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[_ Old Earth _] Irreducible Complexity?

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It's not about wondering what biological mechanism prevents macroevolution its about there being absolutely NO evidence to support it.
Again, Dr Kurt Wise disagrees with you.
Is that why you believe Macroevolution Kalvan?

Because theres nothing proving it cant happen?
Nope, because there's quite a lot of evidence that it does happen. And I asked first. Do you have an explanation for what biological mechanism prevents macroevolution from occurring, what evidence there is for the existence of this mechanism and how it can be identified or do you just want to engage in denialism?
 
Lets see your rebuttal to Irreducible Complexity in the bacterial flagellum then.
In short, in order to sustain the argument that the bacterial flagellum is irreducibly complex, proponents of this claim have to demonstrate that fully-functional precursors (i.e. biological structures that perform a particular role different from the later structure, but that can be co-opted into that later structure) do not and cannot exist. Put simply, the hypothesis being proposed is that the bacterial flagellum is irreducibly complex; as discussed elsewhere, hypotheses can rarely be shown to be absolutely true, but they can be falsified. The existence of fully-functional co-optable precursors to the bacterial flagellum provide prima facie evidence that the hypothesis is not correct.
 
Again, Dr Kurt Wise disagrees with you.

I dont care about no Dr,WISE! Lolz....do you Dr.Kalvan disagree?

Nope, because there's quite a lot of evidence that it does happen. And I asked first. Do you have an explanation for what biological mechanism prevents macroevolution from occurring, what evidence there is for the existence of this mechanism and how it can be identified or do you just want to engage in denialism?

Do you have an explanation for what biological mechanism prevents polar bears from existing on Mars, what evidence there is for the existence of this mechanism and how it can be identified?

If you dont then you have to say thats proof that they exist. And we should teach it in schools! Its fact!

(honestly what a completely non-sensical argument...even for you)
 
In short, in order to sustain the argument that the bacterial flagellum is irreducibly complex, proponents of this claim have to demonstrate that fully-functional precursors (i.e. biological structures that perform a particular role different from the later structure, but that can be co-opted into that later structure) do not and cannot exist. Put simply, the hypothesis being proposed is that the bacterial flagellum is irreducibly complex; as discussed elsewhere, hypotheses can rarely be shown to be absolutely true, but they can be falsified. The existence of fully-functional co-optable precursors to the bacterial flagellum provide prima facie evidence that the hypothesis is not correct.

I dont get all the precurser stuff wassat then?

Which part of the flagellum evolved first?




629px-Flagellum_base_diagram_en.svg.png
 
I dont get all the precurser stuff wassat then?

Which part of the flagellum evolved first?
Maybe you should go and read about co-optable precursors, then, before asking such a question. You may also want to consider whether asking which part of the human eye evolved first is as equally meaningful a question. Parenthetically, an inability to answer either question is not ipso facto evidence that irreducible complexity is immediately validated.
 
I dont care about no Dr,WISE! Lolz....
Of course you don't care. You don't seem to care for anyone who disagrees with you, not even fellow creationists. Other than the fact that you don't care for it, perhaps you can show why the evidence that Dr Wise regards as supporting 'macroevolution' does not, in fact, do so?
....do you Dr.Kalvan disagree?
Where did you get the idea I'm a doctor, or is this just heavy-handed sarcasm? And what am supposed to disagree with?
Do you have an explanation for what biological mechanism prevents polar bears from existing on Mars, what evidence there is for the existence of this mechanism and how it can be identified?
Eh, yes - the Martian atmosphere is relatively thin (a mean of around 600 pascals compared with about 100 kilopascals for Earth), and consists of 95% carbon dioxide, 3% nitrogen. 1.6% argon and traces of water, oxygen and methane. Polar bears are evolutionary maladapted for such an environment and would rapidly die if exposed to it: the 'biological mechanism' that prevents their existence on Mars is the inability of their lungs to either find or process enough oxygen from the thin Martian atmosphere to oxygenate their haemoglobin. Also very low pressure causes the lung tissue to dry out and serious dehydration to ensue. We could also consider the extreme temperatures (up to -143 Celsius) and the lack of prey animals to feed on. Over to you.
If you dont then you have to say thats proof that they exist. And we should teach it in schools! Its fact!
You may entertain yourself with these pieces of verbal legerdemain, but unless you can explain what prevents microevolution (which you appear to accept) from becoming macroevolution (which you obviously don't), then all you are doing is avoiding the question and demonstrating that you have no reasoned answer to offer.
(honestly what a completely non-sensical argument...even for you)
You do enjoy hiding behind the smokescreen of ridicule, don't you? So much for civility.
 
