Wings

DR. JAMES ADAMS jadams at Carpet.dalton.peachnet.edu
Thu Sep 10 15:24:35 EDT 1998


Dear Mark and listers,

Mark Walker wrote:

> 	I apologize for the editorial remark.  I still feel that way, but
> I'll be sure and keep it to myself next time.  NOT. 

Apology not necessary, but accepted anyway.  And I'm glad you won't 
keep things to yourself (I haven't noticed this being a problem for 
you!).  That would defeat the whole purpose of the discussion list 
after all, and I love your field reports!

> As far as I'm
> concerned, the miracle of metamorphosis is just one of many very convincing
> evidences of divine purpose, a thing that John Grehan has not embraced -
> yet. 

I am *not* convinced of divine purpose in this, and feel that divine 
purpose is a separate issue anyway.  Also, I must admit that I'm not  
certain from John's remarks that he embraces much *purpose* in 
anything!  His questions seem more metaphysical than anything else.

> 	Mutation a "creative force"?  I think not.  A decay of order, a
> jumbling of information, a mistake of nature.  Left to its own, the result
> would be chaos, an eventual decline of life as we know it.  Isn't this a
> scientific position?  Aren't all of the laws of physics in agreement?

This is apparently the point where Mark and I differ the most.  Since 
mutations are *random*, *most* do result in a jumble of information 
that doesn't do an organism any good whatsoever.  But random does 
carry with it the possibility that new proteins could then be made by 
an organism that couldn't make these proteins before, and these 
proteins could be beneficial.  This does *not* go against the laws of 
physics.  Indeed, if life is made "better" by one of these mutations 
then it would go against the laws of physics if these mutations were 
not *maintained* in the population.
 
>. . . Remember that we are talking about millions and millions 
> > of years here.
> > 
> 	"We" are not.

I could make some comment here about how impossible it should be for   
intelligent people *not* to believe that the earth is very old,
but . . .
               
                  James


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