Re: Evidence of "evolution," sensu Sagan: Where should I go to see?

On Sun, 30 Nov 2003, Lenny Flank wrote:
david ford:

> > Where should I go to see evidence of "evolution," where
> > "evolution" is defined using Sagan's definition:
> > "Only nine percent of Americans accept the central finding of
> > modern biology that human beings (and all the other species)
> > have slowly evolved by natural processes from a succession
> > of more ancient beings with no divine intervention needed
> > along the way."
>
> Would you mind telling me how to recognize "divine intervention" in
> the history of life? Please be as specific as possible.

Would you mind telling me how Sagan "knows" that [Sagan]"divine
intervention" wasn't needed to transform bacteria into humans?  (Or, to be
more precise, to transform the common ancestor(s) of bacteria and
trilobites and oak trees into humans.)  Please be as specific as possible.

> After that, would you mind telling me how I can tell that it is *your*
> god that is divinely intervening, and not mine or my next door
> neighbor's or my car mechanic's or my sister's dog's former owner's?
> Please be as specific as possible.

After that, would you mind telling me how I can tell that it is Sagan's
pet naturalistic mechanisms that were responsible for turning bacteria
into humans, and not my next door neighbor's or my car mechanic's or my
sister's dog's former owner's?  Please be as specific as possible.