dhw: Evolution and humans: Neanderthal lungs larger (Evolution)

by David Turell , Saturday, November 24, 2018, 18:30 (2189 days ago) @ dhw

dhw: Yes, yes, every econiche requires and provides energy. The fact that it took 3+ billion years for humans to appear does not mean that every econiche, innovation, lifestyle and natural wonder extant and extinct was a stepping stone to humans!

You are trying to portray my use of the word 'steppingstone' to mean that each animal in each niche leads to humans. That is not what I have stated. They simply supply energy, while the evolutionary lines that lead to humans progresses through time. That line represents the only steppingstones as you refer to them.

DAVID: I have yet to see you present a logical purposeful activity of God.

dhw: Then let me yet again repeat my theistic hypothesis: that a single mind (your God) needs something to keep itself occupied. It therefore creates the mechanisms for life, reproduction and evolution as an ever changing spectacle, which it watches unfolding in different ways (diversity), perhaps occasionally dabbling when it feels like doing so. Although you don’t like it, that is a logical purposeful activity, which you have repeatedly agreed fits in with the history of life as we know it.

DAVID; Again, you dredge up the psychological concept of 'pass timing' applied to all humans. […] I've never agreed to that mechanism behind God's action. What I have agreed to is God acted to create life in the way you describe, not his possible motives for self-entertainment as the impetus.

dhw: And yet again you ignore the context of my response. You said I had never presented a logical purposeful activity of God (now bolded). I answered you, and so your response is to tell me you don’t believe it.

It is not that I don't believe: I've pointed out to you that you have introduced a human purpose for God to follow. You have discussed around the point. God is not human. I don't know that He needs entertainment and set up some for himself. I was referring to serious purpose but didn't make that clear.

DAVID: Remember I think God manages a controlled evolution. You are still partial Darwinist, while disavowing a portion of his theory, as in your hypothesis that some how minor adaptation shows organisms can perform major adaptations in major changes in environmental living conditions. That is pure Darwin wishful thinking.

dhw: The fact that you are convinced God manages a controlled evolution, with every innovation etc. preprogrammed or dabbled in advance of changing conditions and with humans as its goal, does not provide a single reason why the rest of us should believe you. Why do you mention Darwin, other than to divert attention from your illogical "stepping stones"? Yes, I am a “partial Darwinist”. So what? The concept of cellular intelligence as a driving force is neither pure Darwin nor wishful thinking. It is a hypothetical explanation of evolution based on research Darwin knew nothing about.

Your dependency on Darwin is shown by the fact that you still cling to an unproven theory behind the evolutionary mechanism he envisioned, that survivability plays a role in advancing evolution. Survivability did not make mammals take to water. All your theory is based on is cellular adaptability to changing stimuli, but the cells/organisms are not really a different form or species.