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The Rabbi and the Scientist

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A rabbi and a scientist were traveling together on an airplane. Each brought with them a grandson. The rabbi’s grandson came every few minutes to check on his grandfather’s welfare and inquire as to his needs, while the
scientists’ grandson sat in back watching the movie, never once coming forward. The scientist asked the rabbi why his grandson was so profoundly respectful, whereas the scientists’ grandson had forgotten that his
grandfather was even alive. The rabbi replied, “In our tradition, God gave the Torah to Moses at Sinai, and the closer you are to that great moment of revelation and truth, the more respect you deserve. Hence, my grandson accords me respect. But as an evolutionist, you believe that mankind begins in a primordial soup, and becomes ever more complex and developed with the passage of time. Every successive generation moves further away from its primate ancestors. Hence, your grandson believes he is your superior and that you should be respecting him. [[As told by one of my colleagues.]]

Comments
You have the story backwards. The Rabbi's grandchildren were behaving obnoxiously, whereas the Scientist's grandchildren were very well behaved, and sat quietly reading their science books. The Rabbi asked the Scientist: 'How come your grandchildren are so polite and mine are so obnoxious?' The Scientist replied: 'Well you believe that each generation are devolving away from the original Adam created directly by G-d, so each generation gets successively worse. However I believe we are all evolving upwards away from apes, so each generation gets successively better! The Rabbi then hits him over the head with a Talmud. I know, I heard it from the Rabbi himself. By the way, I am Orthodox Jewish, but I believe in evolution. G-d's pretty clever at the evolution thing you know.godolhador
September 8, 2005
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Good story, but you left out some important details. The rabbi's son is a wealthy Wall Street lawyer who deeply loves his father. But, both are dying, and the grandson -- a failed businessman who was estranged until he learned that he could still inherit a ton of money -- is trying to suck up for a better inheritance. The rabbi, a good but naive man, buys into it. The scientist is suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's. His own grandson just visited him -- the guy is covered by a blanket the origins of which are foggy -- and in the sad, self-centered way of the old and dying, thinks the world has forgotten him. But his grandson loves and respects the old man so much that he followed in his career footsteps, and is working on a cure of Alzheimer's in hopes of saving his granddad's life. Right then, as the old man is wondering why the world no longer cares about him, his grandson is working out a key riddle. I suppose it goes without saying that both of them are sitting in first class -- the rabbi because of his son, and the scientist because of his grandson. [[Well, yes, that would change things. --WmAD]]Captain Salty
September 8, 2005
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Charlie - Don't be so hard on yourself. I followed the link you posted. It was very interesting.Jeff Blogworthy
September 4, 2005
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Personally I wouldn't be surprised if in the long term some Darwinists will (if they haven't already) claim that based upon the evidence "humans are not [directly] descended from apes" and chimps and that the similar physical features came about by convergent evolution. After all, this claim is made in many other instances where animals may share similar features, but not because they're supposed close relatives. Instead, it's claimed these animals evolved similar adaptations because they occupy similar niches although their evolutionary origins are quite different. So exactly why is it a "requirement" that humans be descended from something like the chimpanzee? Speaking of which... http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v437/n7055/full/nature04008.html Now they have the "fun" job of coming up with reasons for why Pan and Homo diverged so much if they lived in the same vicinity.Gumpngreen
September 4, 2005
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So, in retrospect, I think I have been way too sarcastic and not nearly funny enough in post #5. I'm sure you aren't in the habit of cleaning up other peoples' messes, Bill, but if you happen to have the time I would appreciate if you zapped me from this thread. ThanksCharlie
September 4, 2005
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Oh sorry, that was from November 2004 National Geographic, cover story - "Was Darwin Wrong? No!"Charlie
September 4, 2005
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A priest, a rabbi, and and a Darwinist walk into a bar... But seriously, Jeff, I guess you have to get the right Darwinist. For some unknown reason there are those who have taken to claiming that we are not descended from apes. """ In his “From the Editor” discourse in the front of the magazine, editor Bill Allen began with these two sentences.  “ Humans are not descended from apes.  But then Charles Darwin never claimed we are ” (2004, 206[5]:no page number).  Those statements served as a clarion call that something was terribly wrong—because they are as unbelievable as they are erroneous.  http://www.trueorigin.org/ng_ap01.asp """" I'm not sure anymore how this claim proved that I was an idiot, ignorant, or evil, but being an IDiot and Cretinist, it sure put me in my place.Charlie
September 4, 2005
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BTW, Darwinists have stopped saying we are "descended from apes," opting instead for "we are apes." I'm not sure when this occurred. "Darwin wasn't just provocative in saying that we descend from the apes—he didn't go far enough. We are apes in every way, from our long arms and tailless bodies to our habits and temperament." Frans de Waal, primate scientist at Emory University And this from an evolutionist I recently argued with: "We're more closely related to chimps than chimps are to gorillas and other apes (excluding bonobos of course). We are smart, hairless, bipedal apes."Jeff Blogworthy
September 4, 2005
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I have a source for this. Presumably, it is true. America's Real War by Rabbi Daniel Lapin. (pp. 51-52) I like the way he tells it better: Let me tell you what happened to one of my teachers, a great rabbi. On a trip to Israel, he found himself seated next to one of the heads of the Israeli socialist labor movement. Soon after the plane tool off, one of my teacher's students, seated several rows behind, came forward and said, "Rabbi, let me take your shoes; I have your slippers here. You know how your feet swell on the airplane." A few minutes later, the student returned and said, "Here are the sandwiches your wife sent. I know you do not like the airline food." This went on in similar fashion for some time, and finally the head of Israel's socialist labor movement turned to my teacher and said, "I don't get this. I am so impressed with your son. I have four sons. They're grown up now. But in all my life I don't recall them ever offering to do anything at all for me. Why is your son doing all of this?" And the rabbi said, "He isn't my son, he's my student. Had my son been here you would really have seen service. But you must not blame yourself. Your sons are faithful to your teachings, and my sons are faithful to my teachings. It is simple, you see. You made the decision to teach your sons that you are descended from apes. That means that you are one generation closer to the ape than they. And that means that it is only proper and appropriate that you acknowledge their status and that you serve them. But, you see, I chose to teach my sons that we came from God Himself. And that puts me one generation closer to the Ultimate Truth, which means it is only appropriate that they treat me accordingly." I had been meaning to transcribe this anyway. It made an impression on me also.Jeff Blogworthy
September 4, 2005
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One of the many inevitable philsophical consequences resulting from Darwinian evolution that most Darwinists would rather not discuss.jasonng
September 3, 2005
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So simple and so true.Mats
September 3, 2005
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