Last week, at the University of Oklahoma, Francisco J. Ayala gave a talk. Ayala, a member of the National Academy of Science, the Presidential Medal of Science, and a pioneer in the molecular study of evolution, made some important points about the creationist “intelligent design” (ID) movement most of us already knew, but said them in a direct and powerful way that most of us had not dared. Ayala is also a former priest, and is one of the few evolutionary scientists with formal training in theology.
Ayala said that, if creationism were true, then God was incompetent. The adaptations of organisms are imperfect and are cobbled together from whatever parts were available. No competent engineer, Ayala said, would use the same design for a car, an airplane, and a boat, yet that is exactly what we see when we compare the designs of, for example, a dog, a bird, and a whale. In particular, he mentioned the process of human birth, in which the birth canal is almost too narrow and the frequent result, before modern medicine, was the death of both mother and child during childbirth. Why would God design something like this? But from an evolutionary viewpoint it makes sense. First, natural selection makes use of whatever parts are available; that is all it can do. That is why dogs, birds, and whales have the same basic design. Second, evolution is constrained by contradictory forces. Natural selection favored, in the human lineage, upright posture (which confers an advantage on a small birth canal) and large brains (which confers an advantage on a large birth canal). These competing forces have resulted in a birth canal that is on the deadly edge of being too small. No competent supernatural designer would have used these imperfect designs.
Ayala also said that, if creationism were true, then God is cruel, even perverted (Ayala’s terms). He made reference to the many extreme examples of extremely prolonged and painful diseases such as river blindness and elephantiasis. What kind of God would design things like this? Certainly not one worthy of worship.
Ayala’s conclusion was that intelligent design was blasphemy, because it makes God out to be incompetent and cruel.
I believe, along with Ayala, that creationists need to be confronted with the consequences of their own beliefs. But I would go even further. The evidence that Ayala cited not only contradict the idea of an Intelligent Designer, but also the concept of an all-powerful God in the universe today. Why does such a God, today, allow us to suffer from the cruelty imposed by the mindless laws of nature and the brainless behavior of parasites? It is not just a matter of asking why God made the world the way it is; it is a matter of asking why God permits it to continue in such a pointlessly cruel state.
In springtime, it is easy to overlook the cruelty of the world. And our brains have an instinct to see much beauty in the world. I plan to focus on the beauty of the world. But I will do so by giving my attention to the beauty itself, rather than digging up the tangled contradictions of attributing the beauty of the world to a creator while making excuses for the world’s cruelty.
This posting also appeared on my evolution blog.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Fundamentalist Christianity and terrorism
I have some further thoughts related to the anonymous hate message that I received (see previous post). I now consider creationism to be a terrorist movement, a claim that I will here explain.
Most creationists would not, themselves, commit acts of terrorism or condone them. But the same thing can be said about Islamist terrorist movements around the world. Only a small percentage of Muslims are actually preparing to commit acts of terrorism. A larger, but still small, percent of Muslims would condone those acts, even though they would not personally commit them. However, a large number of Muslims (though still a minority) are sympathetic toward the terrorist movement, even though they do not personally condone the acts of terrorism. Islamist terrorism would not be as common as it is were it not for a widespread base of economic and social support that it receives from sympathizers.
Creationism, in a similar fashion, consists of a small number of people who are willing to break the law and attack others by whatever means is convenient, plus a large number of people who are sympathetic to them though they would never consider committing such acts themselves.
It does not take a large number of violent people to cause a lot of trouble, especially if those people, such as the Taliban, Al Qaeda, or Christian white supremacist cults, have lots of weapons and the sympathy of a large minority of the population.
Most of us would consider it unthinkable to listen to someone who argues that Islamist terrorists are wrong in their actions but have a valid viewpoint—that is, a nonviolent defender of violent people. The same, I believe, is true of fundamentalist Christian creationists. Creationism is a terrorist movement without, thus far, any actual terrorists. I hope it stays that way, but fear that it may not.
I have also posted this essay on my evolution blog.
Most creationists would not, themselves, commit acts of terrorism or condone them. But the same thing can be said about Islamist terrorist movements around the world. Only a small percentage of Muslims are actually preparing to commit acts of terrorism. A larger, but still small, percent of Muslims would condone those acts, even though they would not personally commit them. However, a large number of Muslims (though still a minority) are sympathetic toward the terrorist movement, even though they do not personally condone the acts of terrorism. Islamist terrorism would not be as common as it is were it not for a widespread base of economic and social support that it receives from sympathizers.
Creationism, in a similar fashion, consists of a small number of people who are willing to break the law and attack others by whatever means is convenient, plus a large number of people who are sympathetic to them though they would never consider committing such acts themselves.
