Evolution Group Think

The American academic environment has degenerated into an atmosphere of totalitarian atheist group think where all heresies against the prevailing Darwinist religion are being ruthlessly suppressed.The excellent video documentary (produced several years ago) Expelled: No intelligence allowed contains a great expose of

Evolution Group Think

The American academic environment has degenerated into an atmosphere of totalitarian atheist group think where all heresies against the prevailing Darwinist religion are being ruthlessly suppressed.

The excellent video documentary (produced several years ago) “Expelled: No intelligence allowed” contains a great expose of the totalitarian group think among the university evolution fundamentalists. It also exposes the connection between evolutionary theories and Nazi genocide:
“… educators and scientists are being ridiculed, denied tenure and even fired for the crime of merely believing that there might be evidence of design in nature, and that perhaps life is not just the result of accidental, random chance.”

These same leftist professors who persecute their colleagues who express any heretical ideas against the Darwinist religion are often also virulent enemies of Israel. Evolution is atheist junk science that can in no way explain the origin of life, nor can it explain the origin of a speaking being with intellect such as man. I believe Darwin clearly indicated his motivations for inventing the evolution religion were to minimize the necessity for any supernatural Creator.

For those looking for an antidote to the evolution Kool-Aid, I recommend reading the essays of Dr. Georges Cuvier, a brilliant scientist who is mentioned in the “Drush Or HaChaim” treatise of the Jewish sage Tiferes Yisrael. Unlike today’s dope addled leftist professors who follow the evolution drumbeat like sheep, Dr. Cuvier was a true intellectual with a knowledge of human history and respect for the Bible. Dr. Cuvier’s brilliant discourse provides strong evidence against evolution group think and in favor of an ancient flood, but has been suppressed by the politically Darwinist liberals of recent times.

Evolution is a faith based atheist religion which violates scientific principles (such as the laws of entropy) and for which there is no real evidence in the fossil record. For example, the fossil record clearly shows that species appear suddenly and then later disappear without any significant change. Evolution is at a complete loss to explain the origin of life. Despite numerous experiments, no scientist has ever produced life from non-life in a laboratory.

Most evolution fundamentalists simply gloss over and ignore the massive scientific evidence against Darwinist evolution. The great rabbinic authority Tiferes Yisrael, whose famous “Drush Or HaChaim” sermon argues for an ancient earth, but not evolution, brings opinions of the renowned scientist Dr. Georges Cuvier. Dr. Cuvier firmly opposed evolution and believed that species appeared and disappeared in the fossil record without significant changes.

A very scholarly book released several years ago that powerfully and brilliantly refutes Darwinism is “Darwin’s Doubt: The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design” by Dr. Stephen C. Meyer.

Darwinism: A Rehash of Ancient Epicurus

Darwinists would have us believe that evolution is a novel, modern, sophisticated scientific theory unknown to the ancients.Certain religious blogs such as the Rationalist Judaism blog identify with the alleged rationalism of Maimonides, while also advocating for Evolution. This is an absurd contradiction IMHO.Maimonid

Darwinism: A Rehash of Ancient Epicurus

Darwinists would have us believe that evolution is a novel, modern, sophisticated scientific theory unknown to the ancients.

Certain “religious” blogs such as the “Rationalist Judaism” blog identify with the alleged “rationalism” of Maimonides, while also advocating for Evolution. This is an absurd contradiction IMHO.

Maimonides was a “rationalist” within Medieval thought, he was not a modern materialist attempting to explain the Universe by recognizing only material causes. Maimonides would have sharply rejected Darwinism.

In the 12th Century C.E., Maimonides dismissed the ancient version of Darwinism.

“But it would be quite useless to mention the opinions of those who do not recognize the existence of God, but believe that the existing state of things is the result of accidental combination and separation of the elements, and that the Universe has no Ruler or Governor. Such is the theory of Epicurus and his school, and similar philosophers, as stated by Alexander [Aphrodisiensis]; it would be superfluous to repeat their views, since the existence of God has been demonstrated whilst their theory is built upon a basis proved to be untenable.”

(Maimonides, Guide to the Perplexed, 12th Century C.E.)

