tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004197800618234561.post2711265744275493589..comments2023-04-02T03:07:27.930-07:00Comments on Reformed Academic: What is meant by the word “Evolution”?Reformed Academichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14744307133232033891noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004197800618234561.post-18672453917503422932009-04-27T15:12:00.000-07:002009-04-27T15:12:00.000-07:00When God created the world he created organisms wi...<I> When God created the world he created organisms with their genome. Since that time no DNA sequences have been added. </I>Herman, this comment left me wondering the following: if it could be demonstrated that new genetic information has been added to an organism's genome in the recent past, would that invalidate the Genesis accounts in your view? <br /><br />Dennis VenemaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004197800618234561.post-67871030667122470782009-04-24T04:46:00.000-07:002009-04-24T04:46:00.000-07:00Herman, I am sympathetic to your argument that mac...Herman, I am sympathetic to your argument that macroevolution requires new genetic information. There are points in the macroevolutionary sequence where new information seems to be required, e.g. origin of life, origin of animals, origin of plants. However, you have not responded to my earlier question about whether the vertebrate evolutionary sequence is microevolution or macroevolution. The point of people responding to this blog is that we have a fruitful discussion. We're not interested in responding to every stone thrown in our direction unless we can have a dialogue.<br />Finally, your comment that "God created organisms with their genome. Since that time no DNA sequences have been added" is an assertion that comes from your interpretation of Genesis 1, not a statement based on evidence. Our blog wants to discuss the evidence, not deal with assertions.<br />So, is vertebrate evolution microevolution or macroevolution? On what basis? Let's look at the evidence and then continue the discussion.Tony Jelsmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00930441854054764352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004197800618234561.post-54759448273738853662009-04-23T21:08:00.000-07:002009-04-23T21:08:00.000-07:00When God created the world he created organisms wi...When God created the world he created organisms with their genome. Since that time no DNA sequences have been added. However, God made creatures with such an array of potential variabilities, that groups of offspring become more similar and can be considered a species distinct from other original created kinds. Macroevolution insists that new functional DNA sequences appeared on the scene over time. <br /><br />Herman van BarneveldAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004197800618234561.post-53597763747197385602009-04-18T10:01:00.000-07:002009-04-18T10:01:00.000-07:00Thanks Herman. In my blog post I said the distinc...Thanks Herman. In my blog post I said the distinction between micro- and macro-evolution is not that straightforward. Would you call the fish-to-amphibian-to-reptile-to-mammal transition macroevolution?<br />Curiously, in a July 6, 2007 paper in Science describing the sea anemone genome, the genetic content in this primitive invertebrate was shown to be similar to that of vertebrates. Their argument would be that the evolution from sea anemones to humans was more of a reorganization of genetic information than an addition.<br />So what would you define as macroevolution, with new genetic information?Tony Jelsmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00930441854054764352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004197800618234561.post-75334219352560641022009-04-18T06:15:00.000-07:002009-04-18T06:15:00.000-07:00Apr. 16 - In the eyes of evolutionists there is no...Apr. 16 - In the eyes of evolutionists there is no distinction between macro- and micro evolution. That is because they are determined that there is no such distinction, otherwise their extrapolation (from presently observed microevolution to eons-long macro-evolution) doesn't work anymore. However, there is a clear distinction between the two: micro-evolution doesn't add genetic material whereas macro-evolution is thought to produce new information.<br /><br />Herman van BarneveldAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004197800618234561.post-59239307357630543122009-04-15T17:53:00.000-07:002009-04-15T17:53:00.000-07:00I agree that biological evolution is not the same ...I agree that biological evolution is not the same as physical evolution, or rather, physical evolution cannot be extrapolated to biological evolution. Living things contain information e.g. DNA sequences, which cannot be reduced to their chemical components. Living things are also energetically distinct from their environment i.e. they are not at equilibrium and do not move toward equilibrium as long as they are alive.Tony Jelsmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00930441854054764352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004197800618234561.post-4973974640614472062009-04-15T16:14:00.000-07:002009-04-15T16:14:00.000-07:00These points all relate to biological evolution; i...These points all relate to biological evolution; in addition, there are the matters surrounding physical evolution. Cosmology, astrophysics, and geology include questions of the origin and development of the cosmos as a whole, of stars and galaxies, and of planetary systems. While all of these are usually in the mainstream coupled together with one another and with biological evolution into a grand naturalistic narrative, it is not necessarily the case that if one accepts big bang theory (whose development was a shock to atheists as it implied a "creation" moment) one must also accept "from Monad to Man", or vice versa.<br /><br />And going beyond biological evolution, the grand secularist narrative also encompasses a fully naturalistic evolutionary psychology and social evolution, including the evolution of religion. Upon these there are certainly significant and clear Christian perspectives, but not simple outright rejection, as recent developments in neuroscience (for example) do have much of interest to report.Arnold Sikkemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02914734765194448215noreply@blogger.com