Path: news.rdc1.sdca.home.com!newshub1.home.com!news.home.com!newsfeed.direct.ca!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!news.stanford.edu!ediacara.org!there.is.no.cabal From: "Wesley R. Elsberry" Newsgroups: talk.origins Subject: Re: Creationist morals Date: 19 Sep 1998 14:00:14 -0400 Organization: Online Zoologists Lines: 42 Message-ID: <199809191808.LAA04856@cx33978-a.dt1.sdca.home.com> References: <3603dfec.49935493@news3.enter.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: darwin.ediacara.org In article , Tim Teebken wrote: >wf3h@enter.netxx wrote in message <3603dfec.49935493@news3.enter.net>... >>On 19 Sep 1998 12:24:19 -0400, "Tim Teebken" wrote: [...] TT>Of course I have no background in biology, so I won't be TT>doing any major contributions to new theory formation. My TT>background is in theology/philosophy and software TT>engineering. My only involvement with the discussions TT>about origins is as an interested amateur. I can evaluate TT>high-level arguments and philosophical issues about TT>evolution, though not with as much credibility as a trained TT>specialist in the field. [...] We have seen this kind of claim before concerning the *ability* of an outsider to biology in making a "contribution" in the form of criticism of logic or points of philosophy in biological theory. The *actual* success rate that such people have in forming cogent criticisms approaches nullity. There has been no indication that Tim Teebken will improve upon the past record established by others like Phillip Johnson, and there is some evidence that he is operating at the same level as Johnson or lower. Johnson at least recognized that Popper had recanted his position on natural selection, and didn't attempt to state that Popper's stance embraced all evolutionary theory. (At least, not on pages 21-22 of "Darwin On Trial, 2nd Ed.") High-level arguments about biological theories *require* knowledge of those theories. This knowledge has often proved lacking or absent in those who forward credentials in logic as an ante to discussion of biological topics. -- Wesley R. Elsberry, Student in Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, Tx A&M U. Visit the Online Zoologists page (http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry) Email to this account is dumped to /dev/null, whose Spam appetite is capacious. "The skies are filled with herds of shivering angels"-BOC