JohnW
Posts: 3217
Joined: Aug. 2006
|
| Quote (dheddle @ Nov. 04 2009,12:10) | | I sort of find the resistance to the PP argument strange. After all there are ~10^22 planets in the observable universe. If life is rare, then any planet supporting life is indeed privileged—and yet because of such big numbers there needn’t be any theological significance to our planet being privileged. It appears to me that the mere possibility (personally I believe it is true) that our planet possesses a rare confluence and that this might be co-opted for theological purposes should play no role in the scientific discussion. |
I actually agree with this, dheddle. Life does appear to be rare, based on what we've observed*. It's the theological speculation arising from that fact which I have issues with. I don't think "life can only arise in circumstances in which life can arise" tells us anything either way about the existence of a creator, never mind what the creator's intentions might have been.
* The usual caveat about all science being provisional applies here. In this case, it's a twenty-foot-tall, forty-ton caveat. With knobs on.
--------------
Math is just a language of reality. Its a waste of time to know it. - Robert Byers
There isn't any probability that the letter d is in the word "mathematics"... Â The correct answer would be "not even 0" - JoeG
|