It does not take a large number of violent people to cause a lot of trouble, especially if those people, such as the Taliban, Al Qaeda, or Christian white supremacist cults, have lots of weapons and the sympathy of a large minority of the population.
Most of us would consider it unthinkable to listen to someone who argues that Islamist terrorists are wrong in their actions but have a valid viewpoint—that is, a nonviolent defender of violent people. The same, I believe, is true of fundamentalist Christian creationists. Creationism is a terrorist movement without, thus far, any actual terrorists. I hope it stays that way, but fear that it may not.
I have also posted this essay on my evolution blog.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Why creationism is dangerous
This morning I received an abusive message via Facebook. Facebook allows messages to be sent from anonymous sources, and this source did not identify itself except as male. Its main message was I was offending my creationist students by teaching evolution in an evolution class. The opinions expressed were brutal. The facts it cited were inaccurate. For example, the writer said that evolution was dropped from the core requirements for biology majors because nobody was learning anything from my classes. In fact, the course was dropped from the core before I began teaching it. The message said my colleagues do not respect me, which is not true, according to my colleagues. My student evaluations are mostly positive, with a few negative comments from offended creationists. The message said that my students do not learn anything; test results show that this is not true. The message said nobody accepts my books, which is untrue; they have received good reviews nationwide. The grammar and spelling in this message were bad.
This sort of thing is typical of creationists. They have no hesitation about lying about others; of sending secret abusive messages and threats; about breaking the law. For example, famous creationist Kent Hovind (“Dr. Dino”) went to prison for tax evasion. One of the world’s most famous creationists, who wrote under the name Harun Yahya, went to prison in Turkey for organized crime. In 2007, a creationist send threatening letters to evolutionary science faculty at the University of Colorado, and his messages proclaimed that it was time for Christians to take up arms against those he believed to be his enemies. My experience with creationist students is that they are often the ones who plagiarize papers.
Creationists are fueled by hatred. And since they are associated with the extreme political right wing, many of whom accumulate stockpiles of weapons, their hatred is dangerous. The fact that this message came from an anonymous source was clearly intended to heighten its terrorist effect. The writer used the name “Charles Darwen,” and a photograph of the nineteenth century drawing of Charles Darwin as a chimpanzee.
It should be obvious why “the creationist viewpoint” does not deserve a serious consideration, any more than does the white supremacist viewpoint, which appeals to some of the same people. The creationist viewpoint is a grab for political power by means of intimidation.
I posted the above essay on my evolution blog. I would like to add something for this religion blog. The creationist position, especially as manifested by the creationists referred to above, supposedly represents people who imitate Jesus Christ. But they are bringing intense disrespect upon Jesus. They make Jesus look like a hate-filled liar. I do not believe this is the case, but an outside viewer can be excused for rejecting Christianity as a hotbed of ignorance and hatred. Creationists such as the one who sent me this message are the people who are most offensive to God on the entire face of the Earth.
This sort of thing is typical of creationists. They have no hesitation about lying about others; of sending secret abusive messages and threats; about breaking the law. For example, famous creationist Kent Hovind (“Dr. Dino”) went to prison for tax evasion. One of the world’s most famous creationists, who wrote under the name Harun Yahya, went to prison in Turkey for organized crime. In 2007, a creationist send threatening letters to evolutionary science faculty at the University of Colorado, and his messages proclaimed that it was time for Christians to take up arms against those he believed to be his enemies. My experience with creationist students is that they are often the ones who plagiarize papers.
Creationists are fueled by hatred. And since they are associated with the extreme political right wing, many of whom accumulate stockpiles of weapons, their hatred is dangerous. The fact that this message came from an anonymous source was clearly intended to heighten its terrorist effect. The writer used the name “Charles Darwen,” and a photograph of the nineteenth century drawing of Charles Darwin as a chimpanzee.
It should be obvious why “the creationist viewpoint” does not deserve a serious consideration, any more than does the white supremacist viewpoint, which appeals to some of the same people. The creationist viewpoint is a grab for political power by means of intimidation.
I posted the above essay on my evolution blog. I would like to add something for this religion blog. The creationist position, especially as manifested by the creationists referred to above, supposedly represents people who imitate Jesus Christ. But they are bringing intense disrespect upon Jesus. They make Jesus look like a hate-filled liar. I do not believe this is the case, but an outside viewer can be excused for rejecting Christianity as a hotbed of ignorance and hatred. Creationists such as the one who sent me this message are the people who are most offensive to God on the entire face of the Earth.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Thomas Jefferson's birthday
Thomas Jefferson may well have been the president that most strongly supported scholarship in general and science in particular. He was just as proud of being the founder of the University of Virginia as of being the third president. The Lewis and Clark expedition, which Jefferson organized and funded as president, was primarily a scientific expedition to explore, rather than a military expedition to conquer, the Louisiana Purchase. He kept copious notes of a scientific nature (though science in its modern form did not yet exist), and his reputation as an inventor is or should be well known to everyone.
