Genome complexity: challenges naturalism (Introduction)

by dhw, Wednesday, September 23, 2015, 12:35 (3135 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: QUOTE: “Aside from the obvious (and intriguing) challenge of understanding the enormous complexity of life's information payload, evolution purports to explain its origins.”-DAVID: The statement you quote is over reaching I admit, however it is not a distortion, if, as you say, you accept the continuity. First life had to contain the preparations for evolution, thus the continuum. Evolution begins with first life, not just after life arrives, because first life contains the information permitting alterations, that allows for evolution. Of course, any theory of evolution does not explain the origin of life. There is a fine distinction here. We have quarreled about this before. You cannot disconnect origin from evolution.-There is no quarrel between us about this. I have never disputed the continuity, but we both agree that the theory of evolution does not exclude God. Some atheists, however, try to hoodwink their readers by pretending that it does (hence the Dawkins quote). Your author is using the same device in order to discredit evolution. I object to any false statements which, whether intentionally or not, add unwarranted strength to an argument. The theory of evolution does NOT purport to explain life's origins, so why say that it does? The theory of natural selection does NOT explain the whole of life, so why say that it does? Recent discoveries will NOT bring an end to the acceptance of Darwin's theory of evolution (though they may well bring an end to the acceptance of his ideas on how evolution works), so why say that they will?