“some classically educated contemporaries of Darwin saw in his ideas little but a 19th-century rehash of thoughts that they had once studied in ancient Greek and Latin authors in their university days.” (evolutionnews article)

Ghost of Epicurus

Man’s Efforts Have An Effect

Akeidat Yitzchak (AY) was a great medieval Torah authority. . In Akeidat Yitzchak no. 26, he provides a fascinating lecture on the various reasons for a person’s success.According to AY, there appear to be 4 causes (or circumstances) a person may find himself in:. . . A Righteous person Good Mazal: Little exertion is

Man’s Efforts Have An Effect

Akeidat Yitzchak (AY) was a great medieval Torah authority.

In Akeidat Yitzchak no. 26, he provides a fascinating lecture on the various reasons for a person’s success.

According to Akeidat Yitzchak (AY), in many cases Man’s efforts do matter.

I. A summary of the Akeidat Yitzchak on 4 different circumstances where a person’s success may or may not be solely controlled by Hashem:

Righteous person + Good Mazal: Little exertion is required for a person to acheive success.
Unrighteous person + Good Mazal: He will not prevail over Hashem’s will, despite his best efforts.
A person born with average skills and intelligence, and average Mazal: The Torah is addressing this large group of people – this person must certainly exert himself, his successes or failures are due overwhelmingly to his own efforts or lack of efforts. He is operating under the laws of nature – “One employs every known medication to ward off infection”.
A Righteous person with negative Mazal: His efforts plus Hashem’s assistance will neutralize the negative Mazal.

II. A Summary of Recent Hareidi Torah Philosophy (referencing the 4 above):

Everyone is assumed to belong to either category 1 or category 2 in the list above.
No. 3 in the AY list above has been completely deleted, so that a person’s success is never dependent on his efforts at all.
The effect of “Mazal” has been usually deleted from all 4 of the list above.

Thus in normative Hareidi philosophy,a person must make minimal token efforts but they have no real effect on the results. If a person is failing to achieve results, it is assumed to be a decree from Hashem, it cannot be due to the person’s lack of effort.

This deterministic viewpoint I believe has caused severe damage to Hareidi communities.

The fatalistic “religious” viewpoint promotes a very negative effect on society by discouraging and minimizing the value of Man’s efforts.

According to Akeidat Yitzchak, it seems that most people must make an effort, not simply because making an effort may be a mitzvah, but because the effort does have an effect.

Torah vs. Greek Chochma

The three sons of the Biblical prophet Noah were Shem, Ham, and Yefet. Torah tradition teaches that mankind has descended from those three sons and their wives. . The Torah teaches that Yefet, who was the ancestor of the Greeks, will dwell in the tent of Shem, who was the ancestor of the Jews. Rav Hirsch ztl understand

Torah vs. Greek Chochma

The three sons of the Biblical prophet Noah were Shem, Ham, and Yefet. Torah tradition teaches that mankind has descended from those three sons and their wives.

The Torah teaches that Yefet, who was the ancestor of the Greeks, will dwell in the tent of Shem, who was the ancestor of the Jews. Rav Hirsch zt”l understands the meaning of the name Yefet in psychological terms – Yefet is the ancestor of the Greeks whose minds were expanded in philosophy and science.

We see that the ancient rabbinic sages accepted some ideas from the Greek philosophers, or perhaps the Greeks learned those ideas from the rabbis. There was some overlap between rabbinic thought and Greek thought, and also some definite conflicts – the Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim repeatedly attacks the claims of the Greek philosophers that the Universe is eternal.

The Ramban in his perush on Breishees referred to the initial point of matter that the Universe began with as hiyuli, IE formless matter known to the Greeks as hyle.

Rabbeinu Bachya in Chovos HaLevavos mentions Aristotle’s ideas in a number of places.

Some ideas from Greek or medieval metaphysics that the rabbis accepted are still useful ideas in the modern age. The concept of matter and form seemed to have been widely accepted by the rabbis, and this concept has been revived in a mathematical form in 20th century Quantum Mechanics.

If I recall correctly, Rav Meir Triebetz in some of his shiurim on the hashkafacircle.com website cited Rav Tzadok as claiming that Greek philosophy is the chitzonius (external aspect) of the Kabbalah. There is definitely some evidence for this.

