LTTE Fundy Pastor comments on evolution [View All]

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This guy sounds a little more intelligent than most fundies seem to be, but he complains that humanists (code word for atheists) are too narrow-minded. This is the kind of off-handed opinion which I found in my ex-friend, using the word "humanist" as a slur, with nothing but basic derision as the whole motif of the poster/author. Of course, to another fundie, he probably qualifies as a genius, but in terms of overall wisdom, he is missing the mark.

I would have happily let the author go on without any comment, except where he wrote the codswallop about the "inerrant word" of the bible. It's this kind of idiocy which makes me less able to tolerate the radical religious right--if beliefs on the far right could only be expanded a fraction to get rid of the legalistic and "inerrancy" bullshit, perhaps I could happily be more tolerant of them.
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Bible does not contradict science
By: May 26, 2008

Editor:

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As a pastor and student of science, I am no expert on either. However I will respond on the basis of scientific fact and scriptural truth to many of the statements made. First let me admit my bias, something humanists don't do. I am unapologetically biased toward the revealed truth contained in the inspired and inerrant word of God. This does not contradict science; as a matter of historical record all sciences have their roots in theological endeavor. So when I am faced with contradictions I choose a bias that agrees with the creator of all, not the theories of His fallible creatures.

His first bias was clearly toward religion; he quoted Claude Bernard on doubting with regard to science then applied this doubt to faith. Bernard also said of theories and hypothesis, "They are never final, never to be absolutely believed." The writer chooses science over religion when he uses phrases like "religious superstition, and blindly accepting." He obviously believes that religion is manmade and that those of faith are blind sheep. He also made it clear that those who oppose the faith of their childhood are the enlighten ones.

But his true bias came through in his discussion on science. To say our school system attacks evolution is laughable, and I recommend watching "Expelled." To say there is no evidence against evolution shows that he has either marginalized those facts or is ignorant of them. For example, why does the fossil record contain millions of fossils (evidence of a worldwide flood) and has no evidence of transitional species? Punctuated equilibrium and millions and billions of years is the only way macroevolution can be "believed."

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The theory of evolution has had negative affects on medicine and society; 134 organs once thought to be vestigial are all now known to serve very important purposes. Evolution was also widely used to support bigotry and racism in the late 1800s, seeing its full effect in Nazism, not to mention its use today to kill off inconvenient people though abortion and assisted suicide.

It is clear from these facts that the writer is not interested in honest scientific endeavor, because this would include questioning all theories and testing all their claims, but evolution is a sacred cow of the enlightened scientific community that has voted it into fact.

Pastor Robert Portier
Saint Paul Lutheran
Sevierville

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19720408&BRD=1211&PAG=461&dept_id=169695&rfi=6