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

by dhw, Sunday, November 20, 2016, 12:08 (2924 days ago) @ David Turell

Dhw: …If you believe in common descent, this is exactly the same process as your God preprogramming or dabbling: each new programme has to take place in existing organisms. Your alternative is separate creation.
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.
DAVID: Of course I can believe in evolution and God's control. Have you forgotten our discussions about pre-planning or dabbling?

Hey, hey, stop! Please read the sentences in bold. “Control” is not separate creation! Separate creation is the exact opposite of common descent. You wrote: “there is no evidence that a series of innovations leads to new species.” Let me repeat: How else can new species arise? Even if God preprogrammes or dabbles the innovations, they must take place in existing organisms unless you believe in separate creation. Please clarify: do you or do you not think that innovations take place within existing organisms, and innovations lead to new species?

dhw: Every innovation is unexplained. That is why we theorize. […] 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.
DAVID: If God dabbles, it precludes nothing.

If God dabbled every innovation and every natural wonder, cellular intelligence would have no part to play in any innovations or natural wonders. There would be no point in your God giving cells the intelligence to do their own designing if he did it all for them! Therefore my hypothetical cellular intelligence would preclude God having to do all the designing.