Miscellany (General)

by dhw, Monday, April 26, 2021, 08:50 (1305 days ago) @ David Turell

Homo luzonensis
dhw: It is YOUR analysis of your God’s purposes and goals that do not fit my human logic. Even you have agreed that my alternatives are logical, and you yourself have no idea why your God would have chosen your version of his method (designing 99% of life forms unconnected to humans) in order to achieve your version of his sole purpose (to design humans).

DAVID: Your humanized God fits your theories, and as I've previously pointed out, given the personality your God seems to have, are then logical within that context.

dhw: Thank you. That logic is in stark contrast to your own theory, in which you have no idea why your own humanized God….see the bold above.

DAVID: You are so blind to your humanizing of God, you fully misinterpret my view of a non-human God.

As I have shown, your God is as humanized as my various alternatives, and in any case that does not provide a logical explanation of the theory bolded above. What have I misinterpreted?

Some ant brains shrink and grow
DAVID: Not all ants do this. Using my thoughts about how God does it, dabble.

dhw: So are we to conclude that God’s one and only purpose was to produce the Indian jumping ant? Or is the Indian jumping ant’s special brain a vital ingredient of our food supply?

DAVID: Usual reply. They play a role in their own ecosystem.

dhw: Of course. So does every life form. But you seem to have forgotten that according to you, your God deliberately designed this particular brain, and according to you, all his designs were “part of the goal of evolving [=specially designing] humans” (and their food supply). Please tell us the connection.

DAVID: Remember, I have? One new stage's complexity always builds on the past developments.

But evolution branched out into vast numbers of twigs and branches, 99% of which had no connection with humans. Please tell us why he had to specially design this particular ant brain and also our new friend azhdarchid pterosaur in order to design H. sapiens and our food supply.

Carbon cycle bacterial contribution
dhw: I find the above quote [concerning the way bacteria emit carbon] a little perplexing. I thought that one of the major problems world leaders were currently grappling with was something called “global warming”, Please tell us what clever plan you think your God is hatching.

DAVID: Changes in Earth temperature is part of a never ending cycle. In a freezing universe, warm is better. God planned well for a warm Earth.

dhw: So a) why did he subject it to periods of freezing – or do you think he lost control? – and b) why is better for life to be destroyed by excess heat than by excess cold?

DAVID: I think all part of God's plan for the current Earth with full civilization. Note homo sapiens survived during the recent freezes.

Do you believe that your God foresaw the current and future disasters being caused by our “full civilization” and exacerbated by the bacteria he deliberately designed to increase the amount of carbon in the air? This a serious question in the light of your particular “humanized” view of your God.

Introducing the brain: all human brains don't react the same
DAVID: Our plastic brain allows us to not be cutout copies of each other.

dhw: No doubt the same applies to many of our fellow creatures. Why single out humans?

DAVID: Don't have to. Our horses are all different in personality.

So why single out humans?

How viruses might fit in.
DAVID: Since I think God designed life, I must accept God also designed viruses and used them in advancing evolution.

And so logically you should also believe (I dislike your use of "accept", as it always implies some sort of objective truth) that since according to you he designed them and is always in full control, he used them to cause immense suffering and death. Or perhaps you might consider the possibility that he designed them and bacteria, and then left them to create the great free-for-all that led to the vast diversity of life forms past and present, the latest of which is H. sapiens.