, or Nature's,
method of Creation." In contrast to modern
creationists, Dobzhansky accepted macroevolution
and the documented age of Earth. He argued that
"the Creator has created the living world not by
caprice (supernatural fiat) but by evolution
propelled by natural selection".
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Does this mean that the Bible should be read as a
scientific textbook?
Even a non-Christian knows something about the
earth, the heavens, the kinds of animals,
shrubs, stones, and so forth, and this knowledge
he holds to as being certain from reason and
experience. Now it is a disgraceful and
dangerous thing for an infidel to hear a
Christian, presumably giving the meaning of Holy
Scripture, talking nonsense on these topics and
we should take all means to prevent such an
embarassing situation, in which people show up
vast ignorance in a Christian and laugh it to
scorn. St. Augustine, 411 AD On the Literal
Meaning of Genesis, 119
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Abbot of the Augustinian Monastary of St. Thomas
in Brünn
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69. The current scientific debate about the
mechanisms at work in evolution requires
theological comment insofar as it sometimes
implies a misunderstanding of the nature of
divine causality. Many neo-Darwinian scientists,
as well as some of their critics, have concluded
that, if evolution is a radically contingent
materialistic process driven by natural selection
and random genetic variation, then there can be
no place in it for divine providential causality.
.... But it is important to note that,
according to the Catholic understanding of divine
causality, true contingency in the created order
is not incompatible with a purposeful divine
providence. Divine causality and created
causality radically differ in kind and not only
in degree. Thus, even the outcome of a truly
contingent natural process can nonetheless fall
within Gods providential plan for creation.
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There is grandeur in this view of life with
its several powers having been originally
breathed into a few forms or into one and that,
whilst this planet has gone cycling on according
to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a
beginning endless forms most wonderful and most
beautiful have been, and are being evolved.