Paul Davies: A Darwin skeptic confesses (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, March 20, 2020, 18:11 (1710 days ago) @ dhw

QUOTE: "From the Nobel Prize winning geneticist Barbara McClintock in the 1950s to the work of biologist James Shapiro recently retired from the University of Chicago, evidence is mounting that cells possess some level of cognitive ability allowing them to monitor their environments, detect potential danger, and alter their genomes in intentional ways to respond to environmental challenge. It is not clear how they do this, but it does speak to the possibility of some sort of mind at work in the evolutionary process. If this proves to be true, Darwinian evolution will quickly go the way of the dinosaur."

DAVID: Note the bold above. It encompasses my view of Shapiro. One can not get rid of the impression a mind is at work. The earlier bold is a description of my reason to covert to a belief in God. Try to resist the I D arguments if you read their books. No reason to.

dhw: I note the bold with joy, and am grateful as always for your integrity in quoting someone who explicitly supports Shapiro’s theory of cellular intelligence virtually in the same words as I have used myself, and in complete opposition to your claim that cells are mere automatons. Darwinian theory depends on random mutations (he never dreamed of cellular intelligence) and we have agreed right from the start that we do not accept that part of his theory. I have also accepted the logic of the ID argument right from the start. Our professor makes a point of the fact that this is not in itself religious, but of course as I keep pointing out there is no reason why one should not combine the ID argument and the cellular intelligence argument as evidence for the existence of God.

DAVID: Our difference in looking at the bolded proof is I see the words 'mind at work', as the key part of the quote, indicating God designed everything and is still at work.

dhw: I have no problem accepting the logic of the design argument. Now please take off your blinkers and look at the whole paragraph you have just quoted.

I know the entire quote and what possibility is raised is that a mind is at work as a result of the discussion. The obvious odds are 50/50, but only one possibility is correct. I've made my choice. And the author says: 'if true Darwin is gone". He's on my side, and he was quoted by the ID website with enthusiasm. All depends on your mindset how he is interpreted! Your blinkers are showing! One final point: McClintock and Shapiro were not allowed to keep their careers if God comes into view.