Science vs. Religion (Chapter 3) (Humans)

by David Turell , Monday, June 06, 2011, 18:53 (4714 days ago) @ David Turell


> > > > I would have preferred a more firm discussion characterizing the nature of how science *really* works, and then discussing the interpretive nature that leads people (with different thought frameworks) down to differing conclusions. 
> > > 
> > > Fair enough, but I think that is beside the point for my book.
> 
> Actually the fact that I use different interpretations and conclusions from the same science is in the book. I haven''t taken the time to find it, but that is a necessary statement.- (Add: Just looked for the thought. Page 23 covers the issue as I discussed scientific findings very simply and indicated different interpretations were warrented.)
> > 
> > No... its fundamental. 
> > > > 
> > > > A relatively newer criticism I might have, is that clearly there had to be some kind
> > of selection going on. Yet, we know that at least once life appears, there's no need for direct intervention. (Though the bigger jump as dhw has often pointed out, is the jump from bacterial to multicellular, so the question of abiogenesis has two main prongs.) But we know that life as it is now evolves based on autonomous selection. Life uses what it has available to make changes under stress. This is a big "if," but this can be applied to before life as well. 
> 
> We don't know if selection occurred 'before' life started. That is a guess and implies atheism.
> > God may fill the gap as you say, but it still doesn't explain the "how," an ultimately more satisfying question. 
> 
> Agree
> 
> > 
> > See, and it's not purely atheistic at all. If you're already accepting a creator with limits, physical limits are a natural place to begin. Therefore there's no reason to assert that life started ex nihilo. 
> 
> And no reason to believe it did not.
> 
> > I really don't think that is debatable if you read "Real Earth" or "Privileged Planet". Life really requires "Earth conditions".
> > > 
> > 
> > I'm not convinced that we can be sure about things when we haven't set upon those places for study, though I will gladly add those books to the queue.
> > 
> > > Thank you for a very thorough and thoughtful review. I wish I had known you before and had both you and dhw as editors. I was my own editor, and dhw has spotted misspellings to my chagrin.