On Sun, 12 Sep 1999 14:57:00 EDT, Biochmborg@aol.com wrote:
[...]
>SJ>It is *almost impossible* to get TE/ECs "to carefully explain what
>>they TRULY believe" regarding TE/EC and how "what they believe
>>differs from broad philosophical evolutionism.
GM>Stephen might find it easier if he simply asked. Personally, I am always
>glad to explain what I believe to anyone who requests it, but since my
>beliefs are personal and I do not expect others to agree with them, I do not
>explain them uninvited, as if I expected everyone to adopt them. In this one
>situation, however, I will make an exception. I simply wish to make clear
>that these are my personal beliefs, and I do not expect anyone else to either
>accept them or even agree with them.
>
>I also call upon others to take up Stephen's challenge and submit posts under
>this subject heading that explain what each of you "'TRULY believe" regarding
>TE/EC and how "what [each of you] believe differs from broad philosophical
>evolutionism."
Thanks to Kevin for this statement which I have read carefully. I do not intend
to comment on it at this stage, except to say that it sounds like a form of
Deistic Evolution.
It is sufficient for my argument that Kevin's calling on other Reflectorites to "explain
what each of you `TRULY believe'" disconfirms Loren's claim that:
LH>Most (if not all) TE/ECs on this Reflector take great pains, again and
>again, to carefully explain what they TRULY believe, and to explain how
>what they believe differs from broad philosophical evolutionism.
[...]
Steve
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"I do not think that Darwinism can explain the origin of life. I think it quite
possible that life is so extremely improbable that nothing can `explain' why
it originated; for statistical explanation must operate, in the last instance,
with very high probabilities. But if our high probabilities are merely low
probabilities which have become high because of the immensity of the
available time (as in Boltzmann's `explanation'; see text to note 260 in
section 35), then we must not forget that in this way it is possible to
"explain" almost everything. Even so, we have little enough reason to
conjecture that any explanation of this sort is applicable to the origin of
life." (Popper K.R., "Unended Quest: An Intellectual Autobiography",
[1974], Open Court: La Salle, Ill., Revised Edition, 1982, p167)
Stephen E. Jones | sejones@iinet.net.au | http://www.iinet.net.au/~sejones
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