"Steve Dirickson" <[log in to unmask]> writes:

> I don't see it. Evolution provides an answer--that appears to be
> elegant, consistent, and complete--to "how"; I don't see anything
> anywhere in it that remotely tries to address "why". Which is why this
> "you must choose God or evolution" thing seems so stupid to me:
> allowing only one of them means that you'll always be "wrong", because
> you'll have only part of the answer.

Ah, but in the bigger picture of the answer to "Life, the Universe, and
Everything", it does indeed, because the "How" implies the "Why".  That is,
the mechanism used to generate life provides the purpose for that life.

Intelligent design theory (and, for the sake of this discussion, I include
creationism - Judeo-Christian or otherwise - in that theory) says that some
Creator, an outside force, purposely started life (at whatever level) on
this planet (there is some dissension about whether this Creator
continued/continues to direct the life it started).  This implies that the
Creator had a purpose for this life.  Most theologies are formed to discern
this purpose, which is usually some higher goal that lies outside mankind.
Thus we have the eight-fold path, the ten commandments, the Hammurabic Code,
etc. (ethical/moral laws) because adherents are trying to find out what
standard of conduct the Creator intended for its creation to meet.

Evolution says that there was no Creator, no outside force whatsoever, that
had any hand in creating life.  Life just began by pure, blind chance.  Not
only that, but each step up the evolutionary ladder was also the product of
pure, blind chance.  Since there is no purpose for the creation of life,
then there can be no standard of conduct for that life and one set of
standards is pretty much as good as any other.  There can be no
ethical/moral law, only a law of consensus or societal constraints that have
no absolutes to call upon.


Jim Phillips                           Information Systems Manager
Email: [log in to unmask]     Therm-O-Link, Inc.
Phone: 330-527-2124                         P. O. Box 285
Fax:   330-527-2123                           10513 Freedom Street
Web:   http://www.tolwire.com          Garrettsville, OH  44231

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