“I quoted also the pious and wise of other nations whose words have come down to us, hoping that my readers’ hearts would incline to them and give heed to their wisdom, as for example, the words of philosophers, the ethical teachings of the ascetics, and their praiseworthy customs. Our Rabbis have already said regarding this (Sanhedrin 39b): One verse says: ‘after the ways of the surrounding nations you have done’ (Ezekiel 5:7). How can this be reconciled? As follows – their good ways you have not copied; their evil ones you have followed.”
(Introduction to Chovos Halevavos-Duties of the Heart)

Escaping Modern Torah Intellectual Quagmires

By intellectual quagmires, I am especially referring to the severe limitations and internal contradictions present in many Chareidi Jewish philosophic viewpoints. . Much of Hareidi/Chassidic Torah philosophy from the last few hundred years can lead to either an intellectual deadend or else an intellectual quagmire in o

Escaping Modern Torah Intellectual Quagmires

By “intellectual quagmires”, I am especially referring to the severe limitations and internal contradictions present in many “Chareidi” Jewish philosophic viewpoints.

Much of Hareidi/Chassidic Torah philosophy from the last few hundred years can lead to either an intellectual dead-end or else an intellectual quagmire in one’s Torah philosophy.

This seems to primarily result from the abandonment of much of the teachings of the great medieval Torah authorities, such as Rambam, Rabbeinu Bachya, Ran, Akeidat Yitzchak,etc.

The Ran (Rabbeinu Nissim) was a great medieval Torah sage whose derashos (lectures), along with the Torah philosophy of other medieval Torah sages, provides a strong intellectual framework for Torah Judaism that allows one to escape the quagmire of Hareidi/Chassidic Torah philosophy.

Artscroll has done a tremendous service to the Jewish world by translating the Ran’s derashos and providing many annotations and explanations, with many citations from the greatest medieval Torah authorities.

(Note: I do not work for Artscroll nor do I receive any compensation for endorsing these books.)

Derashos HaRan

Revival of Metaphysics

In the modern age, certain concepts previously studied in the field of Metaphysics have been largely abandoned and replaced with a mathematical, mechanistic view of the natural order. Scientism is a type of modern materialist, atheist belief that our scientific knowledge alone provides us a complete knowledge of realit

Revival of Metaphysics

In the modern age, certain concepts previously studied in the field of “Metaphysics” have been largely abandoned and replaced with a mathematical, mechanistic view of the natural order. “Scientism” is a type of modern materialist, atheist belief that our scientific knowledge alone provides us a complete knowledge of reality.

In prior ages, the study of “Metaphysics” was valued as a knowledge system that involved a rational investigation of the general attributes of reality. This study included the attributes of physical and non-physical reality, and the study of the attributes of God and the ultimate causes of what constitutes reality.

Medieval (Aristotelian) Metaphysics can provide a strong impetus to an ethical, monotheistic view of the Universe. This is why certain great rabbis, such as the Rambam and Rabbeinu Bachya, utilized this Metaphysics to prove the existence and oneness of God. A revival of Metaphysics as a legitimate branch of human knowledge would serve an important role in reviving monotheistic beliefs and ending the monopoly of “scientism” on defining reality.

In the Modern Age, Metaphysics (regrettably) has been largely abandoned. The “scientism” that replaced Metaphysics at the start of the Modern Age has provided a huge tailwind to atheist, materialist belief systems.

Modern “scientism” has created a system of “mathematical materialism” and abandoned any of the useful concepts of “Metaphysics” that were included in the scientific thought of the past. In modern “scientism”, the only reality recognized are material phenomenon that are describable with mathematical equations.

By abandoning Metaphysics concepts, and focusing science solely on developing mathematical, material explanations of Nature, modern science has actually created gaping holes in the ability of man to recognize a Creator of the Universe and also to comprehend the Universe. This approach has resulted in the current “scientism” where science is relied on to explain EVERYTHING about reality and the Universe, even though science has no ability to do so.

Instead of atheist scientism, a revival of some aspects of metaphysics needs to occur if we seek to both maintain ethical monotheism and also to maximize our understanding of the Universe.

