Darwin - The Lesser "god."

Perhaps in honor of Charles Darwin's birthday, a member of my discussion forum came back to this thread over there and stated:

Life imitates art?

It has been pretty quiet around here. I thought this was interesting:

Ben Stein cancels Vermont speech in evolution row
Feb 3, 2009

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Comedian Ben Stein has withdrawn as the University of Vermont's commencement speaker because of complaints about his critical views on evolution in favor of intelligent design.

UVM President Daniel Fogel said he chose Stein based on the warm response to a lecture he gave on campus last spring. Fogel said, however, he was deluged with e-mail messages from people offended by Stein's views of science.

When told about the criticism, Stein — who was to be paid $7,500 — backed out of the May 17 commencement, Fogel said.

"I did not ask him not to come," he said. "I was not going to let him be blind-sided by

the rest if the story is here:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...JDqPgD964E9M81

I think it is important to note that Stein made the decision to back out, he was not Expelled. Perhaps controversy is not what he is really after?

My reply:

Look - Frank is back!

Hey Frank,

It's been a LONG time since you have posted here. I've been busy blogging about our usurper and fraud - not natural born citizen - president over at my blog.

I heard about this incident concerning Ben Stein, but hadn't looked into the details.

I can't blame him. It seems that once word gets out that someone accepts the hypothesis of ID (or, just wants equal time to present it) then the witch hunters attack. I'm sure that Stein has had enough darts aimed and shot at him since releasing that documentary.

Of course, GMPilot has to come along and share his two cents:

The cavalry arrives!

Welcome back, frank. How fitting that you should show up on Darwin's birthday.
Christine has gone ballistic ever since the elections; maybe a few diatribes against her other favorite bogeyman will take her mind off her troubles.

Frank replied:

Stein expelled himself

CW: It's been a LONG time since you have posted here.

Well, there hasn't been a lot of activity here and I do have a few other things keeping me busy. I just happened to recall that the last thread here was on Stein's screed and thought it would be apropos to mention the latest news about him.

CW: I've been busy blogging about our usurper and fraud - not natural born citizen - president over at my blog.

Whatever holds your attention. I would be more concerned about his activities in regard to getting this country out of the colossal mess we are in. As any realist could have or should have feared, there was no real change planned, at least not one that would be any more likely to solve it than any schemes coming from the previous administration. Well, not that McCain had any better ideas, but I do wish that all politicians would quit lying in order to get elected. But then, this is the Evo/Cre/ID Board.

CW: I heard about this incident concerning Ben Stein, but hadn't looked into the details.

I can't blame him. It seems that once word gets out that someone accepts the hypothesis of ID (or, just wants equal time to present it) then the witch hunters attack. I'm sure that Stein has had enough darts aimed and shot at him since releasing that documentary.

Keep in mind that historically witch hunters were the more religiously-inclined, so I'm not sure that your label is really accurate unless you think that Stein is indeed riding around on a broom. I am sure that Stein knew what he was getting into when he made the movie. He hasn't really been particularly responsive in dealing with any of the criticisms leveled at him since its release, so I wouldn't expect him to start talking now. From all I have seen of the public face of the ID movement, that behavior is pretty typical; complain that the insults are so grievous that further conversation is impossible. Of course, being asked to support almost any claim or being told that he is error on facts are usually counted among those fatal insults...

My response:


Frank - if you wish to follow a lesser god - Charles Darwin and his THEORY - then so be it.

Can't remember whether you are a "theistic" evolutionist or not. However, God's Word - which is unchanging - does not support such a belief. Of course, once again, that is your choice.

I have stopped debating and arguing over Creation/ID/Darwinism because I have personally found it to be a waste of time. To use a political analogy, just like the fact that the Democrats in Congress would not allow ANY Republicans to share in the discussions during the Stimulus bill creation, the same is true of Darwinists.

Creation and ID is out - by declaration - even before any discussion can be had.

Additionally, this StimuWASTE bill is being rammed through without anyone having the chance to see it's contents. So, by declaration and one-sided majority, and secrecy from the eyes of the public - no debate was allowed. And now, no dissenting voices will be heard because the majority is too strong and can overwhelm the vote. I am still praying that the RINOS in the Senate can prevent this hijacking of taxpayer money for the giddy Dem spending spree that will take us to Socialism and destroy our Capitalist society within our Constitutional Republic. Maybe you like that idea - I don't know. I most certainly don't!

But the fact of these two analogies remains. It is the "you lost," therefore "we rule" mentality of both Congress and the Darwinists that squelch any dissent on either subject.

Ben Stein opened a lot of eyes to the fact of unfair treatment towards those who hold to Creation and/or the ID Hypothesis. At least a lot more people are aware of what is REALLY going on. Their rhetoric? Better to squash the opposition than debate it out in public.

As I recall, when debates were being held between Darwinists and IDeists - the Darwinists came out looking quite foolish (on the macro-evolution part of the theory). Therefore, the debates dwindled and all competition to Darwinism was shut out by a "judicial fiat" type of mentality in any of the major scientific journals. Bottom line? The un-fairness doctrine is alive and well in scientific circles.

Anyway....I'm sure you don't want to hear any of this. We usually just end up going round and round in argumentative circles - not convincing either side to change our minds about the subject.

So - you go right ahead and claim victory. You have won Frank. You can spout your Darwinism rhetoric and claim that you have no challengers anymore. Go right ahead. Knock yourself out.

I will stick to the one and only unchanging God, the uncaused God, and the ungoverned God - Yahweh. These are only a fraction of God's qualities. But you will notice that your "god" - Darwin - cannot claim to be unchanging, uncaused or ungoverned. You can worship at his dead feet all you want. You can celebrate the anniversary of his birth all you want. But the fact is - Darwin died and stayed in the grave. My God - the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - named Yahweh - sent His Son, Jesus Christ - the God-man who saves mankind from his sins; and rose from the dead to prove who He is.

I will follow God's Word - not one man's words (Darwin's) that are actually written as speculation about origins within a book of guessing. If that causes you to label me in a negative "unscientific" way, so be it. I'd rather be right with my God than wrong with a theorist named Darwin who reminds me of the Wizard of Oz. Darwin's macro-evolution theory is nothing (to me) but smoke and mirrors and tin-drum thunder. You know...the guy behind the curtain was actually quite the wimp. Is that the kind of god you want or need? Have at it! That's the tolerant thing to say...isn't it?

Just today, I was re-reading a chapter in Max Lucado's "Traveling Light" book. He writes:

"You don't need to carry the burden of a lesser god...a god on a shelf, a god in a box, or a god in a bottle. No, you need a God who can place 100 billion stars in our galaxy and 100 billion galaxies in the universe. You need a God who can shape two fists of flesh into 75 to 100 billion nerve cells, each with as many as 10,000 connections to other nerve cells, place it in a skull, and call it a brain." 5

5 Donald W. McCullough, The Trivialization of God: The Dangerous Illusion of a Manageable Deity (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1995), 66.

Lucado concludes:

"And you need a God who, while so mind-numbingly mighty, can come in the soft of night and touch you with the tenderness of an April snow.

You need a Yahweh.

And, according to David, you have one. He is your Shepherd (see Psalm 23)."
__________________
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8

The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong to those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9