they aint so smart

[dudley]

damn wisdom teeth.
who the hell had that bright idea.
intelligent design my ass.

[ghmerrill]

Unfortunately, when younger, I had to have a couple of back molars pulled... The wisdom teeth grew in the spots, and I have a full compliment of dentition still.

From a science perspective, far easier to believe intelligent design than random chance. Mathematically, and biologically, evolution is so far fetched that its impossible to study it in depth and continue believing it. Plus, it violates the law of thermodynamics.

But obviously, its the most popular religion today

[dudley]

mathematics and science have no bearing at all when it comes to belief in an all powerful wizard.
i have to vote for what at least on a smaller scale can be seen and proven.

[ghmerrill]

or disbelief

[ocimum_nate]

Who can look at an orchid that mimics an insect in both sight and smell and not believe that there is more to our existence than just random chance?

[needmore]

This thread seems to have taken a dangerous turn! If there is going to be a debate re. science vs religion please start a new properly entitled thread that will be easier to avoid and obvious why one might wish too...

[David]

Evolution and religion are both theologies neither can be proven. Evolutionists, and creationists will never agree their religions will not allow it to be so. Perhaps a hybrid theology of evolution and design could be common ground.

Brad, I'm not sure dangerous is the word I would have used but this is a topic on which both sides are polarized and discussion in a friendly, courteous manner can be difficult.

Just a few generations ago everyone loss their teeth and had it not been for the "wisdom teeth" their nutrition would have been seriously compromised. Could evolution alone have been responsible for selecting for those who developed a third set of molars? Most old world peoples only lived into their 40's and maybe early 50's and most had procreated by this point in their very difficult lives which prevented natural selection from dominating the genetic pool. So why do humans still erupt a third set of molars? Can it be that third molars are a remnant of an original design feature no longer needed, but isolated from the powerful forces of evolution?

I find these and other hard to explain circumstances interesting and worthy of discussion but let's try to remain courteous during the process.

Perhaps this discussion should be retitled Evolution vs. Creationism vs. Evocreationism.

[ghmerrill]

I would never let it get to the point of fisticuffs brad!

From the perspective of someone who's passion is biology, and who's high school and college focus was such, guess what my theology was? I was never taught that evolution was a "theory", and it wasn't until latter that I had to change my mind, and that was through answering questions, not blind faith

[needmore]

Oh oh here we go....

I stand behind the DANGER aspect as I've seen forums catch on fire and implode from threads like this.

[foxd]

I have to agree, we are treading in dangerous territory. I really don't want this thread to turn into a flame war, which could easily happen. I remember one such debate on one of the religious usenet groups (I think it was alt.fan.gene-scott) which went totally out of control and spread to alt.puppetry.

Okay, to explain how this happened someone portrayed the debate of evolution versus creationism as a Punch and Judy show which got cross posted to alt.puppetry and every post after that also went to alt.puppetry causing the alt.puppetry to complain. Then someone made a comment about people who stick their hands up puppets skirts and it went down hill from there.

Can you see how these things can go horribly wrong?

[Alan_L]

Can you see how these things can go horribly wrong?

Like planting bamboo without doing research here first.

There, back on topic.

[ghmerrill]

But the topic was wisdom teeth alan

I'm not sure how to turn that into bamboo,
But I will let alan figure that out

[Alan_L]

And there you go:

http://www.dentistry-forums.com/make-on ... 475p2.html

[ghmerrill]

You are good!

[Jerry Hamilton]

You are good!

Should be Damn Good.