Miscellany: gaps in evolution cause discontinuity (General)

by David Turell , Saturday, June 26, 2021, 15:13 (1036 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: Why is it so important for you to have a God that allows cells to do their own designing not under His control? To reduce God's power? What else?

dhw: It is you who keep pretending that Shapiro’s theory is not what he says it is. Your questions completely miss the point not just of this discussion but of the forum in general. We are trying to find solutions to all the unsolved mysteries. One of them is how evolution works. Neither of us accepts Darwin’s random mutations. What are the alternatives? Your divine 3.8-billion-year-old programme for all innovations and solutions etc. is one. Your God incessantly dabbling to design every innovation, solve every problem, give courses in camouflage and nest-building and navigation and self-defence is another. Cellular intelligence, possibly designed by your God, is another. Nothing whatsoever to do with God’s power. If he exists, you have no more idea than I have about his nature, purpose, or method. But the object of all our discussions is to propose theories and discuss their likelihood.

DAVID: We have discussed and debated just as you describe. And we do it from two differing positions, so we don't reach lots of agreement. And that keeps the discussion going forward, and it must be of interest as it is being followed by a number of lurkers.

dhw: Unfortunately, the discussion doesn’t go forward. It goes round. But so long as you now accept that Shapiro’s theory of evolution is what both he and I say it is, and it is not designed to eliminate God or “reduce God’s power”, we can close this thread, which has diverged from its subject anyway.

We completely left the subject of gaps because of poor Shapiro. We do not agree on how to interpret him, but both of us recognize his rich research contributions.