Let's take a look at just one true believer and one example of what he calls "evidence" for evolution. Dr. Jerry Coyne claims that embryology proves evolution. One point he makes is that the embryo in utero has no need of the hairy coating called lanugo and that proves we are descended from primates. Here's his evidence:
One of my favorite cases of embryological evidence for evolution is the furry human fetus. We are famously known as “naked apes” because, unlike other primates, we don’t have a thick coat of hair. But in fact for one brief period we do – as embryos. Around sixth months after conception, we become completely covered with a fine, downy coat of hair called lanugo. Lanugo is usually shed about a month before birth, when it’s replaced by the more sparsely distributed hair with which we’re born. (Premature infants, however, are sometimes born with lanugo, which soon falls off.) Now, there’s NO NEED for a human embryo to have a transitory coat of hair. After all, it’s a cozy 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit in the womb. Lanugo can be explained ONLY as a remnant of our primate ancestry: fetal monkeys also develop a coat of hair at about the same stage of development. Their hair, however, doesn’t fall out, but hangs on to become the adult coat. And, like humans, fetal whales also have lanugo, a remnant of when their ancestors lived on land.First, let's look at how unscientific his conclusion is. The man can't explain why the embryo has hair so...poof!...he decides (by fiat) that the only reason is because we are descended from the apes.
Huh?
That's nothing but an opinion. Now an honest scientist would say, "I don't why the unborn child has this lanugo, but can come up with several hypotheses. I will develop a series of experiments to see if any of these hypotheses is correct.
But that's not what Coyne did. He made a leap of faith assuming as correct what supports his belief that we are descended from the apes.
In fact, lanugo has an important purpose for the developing baby. Any mother who has given birth knows her little one is covered with a thick cheesy coating called vernix which is necessary to protect the baby in the watery environment of the amniotic sac. Vernix is produced slowly and if there were no hair on the baby's body would be easily shed from the child's movement in the womb.
Scientists look for functionality. To just throw out the possibility that something you don't understand has a function is surely not scientific. And that's what true believer Jerry Coyne did.
The more one learns about evolution and the evolutionists, the more unscientific their belief system is seen to be. In fact, it's unscientific quackery.
Although I've been a professional engineer by trade for the past 30+ years, my original degree is in Biology.
ReplyDeleteThere is NOTHING inconsistent or incompatible between the magesterium's teaching on creation and evolution.
I've had these talks off and on with folks for lo on those same 30+ years, too. I've never really understood why folks have the "either"/"or" stance when it is factually both. Of course, when folks find out I really DO believe in the Real Presence, they tend to dismiss me as a "kook" which I rather enjoy (sometimes).
Thanks for the article and link.