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From: Ali Haidar <ah08@aub.edu.lb>
Subject: Re: A new hypothesis... - See AAPG!
Sender: owner-micropaleo@lists.berkeley.edu
Dear micropaleonetters,
I understand there are several parts in the debate.
The main part is probably about Darwinism, since it goes against many religious beliefs. A minor part is about climate change.
The part related to climate change is probably the easiest to solve. Bringing evidence that there was climate change would not necessarily go against most of the religions we know about, so the debate could become simply technical. In this case, the evidence for climate change is quite clear from the record.
Concerning the theory of evolution, I personally do not think there are many (micro)paleontologists who would like to enter publicly in any debate related to it. This can be due to a fear of religious debates, with social (and funding?) implications. Also, some of the scientists who have international publications on evolution, are themselves believers in God. These scientists are sometimes accused to use evolution only as a funding opportunity, but when it comes to their personal life, they don't believe in what they publish. I believe they are free in doing that, but what matters here is that these scientists will not participate in any public debate on evolution.
I am mentioning this because I personally think that if we want to keep the public informed about our research, then the only way is to keep the debate open. We should consider ourselves lucky that the public is highly interested in some of our research. We should form an international committee ready to answer promptly all the questions (or attacks) on evolution that are not aware of some scientific evidence (evidence against their arguments). We should make our arguments using the same media they used, whenever this is possible. This debate will be very helpful for the advancement of science.
In MANY countries (even in the "western" world) it is basically forbidden to teach Darwinism at school. We mentioned the case of Italy in a previous debate. Evolution should be deleted from school curricula only if there is a SCIENTIFIC evidence against it, not by POLITICAL decision.
Another evidence against creationist and intelligent design comes from philosophy. The state of knowledge in philosophical discussions on religious experience, ontological, teleological, and cosmological arguments, the argument from miracles, ... is definitely in favor of evolution. The debate is probably more open when dealing with the Big Bang theory.
Ali Haidar
At 02:23 Õ 10/06/05, you wrote:
This in from PaleoNet. Micropaleontologists everywhere should be interested in the creationist and intelligent design arguments and movements, since we have provided the very best record of global change, evolution, and changing environments. Now that the issue is in our own (well, the petroleum industry's newsletter), some of you might want to comment yourselves, especially if you are members of AAPG.
If you agree that we do provide good evidence, then perhaps you might suggest ways to deliver our message. If not, don't do anything, although I'd love to hear your ideas. Jere
Forwarded by Andrew K. Rindsberg in Alabama...
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-vrtpaleo@usc.edu [mailto:owner-vrtpaleo@usc.edu] On Behalf Of
DHCWOLFE@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 6:09 PM
To: vrtpaleo@usc.edu
Subject: Re: A new hypothesis... - See AAPG!
Hail All
Sorry to pile on but it's worse than that I guess.
The latest issues of the AAPG Explorer (newsletter/journal for the American
Association of Petroluem Geologists) have been debating climate change and
evolution in articles and letters and there are several (geologists,
chemists and
engineers I presume....) indicating that "the fossil record does not
support
darwinism..", ID should be "considered as an alternate hypothesis by the
closed-minded paleontologists"... Climate change is an invention of
journalists
with "no scientific basis..." and of course continuing confusion
regarding the
difference between "Creation"/first life and subsequent evolutionary
process.
The misapplication of high school earth science in these letters by people
who should know better was astounding given the purported audience. All
the
more disturbing given the huge role that Petroleum exploration has had in
developing the biostratigraphic, geochemical, and sealevel/stratigraphic
record so
important to our understanding of Earth History.
I was depressed for days. So thank you for humoring me this therapeutic
chance to vent. I feel better now (....except for the vague notion that I
am
somehow a member of a vanishing and obscure cult of mythical
practices.....).
Courage
DG Wolfe
P.I. Zuni Basin Paleo Project
"A ship in the harbour is safe...but that's not what ships were made for
...." (plaque on desk)
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Dr. Ali T. Haidar
Phone:
+961-3-833 499 Mobile-Lebanon
+961-8-910 920 Home-Lebanon
+39-348-244 70 30 Mobile-Italy
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+961-1-350 000
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Ext. AUB: 4169
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+961-1-351 706
E-mail: ah08@aub.edu.lb
or: ah08@pop.aub.edu.lb
Postal address:
American University of Beirut
Department of Geology
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
P.O.Box 11-0236/26
Riad El-Solh, Beirut 1107 2020
Lebanon
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