He did. And I couldn't supply "one." It's kind of like saying that the answer to life, the universe and everything is 42.
Steven Montgomery wrote: > I thought John asked for a "single best" source on the subject, both pro > and con? <grin> > > -- > Steven Montgomery > > At 10:43 AM 11/8/2002, you wrote: > >Strictly speaking, I honestly don't know, because I don't consider > >evolution to > >be a moral issue which one is "converted" to -- it's just a toolset for > >approaching one question on how the physical world works, like any other > >theory. > >You probably suspected I'd respond that way, but it's true. Also, it's > >difficult > >to give a succinct summary of such a complex theory in this kind of forum -- > >there's just too much that has to be taught in terms of principles, and > >I'm not > >sure I'm up to it. But in the *spirit* of your request... > > > >I wouldn't suggest this for a beginner, but the best and most up-to-date > >general > >actual textbook, meant for university courses, is probably the relatively new, > >but very long book that Stephen Jay Gould published just before he died, "The > >Structure of Evolutionary Theory." (see > >><<http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/item.asp?Catalog=Books&Section=Books&Cat=&Lang=en&Item=978067400613&mscssid=7EWCQDA2HCDH9N0KVA6BR44QDALM242A&WSID=12118329ED39C4EC4ACA9E25931C6F6D34DA1308>> > >for a description). I believe it's used at BYU for Zoology 475, which is the > >evolution course taught by Drs. Whiting and Jeffery this semester, from what I > >understand. (For the course's web site, from which you can also get the BYU > >package, see http://zoology.byu.edu/zool475/) > > > >If you're interested in "apologetics" in the sense of anti-creationism, the > >talk.origins website is one of the best on-line resources that I know of. > >http://www.talkorigins.org/origins/faqs-qa.html -- they have some good FAQs on > >various topics. > > > >The best LDS book I've read, which has the advantage that it doesn't just > >cover > >evolution, but other scientific topics, including the Big Bang, is Clark, > >David > >L.; ed. Of Heaven and Earth: Reconciling Scientific Thought With LDS Theology" > >(Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998). I have a review and some > >excerpts at: > >http://www.members.shaw.ca/mschindler/A/Of Heaven and Earth.htm > > > >There are two good books by non-LDS on the topic, and they have the > >advantage of > >being inexpensive paperbacks and not overly long and not overly technical: > > > >(Gould, the late well-known Harvard palaeontologist, described himself as a > >secular Jewish agnostic, but he's the one who coined the term Non-overlapping > >Magisteria (NOMA). He was not the first to refer to the concept, however -- I > >have citations from a RC cardinal who tried to help Galileo (who was his own > >worst enemy in many ways), and also, intriguingly, the 1931 letter from > >the Heber > >J. Grant 1Presidency to all GAs which is quoted in the article "Evolution" > >in the > >Encyclopedia of Mormonism. Miller is, I believe, Catholic, but definitely a > >believer. He's also a biochemist). > > > >Stephen Jay Gould, Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life > >(New York: Ballantine Books, 1999). I'm reading this now and will post a > >review > >to my website when I'm finished. > > > >Miller, Kenneth. Finding Darwin's God: a Scientist's Search for Common Ground > >Between God and Evolution (New York: HarperCollins, 1999). (I have a review of > >this, along with some excerpts, on my website: > >http://www.members.shaw.ca/mschindler/A/miller.htm > > > >For an interesting essay by a Latter-day Saint on why some GAs have taught > >against evolution, see: http://www.whyprophets.com/prophets/evolution.htm (I > >like this because he agrees with me :-)). Seriously, he says there's a common > >conception of evolution which lay people have which is wrong and is a > >straw man. > >The GAs arguments have been, by and large, against this straw man, but Chris > >Tolworthy makes the argument that prophets can't always afford to let > >themselves > >get bogged down in detail and have to make a "clear statement," and I > >agree with > >this (this is the flip side of being resistant to what I consider > >over-literalistic interpretation; it also allows me to incorporate things > >which > >might at first disturb me, like what I saw to be the "flat-out ignorance" of > >Pres. Smith's Man: His Origin and Destiny, as I put it to my senior home > >teaching > >companion at the time.) > > > >Ironically, one of the best lay explanations of evolution, although it's a bit > >outdated, was actually in an official Church magazine. You may recall that > >before > >the correlated new publications of Ensign/Liahona/New Era/Friend came out, the > >Sunday School had their own monthly, called The Instructor. Harrison, > >Bertrand F. > >"The Relatedness of Living Things," The Instructor, July 1965: 272-276 is an > >explanation of how evolution works. I have it online at: > >http://www.members.shaw.ca/mschindler/A/eyring_11.htm > > > >And Pres. Stephen L. Richards refers to the inspiration which guides all > >scientists, including Darwin, in a letter to college students that was > >published > >in The Improvement Era (predecessor to the Ensign). Again, I have this > >online at: > >http://www.members.shaw.ca/mschindler/A/eyring_12.htm > > > >And finally, if you can hang tight, I might have another resource. I've > >had the > >idea for an article accepted by a well-known LDS publication (not Dialogue or > >Sunstone), and a draft has been submitted. I can't reveal which > >publication yet > >because nothing is finalized yet, but I actually had in my mind, while writing > >this, several "virtual personalities" to whom I "addressed" the article. They > >include you and my younger son (who's at the opposite end -- he's a 3rd year > >astrophysics student at our counterpart to MIT and is agnostic, more or less). > >Even if it's not accepted, I'll post it on my website. I have an essay > >there now, > >called "eppur si riconciliano" (thanks again, Stephen, for the help with the > >title), but the essay isn't very well written, frankly. I think my new article > >expresses my thoughts much better. > > > >Hope that helps as a start. > > > > > > > > > >"John W. Redelfs" wrote: > > > > > Marc, > > > > > > Who in your opinion presents the best, book length, argument in favor of > > > evolution? And who in your opinion best presents the best argument against > > > evolution? I ask these questions so that I might systematically study both > > > sides of the issue to see who has the better arguments using the criteria > > > that are important to me. I ask you because you seem to be the resident > > > expert on this topic. > > > > > > Incidentally, I am not asking for a book list, not even a short one. I > > > want your evaluation, your carefully considered opinion on the best > > > argument for each side. > > > > > > John W. Redelfs [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > =========================================== > > > We tend to scoff at the beliefs of the ancients. But we > > > can't scoff at them personally, to their faces, and this is > > > what annoys me. --Jack Handy > > > =========================================== > > > All my opinions are tentative pending further data. --JWR > > > > > > > > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > > > /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// > > > /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// > > > > > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > > > > > > >-- > >Marc A. Schindler > >Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada -- Gateway to the Boreal Parkland > > > >"Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he > >will pick > >himself up and continue on" � Winston Churchill > > > >Note: This communication represents the informal personal views of the author > >solely; its contents do not necessarily reflect those of the author's > >employer, > >nor those of any organization with which the author may be associated. > > > >///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > >/// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// > >/// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// > >///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > > > > -- > Steven Montgomery > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > <HTML> > <BODY> > <a href="http://www.getusout.org";><img border="0" > src="http://www.getusout.org/images/guolink.gif";></a> > <P><P><BR> > </BODY> > </HTML> > > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// > /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > -- Marc A. Schindler Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada -- Gateway to the Boreal Parkland �Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on� � Winston Churchill Note: This communication represents the informal personal views of the author solely; its contents do not necessarily reflect those of the author�s employer, nor those of any organization with which the author may be associated. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ==^^=============================================================== This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^^===============================================================
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