The Way of the Banana $10,000 Challenge...

From the Divine Banana team member, Ray Comfort, comes the new Hovind-like challenge to 'evilutionists'...

The $10,000 Offer
A transitional form (or missing link) is an example of one species “evolving” into another species. Excited scientists thought they had found one when they discovered “Archaeopteryx.” The fossil led to the theory that the dinosaurs did not become extinct, but rather all turned into birds. The Field Museum in Chicago displayed what was believed to be an archaeopteryx fossil on October 4-19, 1997. It was hailed as “Archaeopteryx: The Bird That Rocked the World.” However, Dr. Alan Feduccia (evolutionary biologist at the University of North Carolina), said, “Paleontologists have tried to turn Archaeopteryx into an earth-bound, feathered dinosaur. But it’s not. It is a bird, a perching bird. And no amount of ‘paleo-babble’ is going to change that.” [Science, February 5, 1993]. So here’s my challenge: I will give $10,000 to the first person who can prove to me that they have found a genuine living transitional form (a lizard that produced a bird, or a dog that produced kittens, or a sheep that produced a chicken, or even as Archaeopteryx—a dinosaur that produced a bird). Species do not cross, no matter how long you leave them. The whole of creation is proof that evolution is truly “a fairytale for grownups.”

Ray Comfort.

intelligentdesignversusevolution.com...

So he wants us to show him evidence that he thinks would provide support for the theory of evolution, when it would actually disprove evolution.

Either very clever, or very dense. You decide.



[edit on 16-5-2007 by melatonin]

What about the duck-billed platypus which can either evolve into a giant duck or into an otter. A bit silly really but the point is that this is a tough one to prove. All we have, as you keep saying, is analogues. There IS ample evidence of Natural Selection - I am not a closed-mind Creationist. Bt I think that there is also ample evidence of Intelligent Design.

This challenge is just like Kent Hovind's stupid $25,000 challenge. It's impossible to win, because in order to win you have to prove that your animal is a missing link. And to prove its a missing link, you have to show that it has undergone or is currently undergoing evolution. Since that pretty much takes millions of years to see any significant change, nobody can win this challenge.


shame on you Ray comfort

first he disappoints us by breaking the rules of a debate on the existence of god, the rules that he set up and now he comes out with this pointless challenge?

if this challenge was anywhere near fair, someone like richard dawkins would have an extra $10,000 in his wallet.

He dodges out of this by saying that microevolution isn't evolution, and the "species change" he wants to see actually is the evolution of a new family or order (in science terms)... not genus.

Fact is, we've seen the evolution of a number of different genera.
www.talkorigins.org...

Talkorigins has a review of Hovind's offer:
www.talkorigins.org...

Anyway, we have seen the emergence of new species:
www.talkorigins.org...

...which isn't acceptable to Hovind...
www.talkorigins.org...

He dodges out of this by saying that microevolution isn't evolution, and the "species change" he wants to see actually is the evolution of a new family or order (in science terms)... not genus.

Fact is, we've seen the evolution of a number of different genera.
www.talkorigins.org...

Talkorigins has a review of Hovind's offer:
www.talkorigins.org...

Anyway, we have seen the emergence of new species:
www.talkorigins.org...

...which isn't acceptable to Hovind...
www.talkorigins.org...

I think the problem with many creationists is a misunderstanding of how evolution works, as well as the misguided belief that the Bible should be taken literally.

I once heard a quote along the lines of, "microevolution doesn't count - that's just variation within a species." Unfortunately, this view fails to recognize that species variation is in fact the product and driving force of evolution.

I think the author of the bet was a very wise man. He knew that he would never lose. However, playing the devil's advocate (sorry God!) there are species that live as cells and can then colonise into tissue-like clusters and there are tissue-like creatures like jellyfish. However, jellyfish have not coalesced to form an organ. There is ample evidence for Natural Selection and the formation of new species, I don't think we can deny that Natural Selection is a Law.

Originally posted by Heronumber0
However, playing the devil's advocate (sorry God!)

No need to apologize, the Devil's Advocate had nothing to do with the Devil himself.

[edit on 20/5/2007 by Thousand]

Here's a challenge that is just as pointless.

Get a flash card
On one side write "the statement on the other side of this card is true"

On the other side write"the statement on the other side of this card is false"

As a special thanks for trying to give us a pointless exercise, here is your pointless exercise. Please feel free to flip the card as much as required.

Hey Bird, are we supposed to get something out of that link? talkorigins.com? Billowy vague opinions about bacteria and nematodes wrapped in "scientific" jargon by said scientists who are funded by Pro-evolution colleges and universities? Feh! In all the written history of mankind and technological breeding of animals, you would logically think that one species would come out with verifiable evolutionary change and not just minor differences in fungi or viruses,but changes within species' D.N.A. Not variations of the same animal or shellfish, etc.. New data and I'm not talking about star trek. No offence, I like the show, somewhat. So many things have been proven false with evolution like the horse evolution graph (completely falsified) and the dino-bird link, FRANKLY ANYTHING from china is suspect. These examples are still used in textbooks! Did you know that if there were a flood, things on or near the floor of the ocean would be part of the lowest strata? Using the fossil record you, might think that the barnacles, coral, etc.. were our earliest ancestors. You guys are blind to the truth. Wake up.