Victory for evolution in Texas

[Blake]

Right.

yeah, I didn't really think I "unwittingly made a good point" earlier either.

[RandomGuy]

"The environment determines what is "beneficial" and what isn't, for both humans and bacteria."

The environment isn't be beneficial, it just is.

organisms strive to stay alive and reproduce, aka continuation of the species, in whatever environment.

If the environment changes, slowly or quickly, slightly or dramatically, the organisms that adapt successfully (changes in gene expression, etc), respond successfully to environmental stressors (changes in energy sources, water, temperature, colors) reproduce and organisms that don't adapt gradually weaken and die.

I think there is too much prominence give to random events, like from DNA replication mistakes, or radiation for outer space.

eg, 10Ms of people have lactose or gluten intolerance because they have failed to adapt to the change in nutrition presented by farmed food like cow's milk and grains that became available only several 1000 years ago.

The frequency of decreased lactase activity ranges from as little as 5% in northern Europe, up to 71% for Sicily, to more than 90% in some African and Asian countries.[3]

Both lactose intolerance and alcohol inolerance in humans make a pretty damn good argument for evolutionary selection.

Europeans have traditionally relied heavily on milk and cheese for nutrition, and brewed spirits for clean water. (water must be boiled to make beer, etc)

During periods of famine, if you can't digest commonly available cheese/milk, you breed out, especially if you are a child. This severely limits the reproductive viability of such people.

If the only clean water available has alcohol in it, if you are intolerant of it, you drink less than clean water, not knowing anything about disease pathogens.

Both beneficial mutations, i.e. alcohol tolerance and the ability to digest lactase after infancy, are strongly selected for in such an environment.

Asia with its "tea" culture, where water is boiled for tea, generally killing bacteria, one could survive episodes of water-borne illness quite well without drinking alcohol. This and a much less prevalent cheese/milk part of the diet lead to both mutations being less prevalent in asia.

(leaving out the nifty thing about sickle cell anemia and malaria)

[boutons_deux]

Now add in 10s of 1000s of synthetic chemicals and hormones, almost none of the tested for toxicity, short or long term, in food, water, air, that human metabolism, endocrine system, immune system have never seen, and you get some real havoc, some real stressors, sometimes subtle, sometimes not.

[RandomGuy]

Now add in 10s of 1000s of synthetic chemicals and hormones, almost none of the tested for toxicity, short or long term, in food, water, air, that human metabolism, endocrine system, immune system have never seen, and you get some real havoc, some real stressors, sometimes subtle, sometimes not.

You might find last night's Daily Show monologue funny. Jon made a good point about something mildly related, IMO.

Heh.

[Proxy]

has science ever tried to answer the "why?" questions?

Those type of questions are usually reserved for religion, philosophy or history classes.

They do actually. As science continues to search for the answers to the origins of everything, and as science continues to reverse engineer our brain, the 'why' questions get answered. Everything you learn in religion, philosophy, and history class is made by man. They are altered by man. What makes you think we can answer the "why" questions of the entire UNIVERSE through the studies of something as relatively small and insignificant as MAN?

You guys have gotten to the point in this thread where nothing you say can favor dogma. This is always the point a science vs religion argument gets to. The only thing you can latch on to, is that your religion serves no better purpose than a children's book in teaching you not to kill or steal... and that it is for people scared of death.

[MannyIsGod]

Philosophical questions such as what is the meaning of life are answerable by science in so far as the pondering of such questions is a byproduct of our neurological function. In the way as "why does X make me happy" can be answer through neuroscience there's no reason to think that "why do we ask why" can't be answered in the same way.

[Blake]

In the way as "why does X make me happy" can be answer through neuroscience there's no reason to think that "why do we ask why" can't be answered in the same way.

'why' in that sense = 'how', imo.

[ElNono]

What Darrin is looking for is an existential answer to 'why'. I might be wrong, but I think he can't fathom that every response to that question is merely functional.

[Blake]

What Darrin is looking for is an existential answer to 'why'. I might be wrong, but I think he can't fathom that every response to that question is merely functional.

pretty much what I gathered.

