Humans, Dogs and oxytocin (Introduction)

by David Turell , Sunday, September 27, 2015, 13:56 (3131 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: I'm not irrational about God. He might be able to do anything He wants. You are the doubting one, but then you are agnostic, and full of doubt.
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> dhw: The irrationality lies in your interpretation of your God's methods and intentions: the hypothesis that he can do anything he wants does not lend any credence to the theory that he specially designed the weaverbird's nest as part of his plan to produce humans. Ditto the billions of other innovations and organisms and lifestyles extinct and extant.-I look at what has been produced as life progresses from bacteria onward and have offered a balance of nature to allow for a supply of energy to the survivors of red in tooth and claw. I look for the purpose behind what is seen. All you seem to see is a complex bush of life inventing whatever with no purpose.-> dhw: Anything he wants would also cover an autonomous intelligence enabling organisms to design their own nests and to pursue their own purposes, succeeding or failing, regardless of humans. -Again, to what purpose? Or perhaps purpose as a possibility is to be ignored?
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> http://www.evolutionnews.org/2015/09/controlling_blo099611.html
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> dhw: We have long ago rejected that side of Darwin's theory. Once more: It is your own anthropocentric account of your God's intentions and methods that is in dispute here.-And I look for purpose.
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> dhw: The article quotes Malcolm Muggeridge: "I myself am convinced that the theory of evolution, especially to the extent to which it has been applied, will be one of the greatest jokes in the history books of the future. Posterity will marvel that so very flimsy and dubious an hypothesis could be accepted with the incredible credulity it has."”
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> The whole theory? Will the world be converted to Creationism? Muggeridge may well have been right about “the extent to which it has been applied” - my Dawkins quote is enough to illustrate that - but there seems little sign that the world regards as flimsy and dubious the theory that all forms of life except the first have descended from earlier forms. That is the meaning of evolution, and even Muggeridge's Catholic religion has accepted it.-Remember, I've accepted evolution only if guided by God. This removes Darwin whose theory explains nothing.