Re: Evolution and Creationism

["K. Lee Lerner" <lerndesk@SPRYNET.COM>]

Dear Colleagues,

I think this thread is tiresome to the majority of the members of this list.
Accordingly, this will be my final  post on this issue. Dr. Sagan taught me,
however, that one should always respond as a scientist.  I'll honor him by
attempting to do so on at least one topic.

I suspect one could spend all of eternity debating and refuting
pseudoscientific or prescientific thought.

Personally, I'd rather go sailing.

The truth is that although though I'm a cultural Episcopalian (and
practicing Deist)  ), I  was trained by Jesuits who taught me never to shy
away from a good fight.


Mr. Johnson asserts:

> Amino acids in living organisms are all left-handed, but in nature, equal
> amounts of left-handed and right-handed amino acids form, so one would
> expect them to occur in equal proportions in living organisms if
> abiogenesis were true.

Violation of mirror symmetry by the weak force is associated with
differential energy levels in mirror image molecules.  The differential
between energy levels is small but calculable.  Although the magnitude is
small the requirement to break symmetry is simply that there be a
differential. As a profound consequence,the favored lower-energy forms of
molecules quickly (on cosmological time scales) become dominant.

In closing,, permit me to offer three quotes that are appropriate here:

"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with
sense, reason, and
intellect has intended us to forego their use." -- Galileo Galilei

"It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in
delusion, however satisfying and reassuring."  -- Carl Sagan

“A bore is someone who, after being enlightened as to the facts,  persists
in holding his own views without offering new evidence.”  -- Albert Einstein

Best Regards,
K.

P.S.  Mr. Johnson, the word "iliterate" is spelled "illiterate."

P.P.S.  Yes, I know it's bad form to correct spelling.   The Devil made me
do it... :)