Would you say this T-Shirt represent Evolution or Intelligent Design?

[Tipsy]

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Stole this off of Yahoo by the way.

Very interesting?

EDIT:

And for those of you in dire need of bifocals:

Ocean --
A body of water occupying about two-thirds of the world, made for man -- who has no gils.

[Feba]

Re: Would you say this T-Shirt represent Evolution or Intelligent Design?

Depends on the tone it is said with. Considering it's from a book of satire, from 1911, it's likely intended as just a "hey, why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways" sort of comment.

[Caspian]

Re: Would you say this T-Shirt represent Evolution or Intelligent Design?

"Made for Man"
intelligent design

Interesting? not really, there are lots of shirts that play both sides.

[Jarre]

Re: Would you say this T-Shirt represent Evolution or Intelligent Design?

Well it gives an excuse to stare in "that" direction saying, "O I'm just reading your shirt"

[Balfree]

Re: Would you say this T-Shirt represent Evolution or Intelligent Design?

Well it gives an excuse to stare in "that" direction saying, "O I'm just reading your shirt"

My thoughts exactly. Genius, the man who invented stamped tshirts.

[Tsrwedge]

Re: Would you say this T-Shirt represent Evolution or Intelligent Design?

The source, for those who were wondering: The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce - Project Gutenberg

[Ziero]

Re: Would you say this T-Shirt represent Evolution or Intelligent Design?

Well it gives an excuse to stare in "that" direction saying, "O I'm just reading your shirt"

A tight t-shirt with tiny, closely spaced words? Yea, no guy will actually be reading it.

Also, in answer to the OP, the comment clearly leans towars intelligent design. This world was here far longer then man and when we finally nuke ourselves to oblivion it will still be here without us.

[Kitalrez]

Re: Would you say this T-Shirt represent Evolution or Intelligent Design?

Considering it's from "The Devil's Dictionary" by Ambrose Bierce, my suspicion is that it's meant as a satire against both of them. Here's 70% of the planet, and you weren't created to access it, nor have you evolved to do the same. On the other hand, it's a good excuse to look at tits. I think I may buy a few to distribute...

[Feba]

Re: Would you say this T-Shirt represent Evolution or Intelligent Design?

nor have you evolved to do the same.

That doesn't make sense, though. It's very likely there is life outside of the oceans BECAUSE it was advantageous to exist on land, despite the fact that there was less of it. Satirists are generally sharp enough to not leave flaws like that in their works.

Evolution is like a mountain range with a series of peaks; not a ladder like people think.

[Kitalrez]

Re: Would you say this T-Shirt represent Evolution or Intelligent Design?

That doesn't make sense, though. It's very likely there is life outside of the oceans BECAUSE it was advantageous to exist on land, despite the fact that there was less of it. Satirists are generally sharp enough to not leave flaws like that in their works.

Evolution is like a mountain range with a series of peaks; not a ladder like people think.

Ok, to that I pose the following question: If it is most advantageous to exist on land, then why out of the top 3 most intelligent families on the planet does only one exist or still exist on land? Cetaceans evolved on land and went back to the sea, becaming extremely successful in their niches for long periods of time. Cephalopods never left and continue to surprise us with their ability to rob our lobster traps blind.

What I think you're missing is one of the levels this satire is written to address. In 19th century thought, the enlightenment is bringing about this idea that man has a "manifest destiny". We're the top creature on the world because of where we live and what we do. Everything about us proves that we're the best, and academic research is written to support this, both theologically and scientifically. Bierce is addressing this indirectly through this definition. The definition doesn't support the line of thought that man is great because of where he was able to live, but rather supposes that he might be at the top in spite of it. I went over the theological argument already, the scientific one involves pointing out that if one is the top creature, capable of accessing the most advantageous niche in the world and holding onto that niche, why this one? Most of the biomass is underwater, same with the mineral wealth. We access only those parts of that niche which can be pumped out and filtered, or caught between the strands of a net. By this line of thought, if you were "destined" to be the top creature on the planet, wouldn't you have evolved to try and be some kind of super sea creature, rather than something that can drown?

You and I don't see evolution as a ladder, but 19th century people did, and you'll still find people today who think that way. That's what this is addressing.

[Ziero]

Re: Would you say this T-Shirt represent Evolution or Intelligent Design?

Humans are not the strongest, the fastest or the most durable race. Yet we can kill any and every other thing on this planet with no effort. No other creature has evolved with the ability to cross both land and sea with the same proficiancy as us humans, even if it is done so with the aid of machines. While two of the three "smartest" creatures on the planet live the ocean, evoloving on land has allowed us to harness a power that could never exist in the water. And that is the root of all our current success as a race.

[Feba]

Re: Would you say this T-Shirt represent Evolution or Intelligent Design?

If it is most advantageous to exist on land, then why out of the top 3 most intelligent families on the planet does only one exist or still exist on land? Cetaceans evolved on land and went back to the sea, becaming extremely successful in their niches for long periods of time. Cephalopods never left and continue to surprise us with their ability to rob our lobster traps blind.

because evolution. is like a mountain range. with a series of peaks. and not a ladder.

At one point, part of that range (existing on land) became more attractive, and creatures that evolved to do that had advantages over ones that did not. Whether it's more advantageous for us, hundreds of millions of years later, isn't something evolution can take care of. Evolution has no thought, it cannot look ahead and say "Oh, that would really suck, why don't I just fix that problem with the next few generations". From there, creatures evolved into us. None of them ever had the opportunity (or if they did, a reason to) to go back into the sea.

[Tipsy]

Re: Would you say this T-Shirt represent Evolution or Intelligent Design?

Everyone knows the stork dropped us off anyway..

[eticket109]

Re: Would you say this T-Shirt represent Evolution or Intelligent Design?

"Made for Man"
intelligent design

Interesting? not really, there are lots of shirts that play both sides.

I read it as having the exact opposite meaning.

That's the cool thing about perspective.

[Caspian]

Re: Would you say this T-Shirt represent Evolution or Intelligent Design?

I read it as having the exact opposite meaning.

That's the cool thing about perspective.

Really? What about the wording makes you think its about evolution?
To me the "for" implies purpose, rather than happenstance.
How does it read to you?