Innovation (Introduction)

by dhw, Thursday, May 16, 2013, 17:45 (4210 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: Because species appear de novo, genetics provides adaptation but NOT speciation.-The implications of this remark are so enormous that I'd like to tackle it on its own, and will reply to the rest of your post separately.-Until now, you have always agreed that evolution happened, i.e. that all forms of life are descended from earlier forms, going back to the beginning, while natural selection only decides which organs and organisms survive. Evolution cannot happen without innovation. We have both rejected Darwin's theory of random mutations as the cause of innovation, as well as his theory that evolution proceeds little by little (= gradualism). You have also accepted many times the idea that your God may have created a mechanism within the genome that is responsible for innovations, but you have argued that some innovations are preprogrammed, and others are the result of your God dabbling.-If innovations are preprogrammed, the programme must be within the genome. Now, however, you are saying that genetics only provides adaptation (which would normally preserve the status quo) and NOT speciation! In that case, ALL innovations must be the result of God dabbling. In other words, you now appear to be arguing for separate creation of species (Creationism), which is the direct antithesis of evolution!
 
The point of my post is not to attack Creationism, but only to ascertain precisely what you believe, and so if I have misunderstood the above statement, do please clarify it for me.