Re: Fwd: Alvin Plantinga's paper

Robin Mandell (rmandell@jpusa.chi.il.us)
Mon, 18 Jan 1999 10:44:31 -0600

At 08:29 AM 1/18/99 -0500, James Taggart wrote:
>Question:
>If you do not understand the theory of common descent, how can you justify
>applying the results of medical experiments on some animals to other
>animals. Just because some medicine works in a pig says nothing about how
>it might work in humans unless you assume that they work through the same
>mechanisms. If you don't have common descent, why would you think that the
>bodies worked in the same way?
>

I think this sort of testing makes sense in many origin systems. One
designer-many similar plans and basic parts-why not similar test results
though not instant cross application. Do tests that pass on animals always
pass on us? I have many products in my house where the red wire is positive
and the black is negative. When fixing them I start there. They are not
descended from some gradually growing blueprint. I not against descent just
the reason above didn't seem to fit.
Andrew