Maybe you should go and read about co-optable precursors, then, before asking such a question. You may also want to consider whether asking which part of the human eye evolved first is as equally meaningful a question. Parenthetically, an inability to answer either question is not ipso facto evidence that irreducible complexity is immediately validated.

Well, why dont you give me a quick summary of your understanding of what co-optable precursors are so we know you have any idea of what your talking about first.
 
Well, why dont you give me a quick summary of your understanding of what co-optable precursors are so we know you have any idea of what your talking about first.
As you have already admitted that you don't know what they are, how would you know whether or not I had any idea of what I was talking about?
 
Of course you don't care. You don't seem to care for anyone who disagrees with you, not even fellow creationists. Other than the fact that you don't care for it, perhaps you can show why the evidence that Dr Wise regards as supporting 'macroevolution' does not, in fact, do so?

Where is Dr.Wise' evidence? All I've seen is you state his name over and over again. Ok...I get that this guy is your hero but where is the documentation?

Where did you get the idea I'm a doctor, or is this just heavy-handed sarcasm? And what am supposed to disagree with?

No just humor. I was asking if you Mr.Kalvan, disagree the same as what you said your Dr. Wise disagreed with me about.

Eh, yes - the Martian atmosphere is relatively thin (a mean of around 600 pascals compared with about 100 kilopascals for Earth), and consists of 95% carbon dioxide, 3% nitrogen. 1.6% argon and traces of water, oxygen and methane. Polar bears are evolutionary maladapted for such an environment and would rapidly die if exposed to it: the 'biological mechanism' that prevents their existence on Mars is the inability of their lungs to either find or process enough oxygen from the thin Martian atmosphere to oxygenate their haemoglobin. Also very low pressure causes the lung tissue to dry out and serious dehydration to ensue. We could also consider the extreme temperatures (up to -143 Celsius) and the lack of prey animals to feed on. Over to you.

Where do you get your figures from for Mars atmosphere?

Back to you. :fight

You may entertain yourself with these pieces of verbal legerdemain, but unless you can explain what prevents microevolution (which you appear to accept) from becoming macroevolution (which you obviously don't), then all you are doing is avoiding the question and demonstrating that you have no reasoned answer to offer.

Why do you insist that I have to explain why stuff DOESN'T happen??

Thats not science. We have no reason to accept anything without evidence that it DOES happen. Again your logic is flawed or you are purposely trying to spin the tables so you dont have to bring evidence forward for the false conclusions that you are pushing.

You do enjoy hiding behind the smokescreen of ridicule, don't you? So much for civility.

Cool your jets Kalvan. Theres no ridicule there. I was saying your arguments are non-sensical. I'm allowed to do that. Theres no breach of civil code.
 
As you have already admitted that you don't know what they are, how would you know whether or not I had any idea of what I was talking about?

Ok well, I'll just reject precurser thingees as non-evidence until you bring documentation to the thread. So Irreducable Complexity stands!

YAY! :clap
 
Where is Dr.Wise' evidence? All I've seen is you state his name over and over again. Ok...I get that this guy is your hero but where is the documentation?
Again the sneer. Wise is no 'hero' of mine, I simply advance him as an actual, real, creationist-believing scientist who agrees that the evidence supporting evolutionary theory is wide and extensive. I elsewhere quoted some of those evidences that he recognizes and referenced the paper in which the entirety of his argument can be read. All you have done is dodge the questions arising from this with regard to your various assertions about evidence for evolutionary theory being non-existent and now compound the speciousness of these assertions by denying that you have been shown and directed towards the full extent of Dr Wise's understanding on this.
No just humor. I was asking if you Mr.Kalvan, disagree the same as what you said your Dr. Wise disagreed with me about.
Still looks like sarcasm to me. And I'm having trouble with the syntax of your second sentence. What is it that I am being asked whether I disagree with?
Where do you get your figures from for Mars atmosphere?
Spectroscopic analysis. Mars mission spacecraft (starting with Mariner IV). Where do you get your non-existent figures that allow you to suppose that it is quite possible for polar bears to exist on Mars?
Back to you.
I answered your question. Can't you even attempt a reasoned answer to mine other than by denying its validity?
Why do you insist that I have to explain why stuff DOESN'T happen??

