[buffyt]

Once my son told me that if there were any such thing as evolution we would have all evolved into the same thing, why would some creatures remain fish, dogs, cats, trees, bugs..... everything would have evolved! From then on I realized that evolution was only another trick, a lie, from satan.

[AZLiberty]

Once my son told me that if there were any such thing as evolution we would have all evolved into the same thing, why would some creatures remain fish, dogs, cats, trees, bugs..... everything would have evolved! From then on I realized that evolution was only another trick, a lie, from satan.

For one thing, "we" would not all have evolved into the same thing because we don't all live in the same environment. Fish are fish because they live in water, for God's sake.

Refusal to admit -- or even attempt to understand -- reality is closer to Satan than evolution is.

[RightWhale]

we would have all evolved into the same thing

First thought is: why?

Second thought is: according to the meaning of the word, we are all the same thing anyway. Evolution is nothing but presenting new characteristics.

[canuck_conservative]

If we didn't get here by evolution, then how?

[RadioAstronomer]

Once my son told me that if there were any such thing as evolution we would have all evolved into the same thing, why would some creatures remain fish, dogs, cats, trees, bugs..... everything would have evolved! From then on I realized that evolution was only another trick, a lie, from satan.

You are kidding I hope.

[Interesting Times]

Once my son told me that if there were any such thing as evolution we would have all evolved into the same thing, why would some creatures remain fish, dogs, cats, trees, bugs..... everything would have evolved! From then on I realized that evolution was only another trick, a lie, from satan.

There are some fascinating computer programs that model evolution using software 'creatures'. They tend to find, or create ecological niches within their environment. Some even develop cooperative or parasitic strategies.

I'm not sure if any of them realize they are the treacherous spawn of malign demonic intent, though.

[Ichneumon]

Once my son told me that if there were any such thing as evolution we would have all evolved into the same thing,

Your son is mistaken. Among other things, one of the reasons is that if all life were "the same thing", then there would be open ecological niches which would becon some subpopulations to split off from the main population and start taking advantage of the unused food source / resources / etc.

For one example, if everything was a carnivore, some subpopulation would have an uncontested bounty if they developed a taste for eating plants.

why would some creatures remain fish, dogs, cats, trees, bugs..... everything would have evolved!

Everything has evolved. Everything is still evolving. Five hundred million years hence, the descendants of cats will be something else, if they haven't gone extinct. Two hundred million years ago, there were no cats of any sort. Life on Earth has changed, and continues to change. It only looks "frozen" today because we're looking at it at a snapshot of time. Even all of recorded human history is an eyeblink compared to the total history of life on Earth, although it's interesting to note that in that short period of time it's possible to turn wolves into dachshunds. And dachshunds are no longer wolves, in case you hadn't noticed.

From then on I realized that evolution was only another trick, a lie, from satan.

Let me get this straight -- you're saying that evolution is a trick of satan because your son doesn't understand it?

[AntiGuv]

The Scientific American addressed this basic question quite eloquently. Here ya go (please do your son a favor, and pass this along!) The response applies to fish just as well as monkeys...

6. If humans descended from monkeys, why are there still monkeys?

This surprisingly common argument reflects several levels of ignorance about evolution. The first mistake is that evolution does not teach that humans descended from monkeys; it states that both have a common ancestor.

The deeper error is that this objection is tantamount to asking, "If children descended from adults, why are there still adults?" New species evolve by splintering off from established ones, when populations of organisms become isolated from the main branch of their family and acquire sufficient differences to remain forever distinct. The parent species may survive indefinitely thereafter, or it may become extinct.