There is a current mindset that is very prevalent; and that is that all natural species are holy. The hardcore evolution believer feels that natural selection has induced these specific groups of genetic traits for a reason and they should not be changed for fear of upsetting some cosmic balance. The fundamentalist creation believer feels that God created each and every species in its entirety and that for man to change it is a sacrilege and insult to the Creator.
Evolution. Planetary balance is a false term. It doesnt exist! By the very tenants of evolution all of nature is in constant flux so this so-called balance is never the same from one minute to the next. So the fear of upsetting or destroying it is as absurd as it is to fear moving a cup of water from one part of the ocean to another part; it will simply push water back to seek its own level. That is where the actual balance is; that things ARE constantly in motion/change and the systems very purpose is to take into account external modifications.
Creation. God did not create every species on earth. Cichlid fish of the African Rift Lakes are speciating so fast that the taxonomists cant keep up! Galapagos Islands, Australia, etc the list goes on and on of proof that new species are happening. So that takes the concept of species, to the creationist, instantly out of the too-holy-to-touch realm.
Responsible parents know that the best way to grow brains in children is NOT to provide them with shiny toy houses and airplanes, but to give them Kinex sets, Lincoln Logs, models to assemble, etc. This makes them think, lets them create things unexpected, prepares their minds and dexterity to add to and be part of a growing society. Why would we assume God to be less responsible? Has God shown himself to be so rigid and forceful that he requires you to only play with red plastic trains?
I believe that God gave us a huge set of kinex genetics, dumped them into the livingroom floor and said, There, what are you going to do with THAT?!! Part of that is a loose system of biological laws that allows change (evolution) to occur. I believe it is our responsibility as the premier intelligence on earth to make our planet BETTER for our being here. Attempting to leave it untouched makes us irrelevant. Einstein said it best; He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him a spinal cord would suffice.
The requisites for evolution are need, time and isolation. If the ecosystem needs an organism to remain as it is, then any mutations moving away from that need will fail. If the system does not fit the organism exactly then eventually enough mutations that help will occur and accumulate. If the system changes faster than mutations can occur then extinction is likely. Lastly, there has to be a relatively small gene pool for mutations to have any substantial effect. Its simple math. It is highly unlikely that a single mutation has enough ecosystem value to become established in a very large gene pool. This is the loose system of laws.
Now, lets consider human accidental influence. Lets use North American Sunfish as an example. Before NA was heavily populated by humans, Sunfish were isolated in their respective locales. And so, free to evolve as climate and external change required. But now there are hundreds of millions of people here. We catch a Green Sunfish here and release it there. We ship a Dollar Sunfish from North Carolina and release it in Texas. We have effectively STOPPED the evolutionary process. These fish are no longer isolated; the gene pool is huge. And for the fundamentalist purists out there; you cannot change that situation. Its part of being human.
So in summation. It is my deep belief that it is our RESPONSIBILITY to develop new varieties, new breeds and new species. For the sake and use of humanity. For the correction of humanities effect. To leave the world better, brighter and more varied than when we came.
David Ruble
Evolution. Planetary balance is a false term. It doesnt exist! By the very tenants of evolution all of nature is in constant flux so this so-called balance is never the same from one minute to the next. So the fear of upsetting or destroying it is as absurd as it is to fear moving a cup of water from one part of the ocean to another part; it will simply push water back to seek its own level. That is where the actual balance is; that things ARE constantly in motion/change and the systems very purpose is to take into account external modifications.
Creation. God did not create every species on earth. Cichlid fish of the African Rift Lakes are speciating so fast that the taxonomists cant keep up! Galapagos Islands, Australia, etc the list goes on and on of proof that new species are happening. So that takes the concept of species, to the creationist, instantly out of the too-holy-to-touch realm.
Responsible parents know that the best way to grow brains in children is NOT to provide them with shiny toy houses and airplanes, but to give them Kinex sets, Lincoln Logs, models to assemble, etc. This makes them think, lets them create things unexpected, prepares their minds and dexterity to add to and be part of a growing society. Why would we assume God to be less responsible? Has God shown himself to be so rigid and forceful that he requires you to only play with red plastic trains?
I believe that God gave us a huge set of kinex genetics, dumped them into the livingroom floor and said, There, what are you going to do with THAT?!! Part of that is a loose system of biological laws that allows change (evolution) to occur. I believe it is our responsibility as the premier intelligence on earth to make our planet BETTER for our being here. Attempting to leave it untouched makes us irrelevant. Einstein said it best; He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him a spinal cord would suffice.
The requisites for evolution are need, time and isolation. If the ecosystem needs an organism to remain as it is, then any mutations moving away from that need will fail. If the system does not fit the organism exactly then eventually enough mutations that help will occur and accumulate. If the system changes faster than mutations can occur then extinction is likely. Lastly, there has to be a relatively small gene pool for mutations to have any substantial effect. Its simple math. It is highly unlikely that a single mutation has enough ecosystem value to become established in a very large gene pool. This is the loose system of laws.
Now, lets consider human accidental influence. Lets use North American Sunfish as an example. Before NA was heavily populated by humans, Sunfish were isolated in their respective locales. And so, free to evolve as climate and external change required. But now there are hundreds of millions of people here. We catch a Green Sunfish here and release it there. We ship a Dollar Sunfish from North Carolina and release it in Texas. We have effectively STOPPED the evolutionary process. These fish are no longer isolated; the gene pool is huge. And for the fundamentalist purists out there; you cannot change that situation. Its part of being human.
So in summation. It is my deep belief that it is our RESPONSIBILITY to develop new varieties, new breeds and new species. For the sake and use of humanity. For the correction of humanities effect. To leave the world better, brighter and more varied than when we came.
David Ruble
), which prompted my original diatribe.