[net.religion] Darwin a religious writer???

wws@siemens.UUCP (William W Smith) (07/09/84)

Speaking of the creationism-evolution debate, to me the creationists
arguments seem to imply that the Bible is a scientific document along with
the likes of Newton's Principia and Einstein's works on relativity.  Perhaps
that is a misrepresentation, but that is how I see their arguments.

Apparently, a Waldenbooks manager in a mall near Trenton, NJ has a different
view of things: while looking over their religious books section, what should 
I find but Darwin's "The Origin of Species."  To say the least this is ironic.

Anyway, I was looking for some Baha'I writing, but I think that is a lost cause
in a commercial bookstore like Waldenbooks or B. Dalton so I am not sure
where to look.  Neither of these bookstores at the mall had more that Bibles,
quote Christian unquote works and a few Jewish writings.  Anyone have any
suggestions where to look?

Bill Smith
princeton!siemens!wws

lab@qubix.UUCP (Q-Bick) (07/13/84)

> princeton!siemens!wws (Bill Smith):
> Speaking of the creationism-evolution debate, to me the creationists
> arguments seem to imply that the Bible is a scientific document along with
> the likes of Newton's Principia and Einstein's works on relativity.  Perhaps
> that is a misrepresentation, but that is how I see their arguments.

If by "scientific document" you mean something that can be used as
scientific evidence for a scientific argument, then you are indeed
misrepresenting the creationists' arguments. (You have lots of company
in the media and ACLU. At least you're willing to ask whether you're
perceiving it right; the others are too bigoted to.)

The case for scientific creation must be based on empirical evidence,
just as the case for evolution must be, and is made *without* referring
to the Bible as scientific evidence.

A document may be totally accurate scientifically, but this does not make
it scientific evidence. I could write reams and reams of 2+2=4, but none of
it is scientific evidence for anything (other than that I can write a lot).

> Apparently, a Waldenbooks manager in a mall near Trenton, NJ has a different
> view of things: while looking over their religious books section, what should 
> I find but Darwin's "The Origin of Species."  To say the least this is ironic.

Maybe the manager read it :-)
-- 
		The Ice Floe of Larry Bickford
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"When the English language gets in my way, I walk over it." - Billy Sunday