Subject:
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Re: Support for Creationism (was Re: Macro-Evolution - "Impossible!")
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Fri, 26 Jan 2001 01:37:01 GMT
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Viewed:
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650 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Jon Kozan writes:
>
> Evolution and the theory of origins, and the Big Bang are all
> inexorably intertwined. You can certianly deny that, but they are cause and
> effect for each other.
This is not so. As pointed out in a very recent post, any cause and effect
(and there may be none, some, or a lot) is unidirectional. Perhaps some
explanation?
First of all, let's get the temporal sequence correct, where "->" means
"happened before". "->" does not imply any relationship other than when the
stated process started in time.
Big Bang -> Cosmic "Evolution" -> Abiogenisis -> Darwinian Evolution
In other words, there was a period of time when the universe existed, but
evolution of life did not. The nature of the universe (and presumably the
nature of the big bang) will indeed affect the types of life possible in our
universe, and subsequently evolution. To state that the Big Bang is the
"cause" of life seems a little strong for me, however; I think it would be
more precise to state that the Big Bang provided the substance upon which
life might occur.
It may sound trite, but to say that the Big Bang caused evolution seems akin
to saying that the actions of an individual are entirely the responsiblity
of his great great great great great grandfather.
Anyway, I digress. The point is that while the nature of the big bang can
*influence* the initial formation of life and subsequent evolution of that
life, evolution does not and cannot influence the big bang - as a mimimum
this is because evolution happened afterwards. Therefore the relationship is
one way. You claimed "they are cause and effect for each other"; this is
blatantly not the case, as evolution cannot possibly have an effect on the
big bang.
> Separating them out in a school-kids mind is nigh
> impossible.
Well I managed it as a kid, and I am certainly no genius. It is my
experience that most kids, from a very early age, are aware of the nature of
cause and effect, and that it is impossible for an event in the present to
affect an event in the past.
Perhaps you have a TARDIS? :-)
Jennifer Clark
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