Friday, October 19, 2007

Earlier this week, the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize winning man who basically discovered DNA, told the Sunday Times of London that he was "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa" because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours — whereas all the testing says not really." He recognized that the prevailing understanding is that all human groups are the same but then said, "people who have to deal with black employees find this not true." He told the interviewer that he had recently inaugurated a DNA learning center near Harlem, New York and would like to see more black researches at the lab…but…”there’s no one to recruit.”

Woah. This wasn’t David Duke or Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia. This was not the spokesman for the Ku Klux Klan either. This was the esteemed James D. Watson, co-discoverer of the DNA helix! This man is a recognized genius!

And this man is also very logical…as harsh as that might sound. Slow down…I’m not suggesting that I agree with him because I certainly do not. But you must understand, James D. Watson has always been an avowed secular humanist. He is an atheist. He believes in evolution…survival of the fittest.

If atheism is truth then secular humanism is nothing more than cold, simple…logic. Think about it…if humanity is simply more highly evolved animals then why is it “wrong” for him to say that blacks, as a group, are less intelligent than other groups?

Is it wrong for us to say that cats are more intelligent than mice? That humans are more intelligent than monkeys? That dogs are more intelligent than sheep?

Is it wrong for us to go to the pet store and pick a black female Labrador to purchase just because we think female black Labs make better pets?

Is it wrong for us to exterminate animals we feel are pests?

Look my friend…you need to understand…the notion that humanity has special dignity is a uniquely “religious” notion. Period. The notion that all humanity has been created equal is a uniquely “religious” notion as well. There is no “creation” in evolution. There is no dignity in the animal kingdom.

In a documentary in 2003 Watson suggested that we should simply eliminate less intelligent people through gene therapy. "If you are really stupid, I would call that a disease. The lower 10 percent who really have difficulty, even in elementary school, what's the cause of it? A lot of people would like to say, 'Well, poverty, things like that.' It probably isn't," he added. "So I'd like to get rid of that, to help the lower 10 percent."


During that same documentary the man also said, "People say it would be terrible if we made all girls pretty, I think it would be great."

He wasn’t joking.
Is this man wrong?
How do you know?

Tell me, my friends, tell me how one can prove this man wrong without mentioning God? Take God out of the equation and then dispute this man.

Try it in your own head. Argue against these points without appealing to God. Articulate “right” and “wrong” in a atheistic universe. Prove that all men are equal without mentioning their creator.

You can’t. If there is no God then Dr. Watson is not wrong. We might not be able to say that he is right, of course…but we certainly would have no basis to say that he is wrong. The man is consistent, wrong, but consistent.

What is truly amazing is the outrage! How can people be so shocked with his logical conclusions? These same outraged people will turn around and continue to teach Darwin’s theory of evolution! It’s remarkable how the majority of Darwinists will not admit the logical conclusion of their own teaching! For someone to believe in atheistic evolution AND the “rights” or “dignity” of anybody is laughable. The concept of “right” is directly connected with God...God is the judge and determines for us, with true objectivity, what is right and what is wrong. Dignity is directly connected with God…mankind has dignity because God created us in His likeness…period! All people are equal because God created us that way…not because we randomly and coincidentally evolved equally…that is absurd!

Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all. Proverbs 22:2 niv

He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. Acts 10:28 niv

7 comments:

Isaac said...

I think this post's strength is that it points out how flimsy any "logical" system of ethics is-- ultimately reason must give way to revelation. Personhood, rationality, will, and conscience are part of what makes us Image-bearers. To be human cannot be explained in terms of biological processes because we are not a marriage of the physical and spiritual worlds. Animals are physical and not spiritual, Angels and Demons are spiritual and not physical; only in man are the two parts of Creation united and headed.

It appears that Watson's own talents in understanding the human genome have led him to believe in genetic determinism, which is foolish. Plus, it's an easy out because it simply blames all the problems in black American culture on genes instead of on the system of government entitlements, promiscuity, the breakdown of the patriarchal family unit, and constant attachment to a separationist victimhood identity.

I'd like Dr. Watson to meet some of my black friends-- articulate, well-educated men and women who did not buy into the victimhood culture: one will be headed to seminary soon, another translates Korean for American admirals in the Pacific, another worked for NASA as an astrophysicist (that's the translator's father), and that's saying nothing of all my black law student colleagues.

The problem is cultural, not genetic.

Isaac said...

Correction, first paragraph: "we ARE a marriage of the physical and spiritual worlds."

irreverend fox said...

zac,

you are exactly right. the issues facing us all are cultural...not genetic.

all people groups fall short of the glory of God...in diverse ways...but missing the mark is missing mark...and their only hope is a cultural revolution...something I read in Revelation 21 is coming and I can't wait!

the nations will maintain their diversity yet together rejoice before the thrown of God! Here on a physically, glorified…earthy…EARTH…as HUMANS!

paradise lost shall be paradise restored, amen! We’re not all going to heaven…no…heaven will come here, “Look! The dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

Isaac said...

Amen.

By the way, just because I know you're interested in missions and cultural relevancy, I thought you might like to listen to this radio interview entitled The New Orthodox Faithful: Why Evangelical University Graduates Are Becoming Orthodox

Anonymous said...

Well said. Where is the dignity in humanity if we're just a bunch of highly evolved animals? And why weren't people more "outraged" by his comments about dumb people and pretty girls? We're dignified because we're made in God's image. Fallen? Yes, but made in God's image. All of our problems are our own fault (or more specifically Adam's fault). I ditto Zac's comment, the plight of blacks is cultural, not biological. It's caused by a number of things including governmantal "help." Great post.

irreverend fox said...

thanks zac!

I'm listening right now!

oh...to answer a question from the last comment section...

Arminians pass out tracts...Calvinists pass out tracks...

lol

irreverend fox said...

tim,

great questions. we should all stop and think about the answers...