How many "missing links" do we have to find before Creationists stop lying about them?

As Richard Dawkins so eloquently observed, every time biologists find a fossil that neatly bisects a gap in the current fossil record, the creationists complain that there are now twice as many gaps...

You must be behind your fellow evolutionists, because they stopped using the term "missing link" many years ago. They now use the term "transitional fossils." That is because the entire chain was missing, not just a few links. None of those fossils could be counted as a transitional fossil. All of them are simply bones with evolutionary assumptions placed upon them. Most, if not all of them, have been discredited or shown to be fraudulent. Homo Erectus, for one, was found by a Dutch anatomist looking for proof for evolution. What he found were six bones that didn't even go together. Evolutionists always claim that creationists know nothing about this topic. We know more about evolution than you do. We are not afraid to look at the criticism of evolution, so we look in places that you refuse to acknowledge.

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I think it's telling that only two creationists have answered this. They change facts to suit themselves and when challenged, either ignore it or resort to mantras.

As someone who works in close proximity to primates like the chimpanzee, I can tell you that it's harder not to believe there is a relation than that there isn't, even ignoring the fact that I'm a biologist and know the facts.

You may be interested to know that female chimps in the Fongoli troop from Senegal have recently been seen making spears by the way! There are videos online. I'll post the link if I can find it again. Also, they exhibit pharmocognancy, which is the ability to use herbs and natural medicines like that to treat sicknesses.

Add to that, the other tools they use in the wild as well as their ability to learn American sign language and use computers in captivity, not to mention the recent discovery of altruism as well as their warring and murdering and interacting on the same complex social spectrum not too far removed from ourselves and you really begin to appreciate that there is nothing about us that is outside the realms of ape-ness! Sure we haven't even increased much in the way of intelligence since we began using spears. It's mostly been an accumulation based on our ability to pass on and communicate knowledge. That chimps lack the crucial mutation in the FOXP2 gene and some other physiological factors that allow more complex speech is the only major restriction that I can see. They already pass down tools and skills through generations so if they were able to talk and write there'd be no stopping them . . . except us!

Edit: To jeshurun - Actually if you were as intrepid an investigator as you like to imply you would realise that one reference against thousands is in no way proof. There is no way to even say that humans are not apes that would not split chimps from gorillas too. The only reason we don't refer to ourselves as apes is because of the egos of the less knowledgeable societies before us. Australopithecus fits very well into the evolutionary model of human past so you cannot pretend it doesn't.

Also, human intelligence is very easily explained, including morality and conscience and every behavioural trait necessary to invent religion and other social beliefs.

As for your comment about the existence of apes, I don't know where to begin explaining the concept of evolution to you. You do yourself a disservice by adopting an opinion before you have done your research!

Apes and every other extant animal are just as "well evolved" (to use a term that makes me cringe for its ignorance) as humans are. I don't know if you know what an ecological niche is or if you understand that each different environment selects for different characteristics that are best suited to it but that is the reason why you find different sorts of animals in different environments. Apes survive far better than us in jungles so why should they change? We survive better in African plains so that's why we changed in the first place and why since then we have carefully selected environments that suit us when we can.

Also, before you rely on Jesus to help you in investigations, you might carry out an objective study of the circumstances of the rise of Christianity. Some key words might be "Mithra" (look up the practices and beliefs about him) and of course, the contemporary writings about Jesus himself (oh wait, there are none).

Good Morning. Missing link is a teaching that stems from the evolution theory. In the evolution theory (which by you answer it seems you are up on the continuing process of discovery) there is also survival of the fittest. Where in the chain of survival of the fittest does man change into something else other than what he is a man.

Apes still exist. Am I to believe that survival of the fittest has stopped now on earth because life on earth has come to evolved fruition, meaning life has survived in the only way possible and a continued chain of links is now not necessary?

I have also read that Australopithecus has overwhelmingly been designated as an ape, not a man (reference source "Beyond the Ivory Tower" by Sully Zuckerman, 1970 page 90.)

If man did evolve where did he get his intelligence to create God's. If man was in a link chain and he (as a man) survived as the fittest through this chain, wouldn't it mitigate mans survival to accept something higher in intelligence than himself.

We as men know of God because he exists. Man's history proves it. Every known historical civilization of man has a God.

It would be then wise to seek out Jehovah God. It is wise to study about mans history with Jehovah in mind. Accepting Jesus as the Christ and as son of God can help. Have a good day.

Personally, I think they want every creature fossilized in a direct line from abiogenesis to modern man (and everything else). The great thing for them is that the goalposts can be shifted to N + 1 every time (where N is the number of fossils found).

They will never stop lying about it. The only thing that could possibly stop them is if we somehow managed to find an ancient fossil, and then found *every single descendant* of that ancient fossil right up until modern day. Of course, that's not possible, so there will *always* be "missing links", and creationists will always cling to that argument.

And that's not counting the hundreds of transitional species fossils of non-human animals.

The Creationists have to lie. They lie to each other and they lie to themselves. It's the only way they can keep up their notion that a bunch of fairy tales are literal history.

Only catastrophic event extinct species aren't a missing link to another species. Like neanderthals (distant relation to humans), and saber tooth cats. Raptor type dinosaurs evolved to be what we call birds now.

They call a lie anything that does'nt fit in with their doctrines. If you ever visit a christian science museum you see things like dinosaurs living with people and other bullcrap like that. They change the facts to fit their agenda innorder to make people feel a little better about being brainwashed.