Innovation and Speciation: whale changes (Evolution)

by David Turell , Friday, May 19, 2017, 14:51 (2744 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: All of the discussion we have recently had has led to my realization that we clearly see adaptations to environment, but not speciation as a result of environment.

dhw: so let’s see where we stand today. The subject of this thread is the whale. Do you now believe that your God embarked on an eight-stage design of the pre-whale to allow it to enter a new environment? If so, do you still believe there is no link between speciation and the environment?

God managed the whale change from land to sea. Darwin-style evolution can't do it. Speciation first to allow this transfer of living environment.

DAVID: Since I believe that God created species my theories all fit together. That is what you do not see as credible.

dhw: And yet you do not know why your God made the pre-whale enter the water, why he designed it in eight stages, or why he wanted to design it in the first place although his one and only purpose was to design human beings.

In looking at the bush of life, I've consistently given you the answer you fully know: energy for life to continue until humans are evolved. To know 'why whales' I must enter God's mind. You know I can't.

dhw: And it’s not just species: you keep insisting that he also designed all the lifestyles and natural wonders, although his one and only purpose...etc. I’d better just repeat that we all know life requires energy, but as you have agreed many times, that is irrelevant to the main focus of your theory, which is that your God’s one and only purpose…etc., and everything else was related to that. And THAT is the theory that has you changing your mind day by day: God is/is not in total control; experimentation is/is not “off the reservation”; speciation is/is not connected with environmental change…If only you would modify your dogma to accommodate the POSSIBILITY that your God did NOT design everything, and/or did NOT gear the WHOLE of evolution to the SOLE purpose of creating humans, you wouldn’t get into this mess!

Your mess, not mine. Accept God and it all makes sense. God is in control, either with dabbles or not, with experimentation or not. We cannot know those details. My guess is most speciation is a drive to complexity, not environmental change. Recognize that statement from years ago? My basic thoughts at all consistent.