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Essay, perhaps it would be worth your while to go back and listen to the soundbites of Richard Dawkins speech to the secualr humanist association, also referenced in the previous post (1198) regarding his interview. Dawkins does indeed refer to "sensible" religions in one forum, replying to the interviewer, but in his speech he stated that theism is totally incompatible with evolution, and ridicules theists such as yourself who think they can have it both ways. He does not in any respect honestly agree with or support your position, he frankly states that his humanistic evolutionary position is a philosophical-religious view in that friendly forum of secular humanists, but of course in response to the Beliefnet interviewer with regard to theists he does prefer religionists who don't fuss with his utterly and unambiguously atheistic humanism. He prefers theists who allow his worldview to prevail. But he doesn't at all agree with theists of any kind, nor respect them. He is indeed an opponent of the Christian faith and ardent for silencing any contrary opinion regarding mechanistic evolution. Richard Dawkins clearly believes that you are as much a fool for your beliefs as I am for mine, and you ought to understand that. You are again simply wrong in asserting the sufficiency of evidence for macro evolution as "science fact". I have little interest in lengthy arguments with you on the topic. You ardently believe it, and ardently believe in the people who have promoted it, but that sort of faith doesn't make it true. However, that is just the problem Ben was referring to. A teacher in a college class that is supposed to focus on persuasive speech making the topic of intelligent design taboo, because the teacher's mind, like your own (my impression on this subject) and like Richard Dawkins is already made up and persuasive argument is irrelevant, indeed it is deemed impossible. Nor do you seem to appreciate that Ben's post indicated his choice of topic was dismissed with a diatribe against his beliefs, indeed his capacity to discern or think, which he is not allowed to respond to directly if he wants to succeed in the class. Facts are not to be considered, the case has been closed -- or at least minds have been. And when the closed minds are in positions of authority, that is indeed frustrating. You say "I will begin to question evolution when..." but I doubt the intellectual honesty of that assertion. What could possibly make you have such a question? What sort of evidence would that be, and how would it have to be presented? Indeed, you have a foregone conclusion that any evidence that contradicts the common academic view of evolution is impossible, and consequently don't consider the evidence that is already widely available. Never mind AIG, they do start from a presumption of Biblical truth -- which is a legitimate starting place, whether you agree or not -- at least honestly consider the issues raised by authors like Jonathan Wells, Michael Behe, Paul Davies, Phillip Johnson and others, who do not exactly write as "creationists". Go back and read Ben's post again. His frustration wasn't with people who consider and disagree, it was with people who have closed the door to questions and refused discussion.
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