Re: Cambrian Explosion

From: Howard J. Van Till (hvantill@chartermi.net)
Date: Tue Jul 22 2003 - 12:12:09 EDT

  • Next message: RFaussette@aol.com: "Re: Clarification -- Re: Dawkins dissembles?"

    >From: <richard@biblewheel.com>

    > I'm still at a loss to understand why C-12 would be any different than the
    > other elements.

    You're correct, it's not.

    > I understand its centrality in the formation of Life, but I
    > do not understand why the IDers wouldn't just solve this problem by
    > asserting the evolution of elements through natural processes as a
    > *consequence* of fine-tuning the universe.

    In fact, that's the ID strategy for inanimate things like C-12. But to do
    that, however, they have to change the meaning of their key tern,
    "intelligent design." To put it as succinctly as possible, for inanimate
    things and fine-tuning the ID argument is, "If the RFEP is true, then the
    universe was 'intelligently designed' (meaning #1)." In the case of living
    organisms, however, the ID argument is just the opposite, "If the RFEP is
    false, then some living things must have been 'intelligently designed'
    (meaning #2)." Heads I win, tails you lose.

    > It seems very strange to assert
    > that C-12 has to be "intelligently designed" especially in light of the fact
    > that we could produce in the lab....

    ID doesn't actually say that. It is the critics who ask the question about
    C-12 to demonstrate the inconsistency in the rhetoric. (see previous answer)

    Howard Van Till



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Tue Jul 22 2003 - 12:13:52 EDT