Does evolution support the idea of a higher power?

[Stratosphere]

I for one am not sure that umnas have evolved from monkeys or apes however i am quit certain that natrul selection is true. i have read many arguments on how living things canot come from non living things, that would therefore imply a higher power, the creator of space and time. If there is a greater power than it would make sense that humans are the dominate species on Earth and other monekys are still just moneys. It would then also imply that humans have more to them than just a body, i.e a soul or spirt.

 

[mgb_phys]

I for one am not sure that umnas have evolved from monkeys or apes

Fortunately the universe doesn;t care what you think

however i am quit certain that natrul selection is true.

See above

i have read many arguments on how living things canot come from non living things,

I have heard many arguments that crystals heal and tax cuts for the rich are good for you - doesn't mean it's true.

If there is a greater power than it would make sense that humans are the dominate species on Earth and other monekys are still just moneys.

How long would you (or monkeys) live with bacteria? How long would bacteria live without you?
Unless the dominant power was cats - that would explain why humans are intelligently designed to open tins of cat food.

It would then also imply that humans have more to them than just a body, i.e a soul or spirt.

Like cats?

 

[Stratosphere]

All I'm saying is that it is immposible for anybody to disprove the presence of a soul or spirt, there is more evidence for them and none aginst them.

 

[ZapperZ]

All I'm saying is that it is immposible for anybody to disprove the presence of a soul or spirt, there is more evidence for them and none aginst them.

What exactly is this "evidence"? Are you relying more on anecdotal evidence, which isn't scientific? Would you also argue that there are more scientific evidence in favor of "soul" than in favor of evolution? This is before we even discuss our ability to define what it is and how such a thing is measured.

Zz.

 

[humanino]

I believe Stratosphere is not serious
I believe Zz is a virtual graviton, and it is impossible to disprove me, unless, of course, somebody reveals my physical location to Zz.

 

[sas3]

Humans did not evolve from monkeys or apes: Human and monkeys and apes evolved from a common ancestor.
I would not say that life cannot come from non-living things, I would say that it is very unlikely that the non-living can become alive, but seemingly impossible things happen all the time, given enough time and chance.
The reason we are the dominate species on this planet is because we have the intelligence and ability to manipulate our environment not because we have a higher power looking out for us.
As for a soul or spirit no one knows and why would it just be humans who have a soul and not other animals after all that is all that we are, and nothing more.
So the answer is yes.

 

[humanino]

Humans did not evolve from monkeys or apes: Human and monkeys and apes evolved from a common ancestor.

I thought humans and monkeys descend from trout. Or maybe salmon.

 

[mplayer]

Evolution by Natural Selection does not say we evolved from monkeys or apes, it implies we share a relatively recent common ancestor with other species of primates that have happened to survive to contemporary times. It also implies we share a common ancestor with all lifeforms on Earth. It says nothing about biogenesis. It states that biological systems change over time, and provides a mechanism for this observed phenomenon. No magic involved.

All I'm saying is that it is immposible for anybody to disprove the presence of a soul or spirt, there is more evidence for them and none aginst them.

It's impossible to disprove that we were all just created out of thin air 3 minutes ago, with fabricated memories of past experiences. This doesn't imply that there is evidence for that actually being the case.

 

[mgb_phys]

Humans did not evolve from monkeys or apes: Human and monkeys and apes evolved from a common ancestor.

Humans are apes - the common ancestor of Hominidae would also be an ape.

 

[Stratosphere]

One day the truth will be revealed...

 

[Evo]

One day the truth will be revealed...

Okeedokee.

I realize that you are really young, 15? Perhaps some members will provide you with some good links to read. If you really think some mystical being placed us here, and aren't open to science, then I'm afraid there is not much hope. Do you sincerely want to learn?

 

[se7en]

Humans are apes - the common ancestor of Hominidae would also be an ape.

If humans really did evolve from apes/monkeys, than why don't we as humans keep evolving?Science always has a missing a link. Why?What is this missing link? I prefer not to go into detail about what i think it is due to the rules of the forums...But those are some questions that i ponder sometimes...

 

[se7en]

Okeedokee.

I realize that you are really young, 15? Perhaps some members will provide you with some good links to read. If you really think some mystical being placed us here, and aren't open to science, then I'm afraid there is not much hope. Do you sincerely want to learn?

