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Mormon Transhumanists: Lincoln Cannon

Appeals to Absurdity and Ecclesiastical Authority Do Not Refute Biological Evolution

These days, if you ask a university-educated faithful Mormon whether she believes God may have used biological evolution as a mechanism in the creation of humanity, you have (estimating roughly from my experience) about a 50/50 chance of receiving a response in the affirmative.

Some Mormons are particularly supportive of incorporating biological evolution into our understanding of human origins. While the Mormon Transhumanist Association has no official stance on biological evolution, I know of no member that rejects it and many that consider it inspiring. "Mormons and Evolution: A Quest for Reconciliation", although not updated recently, is a good resource from Mormons that favor biological evolution.

On the other hand, some Mormons are particularly antagonistic to biological evolution. For example, in the January 2008 Ensign (a monthly magazine published by the LDS Church), Elder Douglas L Callister of the Quorum of Seventy suggests, in an article entitled "Our God Truly Is God", that it would be absurd to think that biological evolution could result in the complexity we observe in the human body.

Consequent to Elder Callister's article, a Mormon blogger, R Gary at "No Death Before the Fall", commented that ". . . the important thing is that Elder Callister obviously believes it is absurd to think that the eye could have been formed by natural selection.  Furthermore, Church Correlation and the Ensign editorial staff found Elder Callister's views acceptable for publication." The implication, here, is that appeals to absurdity and ecclesiastical authority should factor into our perspective on biological evolution.

However, appeals to absurdity should not factor into our perspective on biological evolution, or anything else. From a logical perspective, X can be true regardless of whether someone tells you that X is absurd. From a practical perspective, there are innumerable historical examples of appeals to absurdity, even from respected authorities, regarding matters that are no longer controversial.

Moreover, appeals to ecclesiastical authority should not factor into our perspective on biological evolution, even if we are faithful members of the LDS Church. Church leaders are, for the most part, not experts in the mechanisms of creation. Furthermore, their calling is not to receive inspiration regarding the mechanisms of creation, but rather to receive inspiration regarding the governance of the Church. You and I, particularly if we're doing the hard work of biological science, have as much or more right to inspiration regarding the mechanisms of creation as do ecclesiastical leaders. Indeed, as Joseph put it, ". . . not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times." (D&C 128: 18)

Published Tuesday, December 25, 2007 10:54 PM by Lincoln Cannon

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Herman Cummings said:

Evolution's Deathtrap          
         
As parents, we are to "train up a child in the way he should go:".  In doing so, the child is directed to "remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth,".  So what are our educators presently doing?  They are teaching our children that there is a tooth fairy that gives you a dollar for your lost tooth if you put it under your pillow at night.  How about the teaching that there is a "Santa Claus" that flies through the air with reindeer, who comes down the chimney on Christmas Eve to deliver gifts that you wished for.  I guess that those that live in apartment buildings have to have some other delivery fable taught.  What about "magic Santa keys"?

Yes, I am pointing out the insanity and bias of the practice of only teaching our students the theory of evolution, causing an imbalance in education.  Creationism can hardly be taught, but the "Observations of Moses" can easily be taught our students, as a counter balance to the blind teaching of evolution.  There is no evidence for evolution, except in the closed mind of blind academics, administrators, and scientists.  Evolution is a shallow conclusion of the fossil record (of death), and there is another, more probable, interpretation which is not being considered.

What circumstantial evidence is used to come to the conclusion of "evolution"?  The very same evidence that (the "Observations of Moses") states that there was "death by escalation", meaning that death to life forms first came to the simplest of creatures in the water (out of sight of land dwellers), before escalating to higher life forms that already lived on land.  With this position, you get the exact same results in the geologic record, but without the phantom "transitional forms".  Original created life did not grow old and die, if left to it's own.  External forces caused their escalated death on at least three occasions, the most intense being in 245 Million BC.  Just because death is discovered to have occurred initially in the water, does not mean that there was not also life on land at the same time.

The atheist and evolutionist are motivated by the evil spirit of rebellion against God, whose goal is to destroy as much of mankind as possible.  Take notice of their strategy, which is to only have the secular theories of science required and taught in public schools.  But when it comes to teaching (the correct data) from the book of Genesis, they say "teach it in religion class, because it’s religion, and not science".  That is a bold face lie!!  The very teaching of evolution is indoctrination into the religion of Atheism!!  It is Satan’s mission to deny the reality of God and His Word, or at least redefine the scriptures, so that he can destroy all of mankind that he can.  Evolution denies the existence of both the Creator, and of the Entity of Evil.  Denial of the supernatural, which gave birth to the natural, is worst than foolishness.  

How can the Observations of Moses not be science?  If Moses was given an overview (six visions) of the 4.6 billion year history of our Earth and universe, and saw the several different life forms as they lived in the ancient past, how is that not science?  Is science the denial of reality, and the redefinition of history?  Does it seek to destroy the minds of our students?  Take notice that evolutionists don’t want any other theory taught in science class.  The truth is not afraid of exposure, but a falsehood is fearful of the light.  Also take note that evolutionists require much more evidence for "creation" than they do for their own beliefs.  For example, ask for proof of the "primordial soup".

