Nonetheless we do have some.
Archaeopterix, the most famous species preserved as a transitional fossil, lived approximately 150 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. It’s famous fossils, discovered in a slate mine in southern Germany, contain features of both birds and Meozoic dinosaurs. Tiktaalik, the subject of the Neil Shubin’s book, “Your Inner Fish”, was discovered by the research team of that author in a specific location the north of Canada which was chosen because it contains rocks of the appropriate age. The fossil has both fish and tetrapod features and is an example of the type of animal that existed close to the time when vertebrate organisms began to colonize dry land – approximately 380 MYA.
Archaeopterix and Tiktaalik, existed on the border of enormous evolutionary niches. The ability to take to dry land and the air, respectively, allowed their descendents to exploit new environments and resulted in an explosion of diversity as their descendents expanded and adapted to these niches. These descendents, however, were highly adapted to the new rather than original environments and it is likely that they outcompeted the transitional-like descendents. An amphibian, fully adapted to life in and out of water is likely to be more successful than a half fish, half land animal. One inevitable consequence of this model is a temporal limitation on the existence of transitional organisms that once the expansion on dry land or the air has occurred.
Which leads us to today’s topic – the transitional fossil of moral change.
Albert Mohler is the ninth president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Mohler is one of the leading voices in evangelical theology and is known for his outspoken views on conservative evangelical doctrine, such as an opposition to homosexuality and his promotion of a literalist interpretation of the (King James version!) bible.
Mohler takes a firm line on the science/religion question. The bible is taken as the foundation upon which the edifice of human knowledge must be built. As such the scientific consensus on evolution MUST be false since it contradicts Genesis, moving Adam and Eve from column A (history) to column B (myth) – with all the subsequent consequences for the Jesus narrative.
Mohler, as a conservative Christian, is big on Church doctrine and authority, frequently denouncing other Christians as promoting heretical views.
And yet even Albert can change his mind.
Sometimes the environment shifts beneath our feet., we gain a new perspective and realize we cannot go on as before.
The post today captures such a moment.
The background to the shift is the ongoing scandal at Penn State. In a story sadly reminiscent of the Catholic child abuse scandals, the discovery of official cover-up of child abuse provides the impetus. As in the Catholic incidents it appears that relying on figures vested with moral authority – bishops, cardinals and popes in the case of Catholocism and University football coaches and directors in the casehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif of Penn State – fails dismally to protect the interests of children.
http://www.albertmohler.com/2011/11/10/the-tragic-lessons-of-penn-state-a-call-to-action/
"We all need an immediate reality check. I discovered yesterday that the policy handbook of the institution I am proud to lead calls for any employee receiving a report of child abuse, including child sexual abuse, to contact his or her supervisor with that report. That changes today. The new policy statement will direct employees receiving such a report to contact law enforcement authorities without delay. Then, after acting in the interests of the child, they should contact their supervisor.
In a real sense, the whole world changed today. We all know more than we knew before, and we are all responsible for that knowledge. The costs of acting wrongly in such a situation, or acting inadequately, are written across today’s headlines and the moral conscience of the nation. The tragedy at Penn State is teaching the entire nation a lesson it dare not fail to learn."
It is a pity it takes such events to enact change.