Recognizing the Limits of Science

The claims of the atheist science establishment that somehow the Universe created itself, are fundamentally in conflict with honest science. There is a necessary demarcation between Biblical theology and science that Torah observant Jews must recognize.Ancient rabbis rejected the erroneous scientific speculations of Ar

Recognizing the Limits of Science

Ancient rabbis rejected the erroneous “scientific” speculations of Aristotle that had no real basis in any observations, such as the very erroneous claim that our Universe is a static Universe that existed eternally. We now know from many reliable scientific observations that this Universe could not have existed eternally.

Hundreds of years ago some of the greatest rabbis wrote descriptions of the creation process that seem to be generally quite consistent with some of the details described by the modern Bing Bang Theory.

The important point to remember is the Bible is not intended as a scientific treatise, it was intended as an ethical guide for man.
However, the basic facts the Bible describes are quite consistent with advanced modern science.

For example –

Universe had a beginning (was created according to the rabbis) in the finite past.
All matter was created ex-nihilo at the beginning of the Universe, and was formed into the components of the Universe.
The days mentioned in Genesis do not correspond to our days as earth’s sun was not created until the fourth day. The Bible states explicitly that the “days” were the separation of light and darkness by God, (not the revolution of the Earth).
There have been multiple creations and destruction of life on Earth during multiple eras of time. The Bible is only describing in detail the present era.
Scientific laws, as we now understand them, did not exist during the initial Creation process, but only after the Creation process was completed.
The Creation process cannot be explained in scientific terms that are intelligible to man. Scientific laws we now know did not exist during that process.
There occurred a metaphysical increase in complexity in life on Earth, starting with the earliest animals (marine invertebrate) until the creation of man, the most complex living creature.

The Creation process is non-repeatable and non-observable by man. There must be a necessary demarcation between science and Biblical theology which do not conflict with each other.

Science must recognize its limits and recognize that Biblical theology is not in conflict with authentic science. Rather Biblical theology picks up where science must end.

Intelligent Design is Consistent with Judaism

The modern concept of Intelligent Design seems to be quite consistent with classical Torah concepts. In contrast, Darwinist evolution theories not only require great leaps of faith to explain the evident complexity in the Universe, but Darwinist evolution also removes any meaning or purpose to the Universe. . The conce

Intelligent Design is Consistent with Judaism

The concept of reflecting on the wisdom evident in the design of the Universe has strong roots in ancient rabbinic thought. Within various rabbinic writings are some concepts that seem quite consistent with the modern Intelligent Design movement. In the famous medieval (11th Century C.E.) Jewish ethics book Chovos HaLevavos, a whole shaar(gate) is devoted to explaining how Jews should examine the created Universe and thus deduce proofs of the existence and wisdom of the Creator.

“One is obligated to reflect on the created things, and deduce from them proofs of the Creator’s wisdom, by the dictates of reason, Scripture, and rabbinic tradition.”

(Chovos HaLevavos, Shaar HaBechina, Chapter Two)

Chovos HaLevavos also explains that the wisdom evident in the design of the Universe offers proof that the Universe was created with the intention of an Intelligent Agent. Thus Chovos HaLevavos is in direct conflict with Darwinist evolution which can only posit an “appearance” of intelligence in the biological order that lacks any actual purpose.

“It is evident to us that for things which come about without the intent of an intender (i.e. an intelligence who designed it with a purpose) — none of them will display any trace of wisdom or ability. Behold and see, that if a man suddenly pours ink on clean paper, it would be impossible for there to be drawn on it orderly writing and legible lines like it would be with a quill, and if a man brought before us orderly writing from what cannot be written without use of a quill, and he would say that ink was spilled on paper, and the form of the writing happened on its own, we would be quick to call him a liar to his face and tell him that it must have been written without an intelligent person’s intent. And since, in our eyes, this is something impossible for mere symbols (the alphabet) that we have agreed on — how could we entertain the notion for something whose engineering is far more fine, and whose assembly is infinitely more deep and beyond our comprehension, to say that it is without intent of an Intender, and without the wisdom of a wise and powerful Being.”

