Spring Break
Darwin vs. Design conference
A perspective from one group of students
Issue date: 4/17/07 Section: The Mix
At this point, we were fed up with the sheer lack of science being discussed. (Remember, ID theorists claim to support a science, not a religion.) So we held up our signs. They bore questions such as, "Why do we have wisdom teeth if they do not fit our jaws?" and "Why did it take 20 species of elephant to go extinct to get two species that survived?" and "Why do the ribosomes (protein synthesizing machinery) in our mitochondria match those of bacteria?" to name a few.
Well, after holding up these signs for a while, the men on stage noticed and decided to answer one of them. They chose the last one, regarding ribosomes. Immediately, the only person on stage with any knowledge of biology, Michael Behe, took up the question.
His answer was that ID theory does not allow for explanations regarding interspecies commonalities such as those implied in the question.
In short, his answer was that he couldn't explain it with ID theory.
But then he went on, describing how a Creator may have given humans similar ribosomes for no good reason. His logic was that when one sees a car with a radio, one can ask how that radio got there and there are many explanations.
One such explanation was provided by Behe, and it was so very realistic: He said the radio could've fallen from an apartment and landed in the car, suggesting that a Creator could have simply thrown ribosomes all over the place, and they just landed in humans by chance. Very likely, indeed.
Over the course of the event, two of my friends decided to stand up slightly and move a row ahead. When they did, they were manhandled by SMU's finest officers and escorted out.
Good job, boys in blue. Way to stifle freedom of expression while disallowing people to stand up for two seconds. I'm glad you're keeping our campus safe.
The four of us decided to stay behind after receiving a text from our two friends letting us know they were safe. However, that was not the last text we received that night, because after that, my friend Mahmud and I began receiving hate text messages, telling us to "shove your sign up your ass" and to "shut the f*** up." All very Christian indeed.
Well, after holding up these signs for a while, the men on stage noticed and decided to answer one of them. They chose the last one, regarding ribosomes. Immediately, the only person on stage with any knowledge of biology, Michael Behe, took up the question.
His answer was that ID theory does not allow for explanations regarding interspecies commonalities such as those implied in the question.
In short, his answer was that he couldn't explain it with ID theory.
But then he went on, describing how a Creator may have given humans similar ribosomes for no good reason. His logic was that when one sees a car with a radio, one can ask how that radio got there and there are many explanations.
One such explanation was provided by Behe, and it was so very realistic: He said the radio could've fallen from an apartment and landed in the car, suggesting that a Creator could have simply thrown ribosomes all over the place, and they just landed in humans by chance. Very likely, indeed.
Over the course of the event, two of my friends decided to stand up slightly and move a row ahead. When they did, they were manhandled by SMU's finest officers and escorted out.
Good job, boys in blue. Way to stifle freedom of expression while disallowing people to stand up for two seconds. I'm glad you're keeping our campus safe.
The four of us decided to stay behind after receiving a text from our two friends letting us know they were safe. However, that was not the last text we received that night, because after that, my friend Mahmud and I began receiving hate text messages, telling us to "shove your sign up your ass" and to "shut the f*** up." All very Christian indeed.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 36
Dana Schriver
posted 4/17/07 @ 1:04 PM EST
Wow... I had to read the article again... I was like, "I know the article was written from a pro-Darwinist perspective, but it didn't seem like there was anyone presenting the Darwinist viewpoint on the panel of this 'Darwin vs. (Continued…)
B-Rad
posted 4/17/07 @ 4:16 PM EST
Hoisted them on their own petard! Good for you guys (and I see gals). These DI guys piss me off because the lie so easily and often, while at the same time espousing "Christian ideals". (Continued…)
Dr. Gary Hurd
posted 4/17/07 @ 7:55 PM EST
Well done!
You see now how the Discovery Institute and religious fanatics will deal with dissent if they are ever alowed to take over our campuses or our nation. (Continued…)
Simon Harding
posted 4/17/07 @ 8:13 PM EST
Congratulations to the students who did this!
Over at Internet Infidels we are discussing this story:
http://www.iidb.org/vbb/showthread.php?t=204059
I would like to invite the students involved to come and elaborate on their story - and get a pat on the back. (Continued…)
Kelvin L. Kean
posted 4/17/07 @ 9:26 PM EST
SMU just rose in my esteem. If it nurtures students like these six, the future is promising and the antics of the DI will become a very minor historical footnote a most. (Continued…)
Court
posted 4/17/07 @ 10:27 PM EST
remind me again of the significance of the Miller-Urey experiments? Was there a trap designed to sequester the amino acids away from the destructive force of the electricity? It was a nicely designed experiment. (Continued…)
Beth Newman
posted 4/17/07 @ 10:29 PM EST
Thank you, all six, for exposing this charade of indoctrination masquerading as free speech and as science. You have done us all a great service.
Ritchie Annand
posted 4/17/07 @ 10:30 PM EST
Just like Jason Rosenhouse braved the Darwin and Design in Knoxville conference to bring us the goods, I applaud you lot for braving the inside of the event to bring us news from the inside. (Continued…)
J-Dog
posted 4/18/07 @ 9:01 AM EST
You guys are my heros! I would proabably projectile vomited during the first speaker, so kudos to you for sticking it out. Excellent report.
Please continue the good fight in the future - you won this skirmish, but ID and the Forces Of Evil have a long-term plan, as you noted, and they are not afraid to use it!
Forthekids
posted 4/18/07 @ 11:26 AM EST
Not much of a review, IMHO. It merely sounds like some rebel rousers looking for a fight.
And, evidently, the M in SMU should be replaced with another letter. (Continued…)
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