Back to theodicy and David's theories (The nature of a \'Creator\')

by dhw, Wednesday, May 19, 2021, 09:19 (1074 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: You have repeated your same tired complaints. I don't ignore them. I don't pretend. I totally disagree and view the process of evolution in a totally different way than you do. I believe in God and believe He ran the process of evolution by designing each new step. God is not a strawman.

dhw: And you have repeated your same tired evasions. When have I ever said God is a straw man, and when have I ever questioned your belief in God? Even your belief that he “designed each new step” is not in itself the problem, though it is sometimes hard to reconcile it with your belief in common descent. The “tired complaint” is your continued refusal to recognize the fact that your belief in your God’s specially designing every single life form etc. on every single branch of life’s great bush, also illogically entails every one of them being “part of the goal of evolving [=specially designing] humans” and their food supply, although 99% of those life forms etc. had no connection with humans or our food supply.

DAVID: We disagree on how to interpret the process of evolution from the position a belief in God. I have reached a logical conclusion God must exist, you haven't. So we begin our discussion from two different mindsets. Not surprising we will never agree. I have intention to change my viewpoint for yours. Remember, I view your agnosticism as illogical, but I don't ask you to change.

You know perfectly well that I am NOT disputing your belief in God, but am disputing the above bolded theory. Every alternative theory of evolution that I have offered is theistic. Please stop dodging the issue.

DAVID: I won't change my developed views of God and how He designed evolution. You have every right to imagine any form of God you wish. I do not recognize your description of God's thinking as representing the vision of God I have. Accept that we fully disagree.

dhw: Of course my various alternatives (all of which you agree fit in logically with life’s history) present different visions of God and his thinking, and you also have every right to imagine any form of God you wish. The purpose of this forum is to discuss all views and to test their likelihood. That is what we are doing, but the process is not helped by straw men and evasions.

DAVID: Same answer as above. We do not interpret the process of evolution in similar ways. My view of God is hands on and designing each step.

This is not the same answer as above, because above you were pretending that we were discussing the existence of God, as if my alternative theories did not allow for his existence. I understand your Creationism. What I do not understand is why you believe that your God designed every life form on every branch of the bush of life as part of his one and only goal of designing humans, although 99% of them had no connection with humans. You have no idea why he would have chosen such a method to achieve such a purpose, but you will stick to your illogical interpretation of his purpose and method and you reject any logical alternatives. We should leave it at that.