Thats not science. We have no reason to accept anything without evidence that it DOES happen. Again your logic is flawed or you are purposely trying to spin the tables so you dont have to bring evidence forward for the false conclusions that you are pushing.
You are the one who insists there is a qualitative difference between micro- and macro-evolution; all I am asking you to do is to justify and support this assertion. Evolutionary theory proposes no such imaginary barrier and can identify no biological mechanism that would preclude it. All you seem to have is handwaving, denial and declaiming the magic mantra 'false science' as if that is all you have to do to refute an argument.
Cool your jets Kalvan. Theres no ridicule there. I was saying your arguments are non-sensical. I'm allowed to do that. Theres no breach of civil code.
So the 'even for you' was what? Complimentary? It looked like a gratuitous insult to me.
 
Ok well, I'll just reject precurser thingees as non-evidence until you bring documentation to the thread. So Irreducable Complexity stands!

YAY! :clap
And so you avoid another question. So despite claiming that you don't know anything about them, your earlier request implies that either you already know what co-optable precursors are and so can judge whether or not I have any idea that I know what I'm talking about if I post the demanded explanation for you to decide one way or the other, or else you don't know what they are and are honestly seeking enlightenment. So which is it?
 
Again the sneer. (oooohhh your really getting worked up arn't you?) Wise is no 'hero' of mine, I simply advance him as an actual, real, creationist-believing scientist who agrees that the evidence supporting evolutionary theory is wide and extensive. I elsewhere quoted some of those evidences that he recognizes and referenced the paper in which the entirety of his argument can be read. All you have done is dodge the questions arising from this with regard to your various assertions about evidence for evolutionary theory being non-existent and now compound the speciousness of these assertions by denying that you have been shown and directed towards the full extent of Dr Wise's understanding on this.

All you need to do is bring his evidence forward. The fact that you still havn't done so just shows how fragile it obviously is.

JUST PASTE A LINK!! A working link preferably or just the web address so's I can look it over. Or you can keep dodging. Upta you.

Still looks like sarcasm to me. (Lol...trying to unjustly paint me as a horrible bully....so transparent) And I'm having trouble with the syntax of your second sentence. What is it that I am being asked whether I disagree with?

Maybe you better read back then and figure it out.

Spectroscopic analysis. Mars mission spacecraft (starting with Mariner IV).

So.....yet again....we see you putting all your trust a) in a machine, not actual humans taking the samples but a machine alledgedly hundreds of thousands of miles away and then b) in a handful of NASA PR men who release the "data". Non verifiable data. Which, again, allows you to be decieved by a few men.

Where do you get your non-existent figures that allow you to suppose that it is quite possible for polar bears to exist on Mars?

Exactly, I have no figures.....so I dont insist on teaching that polar bears do or do not exist on Mars. I leave it alone.

You are the one who insists there is a qualitative difference between micro- and macro-evolution; all I am asking you to do is to justify and support this assertion. Evolutionary theory proposes no such imaginary barrier and can identify no biological mechanism that would preclude it. All you seem to have is handwaving, denial and declaiming the magic mantra 'false science' as if that is all you have to do to refute an argument.

Up to you buddy. Christians have said here that Irreducible Complexity shows that macro-evolution cannot occur. Prove it wrong if you want.

So the 'even for you' was what? Complimentary? It looked like a gratuitous insult to me.