When President Kennedy hosted Nobel laureates at the White House, he said that event was the greatest concentration of brain power that there had ever been in the White House, except when Jefferson dined there alone. But it is not just that Jefferson was smart. There were lots of other smart people involved in the founding of our nation. But he had a zeal for getting new and reliable information upon which to base human activities, especially farming, which was and is the basis of the world economy. He had trouble letting go of precious theories—he probably never quite believed that mammoths really had become extinct, and was hoping the Lewis and Clark expedition would find some—but was more open to new information than nearly anyone else then or now.
Jefferson was perhaps most proud of all to be the champion of religious liberty and tolerance. Though he was open to religion and a great admirer of Jesus, he despised “priestcraft” by which some humans used religion to dominate other humans.
Conservatives do not like Jefferson. I believe that this is partly due to the fact that, to conservatives, it is not important what you know, but just what you believe. Conservatives generally think that you should impose your beliefs on the facts, rather than letting the facts lead you to your beliefs. They fear new information and, in many cases, attempt to suppress it. They also strongly resent the fact that Jefferson did not believe in conventional Christian theology. This is the principal reason that the Texas Board of Education attempted to expunge much of the information about Jefferson from the educational standards in high schools. Conservatives are threatened by Thomas Jefferson and people like him.
When President Kennedy hosted Nobel laureates at the White House, he said that event was the greatest concentration of brain power that there had ever been in the White House, except when Jefferson dined there alone. But it is not just that Jefferson was smart. There were lots of other smart people involved in the founding of our nation. But he had a zeal for getting new and reliable information upon which to base human activities, especially farming, which was and is the basis of the world economy. He had trouble letting go of precious theories—he probably never quite believed that mammoths really had become extinct, and was hoping the Lewis and Clark expedition would find some—but was more open to new information than nearly anyone else then or now.
Jefferson was perhaps most proud of all to be the champion of religious liberty and tolerance. Though he was open to religion and a great admirer of Jesus, he despised “priestcraft” by which some humans used religion to dominate other humans.
Conservatives do not like Jefferson. I believe that this is partly due to the fact that, to conservatives, it is not important what you know, but just what you believe. Conservatives generally think that you should impose your beliefs on the facts, rather than letting the facts lead you to your beliefs. They fear new information and, in many cases, attempt to suppress it. They also strongly resent the fact that Jefferson did not believe in conventional Christian theology. This is the principal reason that the Texas Board of Education attempted to expunge much of the information about Jefferson from the educational standards in high schools. Conservatives are threatened by Thomas Jefferson and people like him.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Recent religious arrogance, part two. Israel.
In many entries in this blog, I criticize the arrogance of Protestants. In the previous blog entry, I criticized Ratzinger the pope. I will now dare to criticize Israel.
There are many positive things about the nation of Israel. It was a refuge for people who had suffered the most unspeakable atrocities of the twentieth century. And they made the desert bloom, literally. For example, they invented drip irrigation. They can get a lot of food out of a few drops of water. (Greeting card joke. Outside: In honor of your birthday, a tree has been planted in Israel. Inside: Wednesday is your day to water it.) And no other Middle Eastern country comes close to the scientific, technological, and scholarly achievements of Israel. Even outside of Israel, Jewish scholars are among the best; their list of Nobelists far exceeds that of any other cultural or ethnic group. This is largely due to the amazing historical achievements of the Jews, who have persisted for millennia in maintaining a culture that cherishes wisdom. As you can tell, I have a very positive view of Jews.
But the nation of Israel keeps itself alive by the mythology that God has given their government the authority to do whatever it wants. Many conservative Christian churches have bought into this mythology also. Many American Christians think that it is ungodly to criticize any action of the government of Israel. If that is the case, what about the dozens of prophets, whose writings are preserved in our Old Testament, who criticized the leadership of the ancient Israelite nation—not only criticizing, but condemning Israel? Are we to say that Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and others were ungodly for daring to criticize the leadership of God’s Holy Nation? This is blasphemous arrogance on the part of the Israeli leadership, especially the little impudent Binyamin Netanyahu. He assumes (apparently correctly) that the government of Israel can do anything it wants and the US will go along with it. Netanyahu’s government can deliberately derail the peace process (by announcing settlement plans in East Jerusalem) during Vice President Biden’s visit, insulting the US without whose billions of dollars of aid they would quickly become a steaming pile of waste, with full confidence that the American government will simply kiss their asses.