I am sure he respects your beliefs, you should do the same:)

 

[Evo]

If humans really did evolve from apes/monkeys, than why don't we as humans keep evolving?Science always has a missing a link. Why?What is this missing link? I prefer not to go into detail about what i think it is due to the rules of the forums...But those are some questions that i ponder sometimes...

We branched off. Monkeys continue to be monkeys, we became humans. If you understood evolution you wouldn't be asking why we haven't continued to "evolve".

 

[Evo]

I am sure he respects your beliefs, you should do the same:)

Evolution has nothing to do with "beliefs".

 

[se7en]

We branched off. Monkeys continue to be monkeys, we became humans. If you understood evolution you wouldn't be asking why we haven't continued to "evolve".

hm branched of? For such a complex problem such as evolution and whether humans evolved from apes or not that seems to be a very dull answer, don't you think? Your right, I do not fully understand evolution but from what i have read and what i have heard that was a question that I could not answer.

 

[se7en]

Evolution has nothing to do with "beliefs".

sorry if i was vague, i was not talking about evolution directly. I was talking about when you mocked him for believing in a higher being.

 

[mplayer]

Stratosphere,

This might be a good place for you to start. It's a pretty good article that covers the basics of evolution. Let us know if you have questions and we will try to answer them as long as you are somewhat receptive.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/evolution/evolution.htm

The basic theory of evolution is surprisingly simple. It has three essential parts:

* It is possible for the DNA of an organism to occasionally change, or mutate. A mutation changes the DNA of an organism in a way that affects its offspring, either immediately or several generations down the line.

* The change brought about by a mutation is either beneficial, harmful or neutral. If the change is harmful, then it is unlikely that the offspring will survive to reproduce, so the mutation dies out and goes nowhere. If the change is beneficial, then it is likely that the offspring will do better than other offspring and so will reproduce more. Through reproduction, the beneficial mutation spreads. The process of culling bad mutations and spreading good mutations is called natural selection.

* As mutations occur and spread over long periods of time, they cause new species to form. Over the course of many millions of years, the processes of mutation and natural selection have created every species of life that we see in the world today, from the simplest bacteria to humans and everything in between.

 

[Evo]

hm branched of? For such a complex problem such as evolution and whether humans evolved from apes or not that seems to be a very dull answer, don't you think? Your right, I do not fully understand evolution but from what i have read and what i have heard that was a question that I could not answer.

If you're interested in learning, there is a lot you can read. If you're not interested in learning, you're on the wrong forum.

 

[Evo]

sorry if i was vague, i was not talking about evolution directly. I was talking about when you mocked him for believing in a higher being.

I'm afraid I've got you there. Show me where I mocked him for a higher belief. I believe you'll find that he made a very vague statement not tied to any belief and I responded. Making false accusations isn't allowed here either.

 

[mplayer]

If humans really did evolve from apes/monkeys, than why don't we as humans keep evolving?Science always has a missing a link. Why?What is this missing link? I prefer not to go into detail about what i think it is due to the rules of the forums...But those are some questions that i ponder sometimes...

hm branched of? For such a complex problem such as evolution and whether humans evolved from apes or not that seems to be a very dull answer, don't you think? Your right, I do not fully understand evolution but from what i have read and what i have heard that was a question that I could not answer.

Humans have not stopped evolving. No biological system stops evolving. As long as there is random variation in heritable traits, and environmental circumstances to non-randomly select for particular traits, then evolution is bound to occur. It is important to remember that changes in evolution occur over geological time scales. It is difficult for human beings to comprehend this vast amount of time since we have relatively short lifespans. It is also important to remember that far more organisms are born that can ever be expected to survive. This is key to understanding how seemingly trivial adaptations can impart a marked advantage to a particular individual competing for limited resources.

A good way to start your investigation into the fundamentals of natural selection may be to ask yourself where our food comes from. See if you can uncover the origins of many of the domesticated plants and animals we eat today, and how much they differ from their parent species. Keep in mind that these massive changes occurred only over the course of thousands of years, evolution has had billions.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Hi Stratosphere,

Mplayer has given you some good information and resources for learning about evolution. Take some time to get grounded in the subject. The PF biology forum is a great place to ask specific questions, by the way.

Later on, if you still feel that the mechanisms of evolution support your argument, come back and try again. I think you'll eventually find that theories in evolutionary biology neither support nor rule out the existence of a higher power.