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From: werner@aecom.UUCP
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Comment on punctuated equilibria
Message-ID: <1023@aecom.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-Apr-87 01:09:07 EST
Article-I.D.: aecom.1023
Posted: Fri Apr 10 01:09:07 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Apr-87 21:07:53 EST
References: <829@akgub.UUCP>
Organization: Albert Einstein Coll. of Med., NY
Lines: 26
Summary: Religion ?????

In article <829@akgub.UUCP>, jes1@akgub.UUCP (jes1) writes:
> 	Incidentally, it would seem that any belief (e.g., specia-
> tion by natural selection) doggedly maintained after being thorough-
> ly refuted amounts to a religion.

	To adapt a line from Winston Churchill, Natural Selection may
be the worst theory to explain evolution ever proposed, but it's
better than all the others.
	The fossil record  shows an evolving composition, even
jes1 admitted that.  Given that even opponents of Darwinism have to
admit that there was an evolution of species in total (or at least
the fossil record thereof), doesn't it make the most sense that
new species arose from existing species rather than de-novo.
	Scientifically, this former hypothesis leads to further
questions and further predictions.  The contrary theory, continous
miraculous conception/ divine intervention leads to no testable
theories, in fact denies verification.  


	But such discussion doesn't really belong in sci.bio, 
although I doubt it will ever be kept out in my lifetime ...
-- 
			      Craig Werner (MD/PhD '91)
				!philabs!aecom!werner
              (1935-14E Eastchester Rd., Bronx NY 10461, 212-931-2517)
Everything's different. Nothing's changed. Well, only maybe slightly rearranged.