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Originally Posted by Jibninjas
I will tell you now that I put Berlinski ahead of Dawkins, but probably along a similar plane.
Wait what? Are you saying that you think Berlinski is smarter than Richard Dawkins on the subject of evolution?
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Originally Posted by Jibninjas
I continue to read what I can and watch what I can and ask as many questions as I can. This is one of the reasons that I have grown so fond of Madnak, no matter how dumb or misguided he may have thought my questions were he still took the time to work them out with me instead of scoffing.
Madnak is one of the most articulate posters I've ever seen. Whenever I scoff, which is mostly off screen, it is usually because I struggle to put into words what I'm thinking. This may be due to ignorance in part, but lackluster articulation skills is also a culprit. I shouldn't say lackluster. It's mostly about not being an all-star articulator which Madnak is. He's also very compassionate which is why he's willing to take the time to elucidate for others.
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Originally Posted by Jibninjas
My beliefs today may or may not be my beliefs tomorrow. But my beliefs are formulated by the evidence put in front of me. That is the best that I can do.
I understand. I just question whether you've given the
modern evolutionary synthesis a fair shot. AFAIK, you have not read even one popular science book on the subject.
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Originally Posted by Jibninjas
But it does. This is what everyone in the world does unless they blindly follow someone else like Subfallen would like to see us do (of course he gets to pick who we follow)
Subfallen was right on that issue. When you are hopelessly ignorant on a subject, as I know you are on evolution using Madnak's standard. (According to Madnak, everyone is unless they have a PHd in biology) then the correct strategy is to appeal to expert testimony or as you say it, to blindly follow an expert.
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Originally Posted by Jibninjas
I have to formulate my own beliefs, so this is all that I can do.
But you don't. You don't have to formulate your own beliefs when you are hopelessly ignorant on a subject. This will lead you astray almost every time. It's better to shelve an issue for later.
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Originally Posted by Jibninjas
Then the questions become what experts to listen to.
For starters, listen to the people with PHds in the field of inquiry.
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Originally Posted by Jibninjas
In the debate about darwinian mechanisms I have watched videos and read things from experts in Mathematics (or people drawing from such experts) that claim mathematically speaking darwinian mechanisms could not be the cause of the full stretch of biodiversity. Am I supposed to believe a biology expert over a mathematics expert on subjects of mathematics?
When it comes to a debate about evolutionary mechanisms, listen to biologists over mathematicians.