I have no opinion about whether Israel is God’s chosen nation (or about whether there is the kind of God who chooses nations). But being the Chosen Nation does not mean that their leaders can get away with anything and everything. Jerusalem was conquered by Babylon about 700 BCE. Maybe the modern leaders of Israel should re-read their Bibles and see that their God does not give them any basis for arrogantly assuming that they can force lies to become truth or that they can do anything they want without suffering the consequences. And certain powerful American Jewish lobbies think the US government is obligated to do whatever they say.
Israel has also pretended that their conflict with the Palestinians is an equal one. During recent conflict, their bombs killed several hundred Palestinians, mostly non-combatants, while fewer than twenty Israelis died. Probably five times as many Palestinian children died as all Israelis.
Israel has the right to exist. The United Nations made this decision over sixty years ago. But the United Nations did not, then or now, grant Israel the right to act like swaggering conquerors. And what do you bet that the Israeli leadership decides to attack Iran? They hint that they may do so. If this happens, the US will probably just go along with it, out of fear that our own Christian fundamentalists will rise up in arms if we do not.
I suspect that most Israelis want peace. They should get rid of their warmongering leadership. I read that 37 percent of Israelis were either agnostics or atheists. They should raise their voices and not tolerate a leadership that pretends to be God’s chosen conquerors.
And, please, can’t the US act like an independent country rather than like Israel’s little lap dog?
There are many positive things about the nation of Israel. It was a refuge for people who had suffered the most unspeakable atrocities of the twentieth century. And they made the desert bloom, literally. For example, they invented drip irrigation. They can get a lot of food out of a few drops of water. (Greeting card joke. Outside: In honor of your birthday, a tree has been planted in Israel. Inside: Wednesday is your day to water it.) And no other Middle Eastern country comes close to the scientific, technological, and scholarly achievements of Israel. Even outside of Israel, Jewish scholars are among the best; their list of Nobelists far exceeds that of any other cultural or ethnic group. This is largely due to the amazing historical achievements of the Jews, who have persisted for millennia in maintaining a culture that cherishes wisdom. As you can tell, I have a very positive view of Jews.
But the nation of Israel keeps itself alive by the mythology that God has given their government the authority to do whatever it wants. Many conservative Christian churches have bought into this mythology also. Many American Christians think that it is ungodly to criticize any action of the government of Israel. If that is the case, what about the dozens of prophets, whose writings are preserved in our Old Testament, who criticized the leadership of the ancient Israelite nation—not only criticizing, but condemning Israel? Are we to say that Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and others were ungodly for daring to criticize the leadership of God’s Holy Nation? This is blasphemous arrogance on the part of the Israeli leadership, especially the little impudent Binyamin Netanyahu. He assumes (apparently correctly) that the government of Israel can do anything it wants and the US will go along with it. Netanyahu’s government can deliberately derail the peace process (by announcing settlement plans in East Jerusalem) during Vice President Biden’s visit, insulting the US without whose billions of dollars of aid they would quickly become a steaming pile of waste, with full confidence that the American government will simply kiss their asses.
I have no opinion about whether Israel is God’s chosen nation (or about whether there is the kind of God who chooses nations). But being the Chosen Nation does not mean that their leaders can get away with anything and everything. Jerusalem was conquered by Babylon about 700 BCE. Maybe the modern leaders of Israel should re-read their Bibles and see that their God does not give them any basis for arrogantly assuming that they can force lies to become truth or that they can do anything they want without suffering the consequences. And certain powerful American Jewish lobbies think the US government is obligated to do whatever they say.
Israel has also pretended that their conflict with the Palestinians is an equal one. During recent conflict, their bombs killed several hundred Palestinians, mostly non-combatants, while fewer than twenty Israelis died. Probably five times as many Palestinian children died as all Israelis.
Israel has the right to exist. The United Nations made this decision over sixty years ago. But the United Nations did not, then or now, grant Israel the right to act like swaggering conquerors. And what do you bet that the Israeli leadership decides to attack Iran? They hint that they may do so. If this happens, the US will probably just go along with it, out of fear that our own Christian fundamentalists will rise up in arms if we do not.
I suspect that most Israelis want peace. They should get rid of their warmongering leadership. I read that 37 percent of Israelis were either agnostics or atheists. They should raise their voices and not tolerate a leadership that pretends to be God’s chosen conquerors.
And, please, can’t the US act like an independent country rather than like Israel’s little lap dog?
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