Evolution and Genesis

[SoonerCoug]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

If you believe in the "man is in God's image" premise, then I'd be curious how you can mathematically justify the cumulative sum of random mutations producing a person in God's image was a mathematical certainty.

The answer is a clockmaker God, if you read my above post.

This also depends on what exactly God's image is. Does God have a belly button? Is he right- or left-handed? Does He have an appendix? We already know that He doesn't even have blood, so we aren't EXACTLY in His image, right?

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by SoonerCoug

All mutations are random and easy to describe mathematically.

What mutations are selected for is also ultimately random, but selection depends on much more complex interactions that are more difficult to describe mathematically.

But if you envision a "clock maker" God who knows the result of any given set of circumstances, then you could conclude that the human body is the result of a set of circumstances that he knew would lead to a certain outcome. I think the important point is that God breathed a "soul" into our physical forms.

Our intelligence has always existed, even before the birth (creation) of our spirit. The spirit breathed into a human body creates a soul ... a soul consists of two parts; body and spirit

[Tex]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

If you believe that mankind is in the image of God, meaning we have the same anatomical features, then it is mathematically impossible to conclude that a myriad of "random" mutations over the course of billions of years would produce a life form that ended up looking like the guy that set the oven to 450 degrees and went out for a very long walk.

This kinda reminds me of the infinite monkey theorem.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by SoonerCoug

The answer is a clockmaker God, if you read my above post.

This also depends on what exactly God's image is. Does God have a belly button? Is he right- or left-handed? Does He have an appendix? We already know that He doesn't even have blood, so we aren't EXACTLY in His image, right?

I didn't say EXACTLY. Are you going honestly to argue randomness with a statistician?

[SoonerCoug]

Originally Posted by tooblue

Our intelligence has always existed, even before the birth (creation) of our spirit. The spirit breathed into a human body creates a soul.

Spirit and soul are sometimes used interchangeably. We don't have a soul without a spirit anyway, so it doesn't make that big of a difference. It's just semantics.

[SoonerCoug]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

I didn't say EXACTLY. Are you going honestly to argue randomness with a statistician?

Are you familiar with population genetics, hardy-weinberg equilibrium, and mutation rates for DNA polymerases?

I assure you that evolution is genuinely mathematical and that mutations are genuinely random. Selection for certain mutations can also be mathematically modeled with ease.

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by SoonerCoug

I think you're missing the point that evolution truly is a science that can be described mathematically.

Not the evolution as currently studied and taught. All science is ever changing, for truth is relative, therefore despite some mathematical evidence evolution is merely a theory that ultimately will be replaced.

[SoonerCoug]

Originally Posted by tooblue

Not the evolution as currently studied and taught. All science is ever changing, for truth is relative, therefore despite some mathematical evidence evolution is merely a theory that ultimately will be replaced.

That's like calling gravity a theory. You know that if you jump off a building that you're going to hit the ground. That's what evolution and natural selection are. They are plain and simple and beautiful--and they explain everything.

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by SoonerCoug

Spirit and soul are sometimes used interchangeably. We don't have a soul without a spirit anyway, so it doesn't make that big of a difference. It's just semantics.

I don't agree -it is a powerful distinction. Without the body the spirit cannot progress. Progression is the purpose of existence.

[SoonerCoug]

Originally Posted by tooblue

I don't agree -it is a powerful distinction. Without the body the spirit cannot progress. Progression is the purpose of existence.

OK, fine. I'm trying to talk about biology here.

Explain to me why evolution will be replaced.