How children pick up a language: new review of Wolfe (Humans)

by David Turell , Saturday, November 19, 2016, 19:16 (2924 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: And that is my alternative! New species involve saltation directed by God. God used an evolution method.

dhw: This is a whole new ball game. You simply cannot believe in separate creation AND common descent! Either each new programme takes place in existing organisms, as described above, or God starts each species from scratch. Saltations in biology as you well know mean a sudden change in an existing organism.

Of course I can believe in evolution and God's control. Have you forgotten our discussions about pre-planning or dabbling? I do see common descent, but managed by God, the third way to understand evolution. Chance cannot work. Direct organismal control is not reasonable. They don't have the smarts to plan it. I do accept inventive mechanisms under organismal control but under guidelines. This is all old discussion.

dhw: QUOTE: "As Dr. Jarvis observes, "We believe that FOXP2 already had a pre-existing role in regulating vocal communication before human language evolved.'"

DAVID’s comment: Not surprising if we believe in common descent. Humans just developed much further in anatomic and brain changes.

dhw: So away with separate creation. But a very welcome acknowledgement that “humans just developed much further”. Same process, greater degree.

Yes, under God's guidance.

dhw: What is the evidence that the first cells contained a programme for the building of the weaverbird’s nest plus umpteen million other innovations and natural wonders (apart from those that your God dabbled)?

DAVID: Because all those things happened after the first cells appeared. We must accept cause and effect. The appearance of a neuron from all other cells is completely unexplained except as a saltation from God. A neuron is like no other cell that exists with special attributes involving the use of charged ions.

dhw: Every innovation is unexplained. That is why we theorize. Yes, we must accept cause and effect, and obviously all these things happened after the first cells appeared. If we believe in common descent, there has to be an ongoing link between the first cells and all subsequent changes. We don’t know what the link is, but cellular intelligence would fit the bill. However, as I keep repeating ad nauseam, this does not preclude the existence of your God (who would have designed it), or of your God dabbling. What it does preclude is your God having to specially design the weaverbird’s nest and every innovation and natural wonder throughout the history of life.

If God dabbles, it precludes nothing.