Any orchid lover should be fully appreciative of the process of evolution....and yes, despite the label "theory", evolution is, in fact, recognized by science, and the educated world, as entirely real...Unfortunately, in the US, a vocal minority has had undue influence in disputing evolution, claiming that "Creationism" is a valid opposing view, of equal validity. However, Creationism is based on an understanding of evolution that is a total lie...the view that evolution is "Godless". Evolution is a process...it is a mechanism...it is the way in which life proceeds with time. No religious person is going to dispute that the physical world changes with time...why not life? There is nothing in evolution to dispute anything religious...it is simply a process, and many, if not most, religious people view evolution as being fully consistent with a Godly universe. The only issue of inconsistency with Judaeo-Christion religious literature is the time factor.....4.5 billion years as opposed to 6.something thousand years. But if you are going to take that kind of Fundamentalist approach, you are also forced to deny the validity of the religious beliefs of billions of people....read the joke going through everyones emails about the calculations involved over whether all these damned souls will cause hell to break lose or freeze over....Many years ago I was given a lift in rural Virginia....got into a discussion with the guy who picked me up..nice guy, but very, very rural in his background. He said he was familiar with the concept of evolution, but it didn't make sense to him, given what he had read in the Bible. I explained the concept of allegory to him....telling him that the book of Genesis didn't have to have happened exactly in the way it was written, but could still retain its meaning...and it was like a new day had dawned for him..all of a sudden, he understood...and none of his religious beliefs were compromised in any way. Take care, Eric Muehlbauer in soon to be cold Queens NY...paphs micranthum, emersonii, delanatii, sukhakulii, wardii, ang-thong, and chamberlainianum in bud.......
_______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
