By doing this they are contradicting their beliefs about natural selection, but so much time, money and effort goes into these projects. Could it be a reason contrary to what they believe? I think so.

(April 4, 2012 at 1:24 pm)elunico13 Wrote: I think so.

Of course you do.

(April 4, 2012 at 1:28 pm)Paul the Human Wrote:

(April 4, 2012 at 1:24 pm)elunico13 Wrote: I think so.

Of course you do.

Does anyone have an explanation that is non-contradictory???

What is wrong with the wish to preserve life? I think evolution is correct, yet I have no wish for some species to disappear from the Earth. It is our fault they are endangered, so it is up to us to keep them here. Also, some species are integral to life on this planet ( bees in particular ) so we need to keep them around.

Empathy is the reason most people want to prevent an entire species from going extinct. It doesn't matter if the extinction is due to evolution in action, most people still feel bad about seeing a species die out. Most of the time, however, it is not evolution in action, but a direct result of humanity's detrimental effect on the planet, so it then becomes our duty to try to stop the extinction from happening.

And my first comment stands.

(April 4, 2012 at 1:24 pm)elunico13 Wrote: By doing this they are contradicting their beliefs about natural selection, but so much time, money and effort goes into these projects. Could it be a reason contrary to what they believe? I think so.

Beliefs? Them acknowledging natural selection doesn't mean they want species to die out.

Tho quite frankly I bored of fucking pandas... Or lack of fucking pandas..

Its not contradictory. Maybe a waste of money tho.

(April 4, 2012 at 1:55 pm)elunico13 Wrote:

(April 4, 2012 at 1:28 pm)Paul the Human Wrote:

(April 4, 2012 at 1:24 pm)elunico13 Wrote: I think so.

Of course you do.

Does anyone have an explanation that is non-contradictory???

Yes, I want to preserve them because they're tasty.

Next question?

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(April 4, 2012 at 1:59 pm)Paul the Human Wrote: Empathy is the reason most people want to prevent an entire species from going extinct. It doesn't matter if the extinction is due to evolution in action, most people still feel bad about seeing a species die out.

This I agree with.

Quote:Most of the time, however, it is not evolution in action, but a direct result of humanity's detrimental effect on the planet, so it then becomes our duty to try to stop the extinction from happening.

It can reasonably be argued that humanity's detrimental impact on our planet is evolutionary process in action. All species impact thier environment, some to a (much) greater degree than others - humans of course being the most successful at making a mess of things. I don't see how that makes our actions unnatural or somehow separate from evolution.

Species go extinct due to inadequate defense from predation, inability to adapt to changing habitat, and so forth. We're just the most disruptive species on the planet (by far, obviously).

None of this is to say that I disagree with your conclusion - that we should attempt to save endangered species. It's not necessarily out of a sense of duty or altruism (though those are factors), in some cases, it's out of self-interest. On the topic of self-interest, failure to modify our destructive behavior will, sooner or later, lead to disastrous consequences for ourselves.

Simply because I acknowledge that evolution exists and that natural selection occurs doesn't mean that I have to like that it kills off species. As a theist, you associate facts with personal preference, whereas we know the facts regardless of personal preference. It must seem contradictory to you that we hold a theory to be true that doesn't make the world all clean and sunshine and daisies.

Yes, endangered species are a result of natural selection and it will lead to evolution. That doesn't mean that I have to sit idly by as natural selection occurs.

I think that, like most xtian shitballs, you have your head up your ass.

Conservationists look to preserve endangered species.

"Evolutionists" (whatever the fuck that may mean to a jesus freak like you) may or may not be conservationists.

I realize that for jesus freaks there are never any shades of gray but do try to think just a little bit.

Quote:Why do evolutionists protect endagered species???
By doing this they are contradicting their beliefs about natural selection, but so much time, money and effort goes into these projects. Could it be a reason contrary to what they believe? I think so.

Why do creationist protect endangered species? Wouldn't extinction be part of god's plan? If not, then how do we explain past extinctions? Unless of course you are saying that only evolutionists have an interest in protecting endangered species.

As so many others nicely responded, many species are endangered because of human meddling, therefore we feel responsible for their protection at some point.

When humans realize that we are animals and part of a larger world, the recovery of endangered species bears particular significance. For one the world is a better place, and that sounds like a good atheist plan to me.