Creationism: A threat to human rights

[Real.PUA]

This is an excellent development for Europe. It's good to see rationals standing their ground. I love how science weakens religion, but at the same time creationism only serves to strengthen the scientific resolve and thus further weaken religion. It's quite the dilemma (or should we say "damned if you do" situation) for the cretins.

http://www.nature.com/news/2007/0710...l/449649c.html

[Rolloffle]

This decision is completely stupid.

Hitler felt Jews were evolutionary closer to apes, if anything is a threat to human rights it's evolution.

[truckfixr]

Originally Posted by Rolloffle

This decision is completely stupid.

Hitler felt Jews were evolutionary closer to apes, if anything is a threat to human rights it's evolution.

If Hitler held such a belief, it only demonstrates that he was equally as ignorant of the ToE as the vast majority of theists.

[KikoSanchez]

I don't see how either are threats to to these 'human rights' you speak of. Would you like to expound on why evolution would be?

[Rolloffle]

Originally Posted by truckfixr

If Hitler held such a belief, it only demonstrates that he was equally as ignorant of the ToE as the vast majority of theists.

Oh really? Many top evolutionary biologists support eugenics, in fact eugenics was first proposed by Francis Galton (Darwin's cousin) as an expansion on Darwin's theory.

If evolution is true, there's no reason why we shouldn't speed up natural selection with artificial selection (eugenics).

[Rolloffle]

Originally Posted by KikoSanchez

I don't see how either are threats to to these 'human rights' you speak of. Would you like to expound on why evolution would be?

Evolution suggests that some life-forms are "better" than others, specifically that some humans are better than others.

It also suggests that through the death of the "inferior" life-forms, the species as a whole can be improved.

When this happens in nature, it's known as "natural selection", and is the driving force behind evolution.

However, there is also "artificial selection", when nature is superseded and a human decides to kill or sterilize "inferior" elements of the population in hopes of improving the species as a whole. This idea is also known as "eugenics" and was quite popular in the past; however, when Hitler decided to organize massive eugenics campaigns in Nazi Germany the world -- for the most part -- realized how horrendous and immoral the idea is.

[Real.PUA]

According to your argument, that would make eugenics the threat, not evolution. Evolution is the scientific explanation for life, eugenics is about selective breeding. You might as well argue that physics and math are threats because of the invention of bombs. Hardly a coherent argument...

And just to correct the record...Evolution does not suggest any organisms are "better" in anyway other than their ability to survive and reproduce (this is termed "fitness"). It in no way suggests that the elimination of "inferior" members of a species improves the species. In fact, it suggests the exact opposite--that the strength of a species is dependent on that species' genetic diversity.

[truckfixr]

Originally Posted by Rolloffle

Evolution suggests that some life-forms are "better" than others, specifically that some humans are better than others.

As I said, most theists have a poor understanding of the ToE.

The theory of evolution does not make any claim that any life form is *better* than any other, except in the sense that it is better able to pass on it's genes to the next generation.

It also suggests that through the death of the "inferior" life-forms, the species as a whole can be improved.

*Improved* in that they are more able to reproduce and pass on their genes.

[Rust]

Originally Posted by Rolloffle

However, there is also "artificial selection", when nature is superseded and a human decides to kill or sterilize "inferior" elements of the population in hopes of improving the species as a whole. This idea is also known as "eugenics" and was quite popular in the past; however, when Hitler decided to organize massive eugenics campaigns in Nazi Germany the world -- for the most part -- realized how horrendous and immoral the idea is.

Given that humanity has known about "artificial selection" for hundreds of years before the scientific theory of evolution was brought forth, albeit by other names, you have no point. Not that you would have any point if this wasn't the case anyway, given what was stated above.

[fallinghouse]

Wait...how does creationism threaten human rights?