The seven-day creationists, such as those who support Creation Science and Biblical Reality, are motivated by the desire to rescue mankind, by trying to convey the truth of history, and the reality of our existence.  However, Creation Science teaches foolish doctrines, by denying scientific reality, and along with Ruin & Restoration, they end up redefining God’s Word in order to make it "fit" their false teaching.  For example, ask them "where did the water come from on the first day?".  Also, ask them "were the birds created one day before Adam, or on the same day after Adam?".  They can't answer without redefinition of what is written, throwing "literal interpretation" out the window.

Theistic evolution, Day/Age, and progressive creationists deny the truth of God’s Word, and also teach false doctrine.  They deny the 24-hr day, saying that those days were long periods of time.  They call God a liar, by denying that God created our Earth and universe all in six 24-hr days.  Ask them "How long did God tell Joshua to march around Jericho?".  Were those also long periods of time?  But at least they try to acknowledge the Eternal Spirit, His creation of our existence, and the truth of history.

However, this article is named "The Deathtrap of Evolution", and for good reason.  Since there indeed is a Creator, there is indeed a coming judgment of all mankind, both modern and prehistoric.  At the White Throne Judgment, approximately 1,020 years from now, every (remaining) human being, that has ever lived on this planet, whether they be Homo Sapiens, Cro-Magnon, Neanderthal, or original mankind, will stand trial and must give an account of their deeds while they lived on this Earth.

What sort of  "an account" will an atheist or evolutionist be able to give?  Will the excuse "I didn’t see any evidence" be accepted, and the person will be allowed to live forever in peace?  Or will the option to remain in ignorance, and denial of the truth of Genesis (as written in the book "Moses Didn’t Write About Creation!"), be charged against the person, and they be thrown into the waiting Lake of Fire to be tormented forever?

Just imagine the laughter that many atheists and evolutionists now exhibit when the thought of a Creator is discussed.  They want to believe, and teach to others, that all life on Earth, and the origin of the universe, all came into existence by random chance.  Now imagine their shock when they find themselves standing in line, with tens of thousands of other humans, waiting to be judged by someone that they may have laughed at.  Be assured that those that have done wrong against certain others, will be judged by that very same person, who will have the given authority to grant everlasting life or everlasting torment. This scenario would be discussed in another book, not yet written.  

So what is the final conclusion?  It is that the fossil and geologic record of the ancient past gives solid proof of the truth of Genesis, namely the Observations of Moses, without the need of non-existent transitional forms which the theory of evolution relies on.  God first created, and then restored life on Earth after each extinction event, in six different geological eras of mankind in the past.  No modern human has both seen and written about the prehistoric past, except Moses, as revealed to him by God Himself.

So if secular science wants to teach their conclusions from geologic data, so be it.  But also teach the correct interpretation of early Genesis (not creation science), else the religion of Atheism is being indoctrinated into our students, by the state and local governments.
 
Herman Cummings
Ephraim7@aol.com
PO Box 1745
Fortson GA, 31808
December 26, 2007 5:58 PM
 

Lincoln Cannon said:

Hi Herman. Thank you for expressing your thoughts. Do you really think I, as an evolutionist, intend "to destroy as much of mankind as possible"?
December 28, 2007 11:50 AM
 

Green Oasis » Evolutionary Foolishness said:

December 31, 2007 5:11 PM
 

Lincoln Cannon said:

Here are some great resources about evolution:

http://nationalacademies.org/evolution/
January 6, 2008 9:02 PM
 

Lincoln Cannon said:

Here's a poll of self-described "faithful Mormons" regarding evolution:

http://spockwithabeard.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=12936

It surprised me that the 26 respondents unanimously acknowledged the possibility that God used biological evolution as one of the mechanisms for creation. I thought it would be closer to 50/50, but that's great.
January 6, 2008 9:30 PM
 

Allen said:

One of the reasons LDS discount evolution is because they believe the earth was created as an immortal world, without death, and evolution requires death. However, people who disregard evolution for that reason are, I think, putting evolution at the wrong point in the time-line of creation. I have an essay online for downloading that discusses this in more detail. Also, at the end of the essay is a discussion of digital organisms that actually perform evolution and do end up with complex digital organisms. The digital organisms are computer programs but are not just simulations. True mutations of the programs and true evolution is occurring.

http://www.mormonsite.org/sciencereligion/evolutionadam.html
January 15, 2008 10:53 PM
 

No Pun Intended said:

I\'m not disputing evolution, but in the measurable history of Homo Sapiens has there been any known evolution in our species? I\'m not talking moving from Homo Erectus to Homo Sapiens, I\'m talking from Homo Sapiens to Homo \"X\"?
April 14, 2008 1:42 PM
 

Lincoln Cannon said:

Yes. There is evolution in our species, and it is on steroids because of technological evolution. Whereas other species depend almost entirely (if not altogether entirely) on the slow processes of biological evolution, our species has leveraged our unusual thumbs and brains to produce prosthetic extensions of our anatomy, which have enabled us to adapt more quickly to more environments than any other species, so far as I know. It is technology rather than biology that is the strongest driver of human evolution.
April 14, 2008 2:17 PM

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About Lincoln Cannon

Lincoln is a founding member, director and president of the Mormon Transhumanist Association. He has thirteen years of professional experience in information technology, working primarily for companies in the systems management industry, such as Symantec and Novell. He holds a masters degree in business administration and a bachelors degree in philosophy from Brigham Young University. Lincoln served a mission to France for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is married with Dorothée Vankrieckenge, a French national, and is father to three bilingual children.

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