re: #1555 Salamantis

Is this what it all comes down to for you? The indignant proclamation that humans aren’t related to no damned dirty ape?

Well, sorry about that (not really), but great apes and humans evolutionarily diverged from common ancestors a few million years ago, and the empirical evidence supporting this contention is massive, vast, and incontrovertible.

Theistic evolution has no problem with this fact; creationism, and it’s belipsticked swine variant ID, do.

Since when did I say I have a problem with the theory of evolution?

I simply stated that I believe the theory of evolution does collide with Jewish theology, for the above-listed reasons.

I happen to be agnostic, but I like Judaism, despite what I see as its contradiction with the theory of evolution.

I said from the start that in this contradiction, I believe in evolution and certainly the fact that ID should not be taught in schools.

I had a dinner once with a young-earth Creationist. He was a Chabad rabbi, and told me that the earth was created 5,700 years ago to LOOK old. I sat there slack-jawed and speechless, shocked at what I heard. I nonetheless had a good time and enjoyed my evening, despite the shock of his words.

The debate over evolution and ID/creationism need not be so heated. I think we should acknowledge there are some major contradictions here, but not ever resolve these contradictions in science class. Science is about the scientific method, end of story. Any resolution of these issues should occur in theology/ethics/religion class.