Biological complexity: misfolded protein problems (Introduction)

by David Turell , Monday, September 11, 2017, 17:55 (2630 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: You are a stickler for an exact meaning of words. I've modified my original statement with what I've said above. And yes, He recognized the mistakes that can happen in a high speed biologic mechanism so He designed corrective mechanisms, but I'll agree, biologic mechanisms cannot be absolutely perfect, since we see mistakes.

dhw: Words are the only instruments we have for expressing our opinions and beliefs, but I am also a stickler for logic, and I can see no logical coherence between your belief in an all-powerful God and the mistakes that happen not only in a high speed biological mechanism but in every other system he has designed. (As a physician you don’t need me to describe those relating to bodies!) Wearing my theist hat, I have suggested that if he is all-powerful, the mistakes are not mistakes at all, but the result of his deliberately inventing a fallible system because a perfect system would be boringly predictable. Once again, you have omitted to comment on this perfectly logical reconciliation between the all-powerful God and the “mistakes” that permeate the system he designed.

Under my discussions of theodicy in my first book I made exactly your point. God knew the universe and the Earth He created had dangerous aspects. He gave us a brain to try to solve those problems. But I don't think the high speed movements and reactions of biochemical molecules, as independent operatives, can be expected to be error free. That is why corrective cleanup measures were designed on top of the reproductive systems. To do the perfect system you desire, God has to be in personal control of each molecule. I doubt He is. He did not produce a fallible system purposely. He gave us our brain to attempt solutions for errors, and we are now manipulating the genome.