(Chovos HaLevavos, Shaar HaYichud, Chapter Six)

What is Intelligent Design

A basic definition of Intelligent Design” might be the concept that we observe various physical and biological features of the Universe whose existence is best explained as due to the actions of an Intelligent Agent rather than due to the effects of undirected natural processes such as natural selection.In contrast t

What is Intelligent Design

A basic definition of “Intelligent Design” might be the concept that we observe various physical and biological features of the Universe whose existence is best explained as due to the actions of an Intelligent Agent rather than due to the effects of undirected natural processes such as natural selection.

In contrast to Neo-Darwinist (evolution) theory, intelligent design philosophers and scientists argue that the best explanation for the origins of life, and the origins of the many biological forms, is an Intelligent Agent.

Intelligent Design (ID) theory postulates that design is empirically detectable in various physical and biological aspects of the Universe. For example-

the overwhelming scientific evidence that the Universe had a definite beginning, observed since the 1920s in the red-shift and the expansion of the Universe,
the substantial evidence that the physical constants of the Universe have been enormously fine-tuned to allow for the existence of life,
and
the large amounts of functional information present in the DNA of biological organisms.

The three factors mentioned above, among others, all provide convincing evidence that a Superintelligence created the Universe (and continues to maintain its existence), and this Superintelligence must have also created the life forms present on Earth. Materialist scientific theories, citing undirected natural causes, simply cannot provide convincing explanations for the origins of the Universe and the origins and development of life on Earth.

ID theorists may or may not specify that the Intelligent Agent responsible for design in the Universe is God, and ID in general does not attempt to define the exact nature of the Intelligent Agent. ID theorists recognize that our Universe could not have simply popped into existence by itself. ID theory would only be inconsistent with Judaism if it implied a Creator with characteristics contrary to Torah theology. I am not aware that ID does imply any such characteristics. However, its astounding how some Jews can believe that acceptance of atheist Darwinist evolution can be preferable to acceptance of ID.

Multiverse-An Atheist Religion

Starting almost one hundred years ago, the atheist pseudo scientists were extremely dismayed by the overwhelming scientific evidence that this Universe is both extremely finetuned to allow life and that it also had a beginning in space and time.The powerful scientific evidence that the Universe had a beginning, with it

Multiverse-An Atheist Religion

Starting almost one hundred years ago, the atheist pseudo scientists were extremely dismayed by the overwhelming scientific evidence that this Universe is both extremely fine-tuned to allow life and that it also had a beginning in space and time.

The powerful scientific evidence that the Universe had a beginning, with its implications of a supernatural Creator, has caused great anguish to many atheists. The atheists are desperately inventing fanciful and non-scientific eternal “Multiverse” theories in a vain attempt to resurrect Aristotle’s eternal Universe/Multiverse theories.

Multiverse theories are really more akin to a non-scientific, non-rational faith based atheist religion, as there is simply no scientific possibility of detecting and proving the existence of the postulated additional Universes. To suppress any belief in the possibility of an intelligent Creator, these atheists invented a fanciful multiverse religion claiming the existence of zillions of completely undetectable and unreachable alternate Universes. By postulating the existence of these undetectable Universes, the atheists can then explain the existence of our Universe as being resulting from chance, undirected, natural causes.

None of these alternate Universes have ever been detected to my knowledge, nor do I believe they ever will be detected, as that would likely violate the laws of physics.

The so-called “scientific method” involves careful observation of natural phenomenon, then formulating hypotheses, by a process of induction, that are a proposed explanation of the phenomenon. Can speculation about Multiverses really be consistent with the scientific method? When has any “Multiverse” ever been observed? Is observation of a “Multiverse” even possible?

Eternal Multiverse Removes God and Prophecy

An eternal universe (or multiverse) imposes a scientific determinism on the Universe and removes the possibility of God’s involvement in the Universe. The Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim II:25 explains that belief in Aristotle’s eternal universe, (IE a universe that exists of necessity, and where nature never changes), refutes the Law in its principle and denies every miracle.
The Rambam is saying that Aristotle’s eternal universe is a universe governed by “scientific determinism”, and no Torah, miracles, or hashgacha pratis (Divine providence) is possible in such a Universe.

Clearly the goal of the Evolutionists and their fellow travelers (IE the atheist believers in an eternal Multiverse), is to define universe(s) resembling Aristo’s universe, IE universe(s) governed solely by scientific determinism with no Torah, revelation or miracles possible.