For your consideration, I submit: Job: A Comedy of Justice.
Nunc dimittis. . . .
Someone suggesting that Poly read Heinlein!
Yeah, but I just couldn’t resist…
I was going to put “Hmmm… sounds suspiciously like Job” Especially with the comparison to Loki et al.
Ok Ok, You know what…I’m sick of the speculation. I’m going to find out once and for all what the truth of the universe is.
That’s right, I’m going to ask God.
Waenara, Jerry Farnsworth recommended it to me already! 
Your little pet theory of evolution is just that, a theory. It’s not a proven fact. Were you around millions of years ago or even 6000 yeares ago? You weren’t there yet you say you know exactly what happened because science says so? I for one am glad for any school that starts teaching creation along with the theory of evolution. Christian kids shouldn’t have to have this theory shoved down their throats when they don’t believe it’s true. They give you tests that ask how did man originate and how’s a Christian supposed to answer that?
So if I don’t believe in something, that means it’s actually not true? Great!! I no longer believe in math.
You hear that CitiBank?? My balance is fuckin’ zero!
Oh my, did His4Ever just walk into the Pit with TEACH ME written in large, red letters? I’m going to enjoy this.
My dear lady, you are suffering from several misapprehensions.
Let us get our definitions straight. A theory is not, as you seem to think, mere supposition. A theory is "“a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses.” (Per the National Academy of Sciences. When a scientist talks about the theory of evolution, or germs, or relativity, she is not expressing hesitation about its validity.
From Scientific American
Have you ever watched CSI , the TV show about police forensics? The characters on the show, like real-life forensic pathologists, use indirect evidence, like fingerprints, bloodstains, and insect larvae, to catch criminals. The study of evolutionary biology works the same way.
Which creation are we talking about? Genesis has two mutually contradictory stories. And what about the Hindus, the Muslims, and the various Native American tribes, all of whom have their own creation tales with the exact same amount of validity as yours?
It’s called “education,” something I recommend you try. If you go to talkorigins.org, you’ll get a grounding in the competing claims of evolution versus fundamentalist creation myths.
Here’s a list of books that you might find enlightening:
Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea, by Carl Zimmer
The Blind Watchmaker, by Richard Dawkins
The triumph of evolution : and the failure of creationism, by Niles Eldredge
Get A Grip on Evolution, by David Burnie (a good basic primer, complete with glossary)
You might also want to read some of Stephen Jay Gould’s books, but you might find them a bit difficult to follow,
I’d love to know how creationists account for microbes developing resistance to antibiotics.
Your little pet theory of creationism is just that, a theory. It’s not a proven fact. Were you around millions of years ago or even 6000 years ago? You weren’t there yet you say you know exactly what happened because the bible says so? I for one am glad for any school that starts teaching evolution along with the theory of creationism. Evolution kids shouldn’t have to have this theory shoved down their throats when they don’t believe it’s true. They give you tests that ask how did man originate and how’s an Evolutionist supposed to answer that?
You have not the slightest idea what you are talking about. BTW, you were not around even 2000 years ago, so how come you act like you know what happened back then? I feel like I need to write you an essay that I don’t have time or ambition to write – but fortunately, I had to do it about a year ago. Please read this post.
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They give you tests that ask how did man originate and how’s a Christian supposed to answer that?
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How about with the truth?
Is this guy serious? Or do we have a troll here?
His4Ever (who is a married woman, according to previous posts) is quite serious, Ogre. It surprises me you haven’t run into previous interactions that have resulted in her being pitted before.
No, H4E is not a troll; she’s just a rock-headed fundie who posts authoritatively on matters that she knows nothing about.
H4E, have you ever had a science class? Have you ever read any books on how evolution works? Have you even set foot inside a bookstore or library? Good night, woman, you ought to know by now that making bald, unsupported assertions do not fly here. Present some evidence and make your case, fer the love of Ras Tafari, mon! You been blinded by the lies of fundie Babylon, mon; I and I want you to get the knowledge of the way the world really functions, not to mention getting some irie into your soul.
I and I prescribe some Stephen Jay Gould, to educate, plus a dose of Yellowman, Bob Marley, Pato Banton, and Toots and the Maytals. That’ll clear up your sour disposition and get your soul to dancin’.
This has got to be the most intelligent thread I’ve ever read at the SDMB.
[brief hijack]
Polycarp -
Great link (I’d forgotten about that thread). Just one thing:
What’s wrong with sitting on hills and barking at the moon?
His4ever, I strongly recommend that if you’re going to get involved in these discussions that you read up on, at the very least, the links you’ve been offered here.
I thought I’d seen it all, but then I read His4ever’s post here. My jaw literally dropped open. And I was just beginning to think that she might be absorbing an ounce of objectivity. ::sigh::
While contemplating an appropriate response, gobear, Polycarp, and Ol’Gaffer quickly surpassed what I was contemplating. So… carry on. You’re better at this than I am.
I apologize for the gender mixup. As for not noticing her earlier, I’ve been on something of a hiatus since July (moving, new job, etc.,) and I see she only registered in August.
I assumed from the blatant, willful ignorance in her post that she was trolling. My mistake. Anyway.
Here is a good quote from Gould’s (controversial) Rocks of Ages that illustrates perfectly the relationship between science and creationism to me (except that I do not believe in God, and Gould, for the sake of this book, at least, posits God’s existence:)
“*f some contradiction seems to emerge between a well-validated scientific result and a conventional reading of scripture, we’d better reconsider our exegesis, for the natural world does not lie, but words can convey many meanings, some allegorical or metaphorical.”
If there is a God that created all this, and if the natural world does lie, then that God is no more than the trickster Polycarp described.
Also, while I’m on a tear, let me briefly address H4E’s erroneous use of the word “theory.” In short, I do not think that means what you think it means. In the scientific sense, a theory is an explanation that is the best fit for all the facts of a question. If one is not explained, the theory is not valid and must be modified. It is most certainly NOT the popular definition, which is usually described as “a guess.” A scientific theory has to be tested thousands upon thousands of times in widely different scenarios and with widely different starting conditions in order to merit being called a theory.
For all the relationship a scientific theory has to the popular definition, you might as well have said, “Your little pet theory of evolution is just that, a rutabaga.”
They don’t mean the same thing.
Weird. Why does it say that Algernon’s was the last post?
The hamsters, in addition to suffering from speed burnout, are also developing dementia and arthritis.