Response #4 to Pastor Al

By Merle Hertzler

Here is the next comment posted to me by Pastor Alfredo Martinez Jr. at my blog.

Merle, Do you believe that this definition of evolution cancels out the existence of God? Or, do you believe that God exists and could have used evolution? Quote: "Evolution is a change in the traits of living organisms..(or alleles - modern genetics) over generations (meaning lots of time), including the emergence of new organisms." Is the following quote yours or still from the dictionary? "Science has shown that this process of biological evolution is responsible for the variations of life today." Is evolution a religion or has science really shown biological evolution that is responsible for the variations of all life today? You a not saying that evolution could have been the reason for variation...you are declaring that it is the reason why we have variation. I am a skeptic. I do not believe everything I read. I am not a 5th grader that does not know how to ask questions. Therefore, proof to me that this statement is correct. What scientist has shown this process to be correct? Where are the scientific papers? If this statement is correct, show me the experiments that confirm the declaration of these statements. Did the variation of life come through the process of mutation? What was the driving force behind the ability to change into a different species or organisms such as plants or fruit? Why was there a need for an onion, or an apple, or a banana, etc.? Did the onion turn into an apple, or did a cherry turn into an apple? WHY did nature decide this and HOW can nature decide this? Give me proof. Not assumptions. Not maybes. Not "It could have happen this way". We believe, we think, scientists think...no, give me proof that backs up such a statement.

Here is my response:

Pastor Al,

Sorry it took so long to reply.

Do you believe that this definition of evolution cancels out the existence of God? Or, do you believe that God exists and could have used evolution?

No, evolution does not cancel out God, any more than the development of a human from a fertilized egg cancels out God. A God could use the process of gradual change to create. In fact, you probably believe that is how God created you, that he allowed the fertilized egg that you came from to gradually change by natural processes until it became an infant and later an adult.

Similarly, a God could have evolved humans from microbes. Many Christians believe in evolution.

Is the following quote yours or still from the dictionary? "Science has shown that this process of biological evolution is responsible for the variations of life today."

Is evolution a religion or has science really shown biological evolution that is responsible for the variations of all life today? You a not saying that evolution could have been the reason for variation...you are declaring that it is the reason why we have variation.

No, evolution is not a religion. It is a science. It is based on the evidence. See 29+ Evidences for Macroevolution.

And yes, the evidence is so strong, we can declare assuredly that evolution happened.

I am a skeptic. I do not believe everything I read. I am not a 5th grader that does not know how to ask questions. Therefore, proof to me that this statement is correct. What scientist has shown this process to be correct? Where are the scientific papers? If this statement is correct, show me the experiments that confirm the declaration of these statements.

I am glad you do not believe everything you read, and that you are a skeptic.

But if you are faced with overwhelming evidence, are you still skeptical, or do you conclude, at least tentatively, that the conclusion backed by overwhelming evidence must be true?

You ask for the scientific papers verifying evolution. There are thousands of such papers. The link I mention above lists dozens of papers that show the evidence for evolution.

Did the variation of life come through the process of mutation? What was the driving force behind the ability to change into a different species or organisms such as plants or fruit?

Why was there a need for an onion, or an apple, or a banana, etc.? Did the onion turn into an apple, or did a cherry turn into an apple? WHY did nature decide this and HOW can nature decide this?

No, the cherry did not turn into an apple. Rather, both the cherry and the apple descended from early fruit-bearing trees that evolved in different directions.

Why was there a need for apples and cherries? Originally crude apples and cherries were needed by trees to spread their seeds. But the wild apples and cherries were small, and not worth much to humans. It has only been in recent times that people have learned how to breed these trees so that they would develop the kinds of fruits that we love to eat. These trees did not grow in the wild. Rather, people guided the process of evolution so that they appeared.

So modern apples and cherries exist because we as humans guided the process of evolution to produce these fruits.

Similarly, people took wild dogs, and bred them for different purposes, leading to the many breeds we see today. There never was a time when wild poodles roamed the earth. Rather, people took wild dogs, and guided the process of evolution to produce poodles.

Give me proof. Not assumptions. Not maybes. Not "It could have happen this way". We believe, we think, scientists think...no, give me proof that backs up such a statement.

Proof? I think you misunderstand science. Science does not work with proof. It works with evidence. And the link I gave shows the evidence.

There is so much evidence that the earth is round, for instance, that scientists state it as a fact, even though they cannot prove it. Similarly, there is so much evidence that evolution occurred, that scientists state it as a fact.