Re: [asa] Neo-Darwinism and God's action

As discussed, the definition of random is not being used consistently,
at the very least between Randy and Logan. The chapter by Keith
Miller and myself in Perspectives on an Evolving Creation has a bit
distinguishing between strict mathematical randomness (something best
described probabilistically), the more colloquial sense of things that
are humanly unpredictable (such as the weather, the course of history,
etc.), and lack of purpose or direction.

Similarly, Logan's call for detectability is problematic. What kind
of detection is in view? Intelligent guidance of a scientifically
random event may not be detectable scientifically, but it probably
would be detectable based on knowledge of the intelligent agent.
Likewise, we detect God's role in, e.g., radioactive decay, by knowing
about God's providence, not by looking for statistical anomalies in
the decay process.

-- 
Dr. David Campbell
425 Scientific Collections
University of Alabama
"I think of my happy condition, surrounded by acres of clams"
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