Biological complexity: misfolded protein problems (Introduction)

by David Turell , Thursday, September 14, 2017, 01:29 (2628 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: God knew the universe and the Earth he created had dangerous aspects. He gave us a brain to try to solve those problems.

dhw: So did God deliberately create a dangerous universe so that humans could solve the problems? Or was he incapable of producing a universe that wasn’t dangerous? If it’s the former, he did produce a fallible system purposely. If it’s the latter, he is not in full control.

DAVID: We've visited this before. I believe God created the best life-creating universe He could. A much more benign universe might not have been capable of supporting life. For example, exploding stars scattered the proper newly formed elements around the universe. Plate tectonics on earth cause earthquakes but are shown to be vital for life on Earth. I've just touched on hundreds of examples of this approach to what or how God did it.

“The best he could”...You are definitely limiting his powers. "Might not have been capable of supporting life"...But on the other hand, might have been. You think his prime purpose was to produce the human brain, which he gave us to do what? Solve the problems he couldn’t solve? The same question arises under “Immunity”:

I don't know if God can create a perfect universe, or should. It may be, as above, that our universe has to be as it is to allow for life. That is a finer point than you are allowing for in regard to God's powers.

DAVID’s comment: Finding just the right organic molecule to fight viruses cannot be left to chance. Since viruses constantly are invading, survival depends upon an immediate solution to the problem. It must be designed from the beginning.

dhw: Why would your God have designed viruses and at the same time designed molecules to fight viruses, especially when his prime purpose was to produce the human brain? Your answer basically seems to be that he had to do whatever he did because it couldn’t be done any other way. So he was always in control except when he wasn’t. I’m sure this will be of great consolation to the victims of viral diseases, pandemics, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and hurricane Irma. But your theistic explanation and mine both make sense: yours, that with his limited powers (though he's sometimes all-powerful) this was the best he could do; mine, he chose to do it this way because perfection would have been boring.

There are lots of things we do not know about the origin of life and how speciation works. Viruses may also be good guys and help with speciation. They do add to our DNA. God's limits may be dictated by His goals, as those goals might require the way the universe and Earth work. Perfection may not be the solution.