Possible goldilocks planet (The limitations of science)

by dhw, Monday, April 21, 2014, 13:10 (3655 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: Spot on, Matt. My point was that whether there is or isn't life and/or evolution on other planets will not make the slightest difference to the beliefs of theists or atheists, because any scenario can be adapted to either belief. Do you honestly think, David, that any atheist would agree with your statement? Now use your imagination and try this test: since you believe special Earth gives theists the stronger argument, if life is discovered elsewhere, do you think that will that give atheism the stronger argument?

DAVID: Yes it would help the atheists. The more special the Earth appears as the only planet with life, the higher the odds for a special creation. If life is everywhere, then it appears to be more of a natural event. you and Matt don'tsee this line of reasoning. Why do you think I touted a special Earth so much in my first book with some mention in the second? Why is the book Privileged Planet so key to the ID folks arguments? Concepts of irreducable and specified complexity runs through the theist arguments, because it increases the odds against chance natural events.-I'm sure Matt sees this line of reasoning just as I do. But we both see all the lines of reasoning, and he and I agree that nobody can say one is "stronger" than any other because unless we get proof either way, there will never be a consensus.-ATHEIST: If Earth's the only place with life on it, one stroke of luck out of billions of combinations is all it needed. And why would your God create hundreds of habitable planets and only make one inhabited? Ugh, what a waste! But of course, if life is found elsewhere, that proves it's all perfectly natural.-THEIST: If life on Earth is unique, it must have been specially designed. If life is found elsewhere, as you so rightly asked, why would God only create life on one of his habitable planets? And if "life is everywhere", well, what's the difference? Even the simplest forms are too complex for us to create, so God must have created them and let them loose all over the place instead of just on Earth. -Yer takes yer money....