Natures wonders: Wasps find their way home (Introduction)

by dhw, Tuesday, February 16, 2016, 16:08 (3201 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: I don't see how anyone can claim to know God's purpose without attempting to read his mind! A deist might argue that the higgledy-piggledy history of cosmic and evolutionary comings and goings makes it “obvious” that your God set things going (e.g. for fun, or as an experiment) and then left them to run their own course, instead of the whole shebang being designed to create humans. The processes we observe are wide open to different “readings”. Of course you are entitled to your opinion, but I don't see how you can claim that your interpretation of God's purpose is anything other than a subjective attempt to read his mind.-DAVID: I think I can be allowed to read His mind for purpose but not for process, just a the deist example above.-Of course you can. You are entitled to your opinion, as we all are. However, the complaint that my approach involves reading God's mind is simply the application of double standards: you are allowed to read his mind for purpose and impose it on the apparently contradictory process (which you can't understand), but I am criticized if I base my reading of his mind for purpose on observation of the process!