Against all odds, an evolutionary scientist has been elected President of the United States. It's Inauguration Day, and the President-Elect is being adminstered the oath of office.

"Say after me 'I do solemnly swear (or you can say affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.'"

"I'm sorry. I can swear to do things to the best of my ability, that's really a tautology, but I can't swear or affirm I'll do anything faithfully. I'm determined. If it's determined that I'm not going to be faithtful, there's nothing I can do about it."

"Well, what would word would work for you in place of swear or affirm? Can you promise?"

"No, I can't promise. That's just it, I'm determined so there's no point in me promising anything. It either will be, or it won't."

"How about, 'Having been selected over the competition, I am probably the person most likely to fittingly execute the office of President of the United States?'"

"I like that! If I can go ahead on that basis, the next four years should be a breeze."

Would you want your daughter to marry an evolutionary scientist?

Your daughter has announced she intends to marry an evolutionary scientist! You wonder, how is your daughter to take her young man's statement that he loves her? How seriously should she take his promise to love, honor, and cherish? Can she trust the word of someone who doesn't think he has free will? Should she stick up for her opinion in argument with someone who believes his opinions to be determined?

OK, let's put our foot down. The young man must come meet us and account for himself.

"You want to marry my daughter?" "Yes, I do. I love her."

"Will you stay faithful to her?"

"Who's to know. I'm determined, there's nothing I can do about it since it's determined whether I will or won't be faithful to her."

"Well, do you intend to be faithful?"

'Yes, clearly it's determined that I'll intend to be faithful, because I do, I do intend that."

"And you love her?"

"Yes, I feel an instinctive passion for her."

"Just an instinct? You're just chasing after her out of instinct?"

"Why not? What else can love be?"

"Young man, I'm getting an inkling that it's determined that I'm going to turn you down."

Would you buy a car from an evolutionary scientist?

"I want to buy a car."

"That's what I'm here for. How about this one?"

'Is it a good car, is it reliable?"

"Don't ask me. It's determined what I'll tell you, so what's the point of you asking?"

Study in American Scientist was "Evolution, Religion and Free Will: The most eminent evolutionary scientists have surprising views on how religion relates to evolution," authors Gregory W. Graffin and William B. Provine. The implications of natural selection for free will and the conscious self are explored in Save Our Selves from Science Gone Wrong: Physicalism and Natural Selection, a book published in February by Evolved Self Publishing.