'even for you' was saying that I've seen you making non-sensical arguments before. Wheres the insult there? I'm allowed to say your arguments are consistantly non-sensical and you can say the same to me. No hard feelings. ;)
 
And so you avoid another question. So despite claiming that you don't know anything about them, your earlier request implies that either you already know what co-optable precursors are and so can judge whether or not I have any idea that I know what I'm talking about if I post the demanded explanation for you to decide one way or the other, or else you don't know what they are and are honestly seeking enlightenment. So which is it?

Um....I'll go for option 2.

honestly seeking enlightenment.

Enlighten me.
 
Um....I'll go for option 2.

honestly seeking enlightenment.

Enlighten me.
A co-optable precursor is any biological structure that developed to meet one function, but was figuratively hijacked by evolutionary processes to perform another (which may or may not leave it able to perform in part its original function).

Kenneth Miller of Brown University has written extensively on the subject in respect of the flagellum. You can check out one of his papers at millerandlevine.com/km/evol/design2/article.html (The Flagellum Unspun). Another example can be seen in the swim-bladder of certain fish which has become adapted as an organ (rudimentary lung) for breathing out of water. A third is the way in which the jaw-bones of reptilian ancestors have been transformed into the middle-ear bones of mammals.
 
A co-optable precursor is any biological structure that developed to meet one function, but was figuratively hijacked by evolutionary processes to perform another (which may or may not leave it able to perform in part its original function).

Huh? Hold on a sec. We're talking about evolution yeah?

Things happening by total accident. Natural selection. Survival of the fittest and all that.

How do biological structures "developing to meet a function" fit into that?

No comprende :confused:
 
Huh? Hold on a sec. We're talking about evolution yeah?
Erm, yes, that was my impression.
Things happening by total accident. Natural selection. Survival of the fittest and all that.
What do you mean 'by total accident'? Natural selection is part of an algorithm which can be reduced to its essentials as: if successful repeat, otherwise discard.
How do biological structures "developing to meet a function" fit into that?
Maybe my clumsy phraseology is at fault. What I am trying to explain is that something that evolved to do one thing (the gas-bladder to help fish regulate their buoyancy) may be adapted to serve an additional (and eventually completely separate) function (the rudimentary air-breathing lung of the lungfish, for example). I hope this helps clarify the point.
 
Maybe my clumsy phraseology is at fault. What I am trying to explain is that something that evolved to do one thing (the gas-bladder to help fish regulate their buoyancy) may be adapted to serve an additional (and eventually completely separate) function (the rudimentary air-breathing lung of the lungfish, for example). I hope this helps clarify the point.

Mmmmmmkay.....

So.....lets take our bacteria cell thats got no tail or flagelli or whatever its called. It's just a basic bacteria cell.

So....the first bit that evolved, at the base.....lets say the MS-ring,,,,,what was its function before it got used in the system that we see today?

And what would cause it to get "hijacked" to do something else in the absence of all the other parts? Or do all the other parts have to all be in place for the thing to switch functions??

I'm lost. This doesnt make any sense at all.

It's kinda chicken or the Eggish. :confused:
 
All you need to do is bring his evidence forward. The fact that you still havn't done so just shows how fragile it obviously is.
I am puzzled that you continue to deny that I have neither posted a quite lengthy extract from Dr Wise's observations on this subject nor a citation to the paper in which he made them. I am not sure what your purpose is in this continuing denialism.
JUST PASTE A LINK!! A working link preferably or just the web address so's I can look it over. Or you can keep dodging. Upta you.
As you are aware, I seem to have problems with working links. I have already given you both the citation to the article and this web address, so there's no need to shout:

bryancore.org/anniversary/building.html

Click on the 'Ape-men...' circle.
Maybe you better read back then and figure it out.
Maybe you could just rephrase your question in a more comprehensible form.
So.....yet again....we see you putting all your trust a) in a machine, not actual humans taking the samples but a machine alledgedly hundreds of thousands of miles away....
You mean like we put our trust in machines every other day that don't have 'actual humans' doing whatever it is you think they need to do to take 'the samples'? Tell me, what do you think humans use to take 'the samples' with and how do you think those 'samples' are subsequently analysed? Presumably you doubt any remote sensing technology or automated machinery at all? Those met and telecommunications satellites must just be a waste of money, the, not to mention production lines using nothing but robots.
....and then b) in a handful of NASA PR men who release the "data". Non verifiable data.
Wow, so that 'handful of NASA PR men' ,manufacture and release all that data all by themselves. You seem to be focussed on the idea that NASA and NASA alone engages in space-related research and missions and that it has access to and control of each and every piece of data which it manipulates and falsifies to - to what end, exactly? To demonstrate that certain ideas and data concerning some extraterrestrial objects were more or less accurate and others were more or less inaccurate? What motives do you imagine drive their choices amongst these multiple decisions? How do you imagine they successfully infiltrate and control non-NASA facilities that can uplink to and download the data from these various satellites and probes? How does NASA exert its malign influence over other countries space research agencies and facilities?
Which, again, allows you to be decieved by a few men.
The extent of the conspiracy you fantasize about (and that you have wholly failed to provide any evidence to support, beyond exclamations of personal incredulity) would require the active participation of more than 'a few men' (not to mention a great many women as well).
Exactly, I have no figures.....so I dont insist on teaching that polar bears do or do not exist on Mars. I leave it alone.
And yet at least some of those figures are readily accessible to you from spectroscopic analysis performed by astronomers around the world. If you are prepared to invest the money in the appropriate kit (controlled and directed exclusively by yourself), you can even verify that data yourself, without having to rely on the fantasy of a globe-spanning conspiracy that seems to consume you, and so determine whether polar bears could or could not exist on Mars. Nobody is 'insisting' on teaching any such thing as you claim, but if you ask a question and are given a serious answer based on available evidence, trying to pretend that your question hasn't been answered simply makes you look ridiculous. So, I addressed your point seriously and with some consideration; are you incapable of responding in kind to mine - you remember, the one you evaded by raising this nonsense in the first place?
Up to you buddy. Christians have said here that Irreducible Complexity shows that macro-evolution cannot occur. Prove it wrong if you want.
You can say what you like, but if you say something you should at least be able to support it (or make a reasonable attempt). The onus is on you (it is your claim, after all), to show that there is a qualitative difference between micro- and macro-evolution and that Irreducible Complexity in some way precludes the latter but not the former. Evolutionary theory says that there is simply evolution and makes no effective distinction between the two.
'even for you' was saying that I've seen you making non-sensical arguments before. Wheres the insult there? I'm allowed to say your arguments are consistantly non-sensical and you can say the same to me. No hard feelings. ;)
Okay, fair enough.
 
Evolution simply cannot produce complex structures in a single generation as would be required for the formation of irreducibly complex systems. To imagine that a chance set of mutations would produce all 200 proteins required for cilia function in a single generation stretches the imagination beyond the breaking point. And yet, producing one or a few of these proteins at a time, in standard Darwinian fashion, would convey no survival advantage because those few proteins would have no function-indeed, they would constitute a waste of energy for the cell to even produce. Darwin recognized this as a potent threat to his theory of evolution-the issue that could completely disprove his idea. So the question must be raised: Has Darwin's theory of evolution "absolutely broken down?" According to Irreducible Complexity, the answer is a resounding "yes."


Out of tens of thousands of species known from the fossil record, only a few are claimed to be any of Darwin's “intermediate links.” However, a close analysis of these few fossils (commonly cited ones are Archaeopteryx [a bird], Ambulocetus [a land mammal], Acanthostega [an amphibian]), and Tiktaalik [a fish]) reveal that they do not shed any light on the origin of the important features of their respective groups and are often incomplete. In addition, the presumption that they are ancestral is based on morphological considerations (like saying a laptop evolved from a pizza box), which does not acknowledge the massive gene coding changes that would be necessary. For this reason, Harvard paleontologist, the late Stephen Jay Gould, wrote:

The history of most fossil species includes two features particularly inconsistent with gradualism: 1. Stasis. Most species exhibit no directional change during their tenure on earth. They appear in the fossil record looking much the same as when they disappear; morphological change is usually limited and directionless. 2. Sudden appearance. In any local area, a species does not arise gradually by the steady transformation of its ancestors; it appears all at once and 'fully formed.'



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