[MannyIsGod]

What Darrin is looking for is an existential answer to 'why'. I might be wrong, but I think he can't fathom that every response to that question is merely functional.

Exactly - you can always ask Why. There is no end.

[Proxy]

What Darrin is looking for is an existential answer to 'why'. I might be wrong, but I think he can't fathom that every response to that question is merely functional.

You're not wrong. That's exactly what he can't understand... and tbh, I wouldn't blame him for refusing it based on the grounds that it's hard to admit there's no grand purpose for your existence or life after death. It was hard for me to admit, since I did grow up with a Baptist mother and Catholic father.

[RandomGuy]

Exactly - you can always ask Why. There is no end.

Why do you say that?

[mingus]

What would the world be like without the Judeo-Christian philosophy? Better or worse off?

[LnGrrrR]

What would the world be like without the Judeo-Christian philosophy? Better or worse off?

What would the world be like if dinosaurs never went extinct? Would we have to get dino insurance for our vehicles?

[mingus]

What would the world be like if dinosaurs never went extinct? Would we have to get dino insurance for our vehicles?

so you don't know the alternative and yet you're doing everything you can to attain it. Sounds like a great plan.

[Blake]

What would the world be like without the Judeo-Christian philosophy? Better or worse off?

Easily better off without in my opinion.

Why do you believe the world is a better place with it?

[mingus]

Easily better off without in my opinion.

Why do you believe the world is a better place with it?

"Easily better off without it" elaborate, if you can. We know what's it's like with it. What's it like without it? are you just blindly headed in that direction?

[Proxy]

"Easily better off without it" elaborate, if you can. We know what's it's like with it. What's it like without it? are you just blindly headed in that direction?

"The idea of God was not a lie but a device of the unconscious which needed to be decoded by psychology. A personal god was nothing more than an exalted father-figure: desire for such a deity sprang from infantile yearnings for a powerful, protective father, for justice and fairness and for life to go on forever. God is simply a projection of these desires, feared and worshipped by human beings out of an abiding sense of helplessness. Religion belonged to the infancy of the human race; it had been a necessary stage in the transition from childhood to maturity. It had promoted ethical values which were essential to society. Now that humanity had come of age, however, it should be left behind."
- Freud

[mingus]

Still no answer to my question. Let me ask it again. What would the world be like without Judeo-Christianity? If your greatest wish came true and Judeo-Christianity was wiped from existence tomorrow, what would come of the world after that?

[Proxy]

Still no answer to my question. Let me ask it again. What would the world be like without Judeo-Christianity? If your greatest wish came true and Judeo-Christianity was wiped from existence tomorrow, what would come of the world after that?

You aren't asking an intelligent question, fyi.

What do you want us to say? Numerous lives lost would be prevented. Maybe wars would have been fought for something real. Perhaps Eastern Religion would be the dominating dogma, and people would have actual values.

Or I can satisfy your want for me to say we would live in Anarchy.

In realistic terms, religion would always come to pass under a different name. If you actually read the quote I posted, you would've been able to deduce the answer to your meaningless hypothetical question yourself.

Stop living in the past and move on.

[Landon Donofag]

Still no answer to my question. Let me ask it again. What would the world be like without Judeo-Christianity? If your greatest wish came true and Judeo-Christianity was wiped from existence tomorrow, what would come of the world after that?

Such a stupid question.

What would the world be like without Muslims?

What would the world be like without Black people?

[mingus]

I'm looking for details. But none of you guys have any.
You don't know where you're taking us or want to take us.

[mingus]

I don't know what is with the hostility toward me lol. Just asking a question. Guess I'm a re , sorry. LOL

[Landon Donofag]

Stop avoiding my questions.

What would the world be like without Muslims and Black people?!

I want details.

[mingus]

Stop avoiding my questions.

What would the world be like without Muslims and Black people?!

I want details.

I don't want to rid the world of black people or Islam. So I don't think about it. But if one were to be trying to rid the world of something, ESP. As big as Judeo-Christianity, one should have some sort of detailed picture as to what the alternative is. And none of you do. And I'm not convinced it's a viable one because of that.

Before I go on vacation I like to know a lot about where I'm going. But that's just re ed to you guys apparently. "Unintelligent."