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Author Topic: Before Darwin  (Read 772 times)
cauboi
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« Reply #15 on: May 11, 2008, 12:23:56 PM »

It seems to me as if Darwinism really made materialism a possibility.  Prior to natural selection and evolutionary theory, to suggest the non-existence of God would have been silly.  Where else would human life have possibly come from? Or life at all? Thoughts?

I don't think it's because Darwin the materialism happened. Materialism would have happened with or without him, some other scientist would have taken his place. Science always evolves, always explains past and new unknowns, that's why religion is trying to keep up and coming with some rather funny theories sometimes: like Earth - centre of the Universe, or Intelligent Design most fresh theory.
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IamMe
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« Reply #16 on: May 12, 2008, 01:32:45 PM »

before Scientific rationalism I don't think we could really apply "rationality" as we now define it.
Indeed.  Those ancient Greeks were idiots and not worth paying attention to.


so you don't think that the Greeks had aspects of Scientific Rationalism?
Apparently my sarcasm was too subtle.

I was mocking the notion that scientific rationalism begins with Darwin.


Fair enough... The point of the OP is that Darwin's ideas provided an alternative explanation for the origins of man.  Without evolution and natural selection, how could an atheist argue against the watchmaker argument?

Chance, spontaneous assembly, some unknown material process, perhaps.

Do any of those seem more likely than a God?

Certainly as likely.
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