[Avodah] Evolution

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, Feb 28, 2012 at 11:43:46AM -0500, Prof. Levine wrote:
> At 11:35 AM 2/28/2012, Jon Baker wrote:
>> Evolution is a fact, no matter how many Christian zealots like to  claim
>> otherwise.  The descent of Man is the unproven hypothesis, the  idea that
>> natural selection is sufficient to explain the diversity of species  and
>> the development of  mankind.

> If evolution is a fact,  then how come it is referred to as the Theory of 
> Evolution and not the fact of evolution?

Same reason why gravity is.
Or special and general relativity.

You misunderstand how scientists use the word "theory".

That said, I can't call evolution "fact". It has strong evidence, but nothing
really rules out RMMS's or R' Avigdor Miller's supposition that Hashem had His
own reasons for laying down that evidence.

In terms of applying evolution to human behavior...

>From the time scale evolution works in, most features in humanity haven't
been testing long enough within the context of civilization to have been
weeded out by whether they add fitness or not.

Both RJJB and RnTK believe in a Divinely guided evolution. As I would think
does any O Jew who believes in evolution at all. In which case, during this
"brief" period, Hashem could have allowed genes to evolve for His Purposes
for human souls even though they have no survival advantage, and might even
prove a disadvantage. From the perspective of Adam-to-Techiyas haMeisim,
no violation of "survival of the fittest" is possible, so it wouldn't violate
some Ratzon to do things bederekh hateva for Him to include them.

Second, homosexuality isn't inherited. We don't even know if a propensity
for it is. One therefore can't compare homosexuality to classical cases
of evolution. I am not calling it a handicap, but handicaps too are often
combinations of mutation, environment and "happenstance". The possibility
of Downs doesn't mean there was a survival advantage to having people
with Downs in the community. Or people born with missing digits or limbs.

Not every mutation stood up to the test of evolution, doubly so when the
mutation isn't necessarily inherited.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

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