Discussion on debate between Esquilax and His_Majesty.

[Exian]

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I see, Exian. That is indeed difficult because that process took a very long time, and there are so many transitions from one to the other we can only observe in what we have record of. For me there wasn't one specific piece of information that helped me understand; it was all the little changes that have been observed as a whole. Things I thought to be impossible as a creationist. If I were you, I'd just start showing her what we can see. Fish grow legs, skinks can change how they give birth, whales are genetically shown to have common descent with land animals.

Perhaps there are child science courses you can order? They teach evolution all over the world, after all. There's kids version websites of Nasa and National Geographic, which theists around here would actually benefit from taking a look at, too.

Personally I would have her look into animals and how they adapt to their environment. Cold blooded, and warm blooded, and how they adapt to climate or environmental changes.
My personal favorite is the synapsid Dimetrodon.
Also, mutations are comprehendible for children when they look at their own species. It's one of the first things kids study! Their parents, their peers.. Mutations are the copying process gone awry; elsewise you'd be a clone of your parent, etc.

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Just some ramblings from my brain, here. Sorry I can't be of more help

Ahhhh!! Thank you, Luckie. She's going to love that eye color chart. That's right down her alley. I can already see her staring at it and throwing questions at me the second they cross her mind. Luckily, I know her well enough to predict her thoughts pretty accurately.

One of the coolest things about kids is that they tend to question things that I never would have, and it forces you to really think about the concepts. In this case, for me, it really shows that the classification system of the plant and animal kingdoms are just man's best effort at creating a useful system for distinction, when, in reality, evolution is just doing its thang. To me, as opposed to my daughter, the speciation process is the same in all directions, across all phyla and kingdoms, and throughout all of time, but to her there is a distinction. If anything, I'll learn to be a better communicator of ideas through these processes she puts me through

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Any thoughts, fellows? I know the feedback has been pretty universal so far, but if anyone has any closing remarks now's the time.

What a butthole. I was going to give him credit for taking the challenge, but he'll obviously get no respect from me after his disregard for the agreed upon debate format.

I leave the debate still not knowing or being convinced of the following:

1. The definition of kind.
2. What exactly is the limitation on mutations preventing an accumulation of changes over time.
3. How the fossil record could be interpreted as anything other than a fossil record.
4. That evolution is a lie.

HM was completely ineffective as a communicator and a teacher, let alone as a debater.