Viv, you are getting warmer and warmer. You're nearly there.
Viv: it would require the complete knowledge of all life everywhere for all of time.
Here you are talking of God, don't you know?
in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?
as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.
there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.
Viv, you are getting warmer and warmer. You're nearly there.
Viv: it would require the complete knowledge of all life everywhere for all of time.
Here you are talking of God, don't you know?
in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?
as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.
there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.
Not even one example? Not even a little one? Well, my rule stands then. Let's leave God out of the equation for the moment. This is the way nature works, whether you like it or not. In actual fact, my rule can be viewed as a law. A "law" implies a statement of order and relation in nature that has been found to be invariable under the same conditions (e.g., the law of gravitation). See Webster.
in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?
as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.
there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.
Viv, my rule says: Life begets life. Life brings forth life. That's the evidence before me. Please, would you be so kind as to let me know of any example, where that is not the case. Thank you in anticipation.
in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?
as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.
there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.
It's a rule from personal experience. This is what I see in nature. So far I have not seen anything else to contradict the rule, so I stick with it.
in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?
as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.
there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.
No Cofty, I don't believe the spirit or life force in a living organism is mysterious at all. While all the processes in your body function as they should, you are alive. When one or more fail, you die. God is the source of life in the sense that he originated and kickstarted all the processes that sustain life. The organism must take it from there, supplying nutrients and water to keep the said processes going.
I go for the rule: Life begets life. In addition, man has been bequeathed with a magnificent brain, superior to the animals. In that sense man was made in God's image. If God could create life, so could man. It's just a question of time. The question is: Would he be allowed the time to do it?
in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?
as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.
there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.
Cofty, with the speed of technological advancement and regular scientific breakthroughs, nothing is impossible. The sky is the limit. But I am not sure man is going to be allowed to go all the way. Then he would be a god. And with being a god, comes responsibility. Man has proved his irresponsibility over and over again. So yes, it's not impossible, but I don't see mankind being allowed the leeway to develop to such an extent that he becomes a danger to himself and all living things on the planet. Is it Chris Rea that sang: "The Road to Hell." If man carres on the way he's going, we will end up in a Mad Max scenario. Not sure whether that was what God had in mind. Somehow, I don't think so.
in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?
as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.
there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.
And here's the life cycle.
in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?
as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.
there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.
Ruby, as stated before in this thread, I believe its our definition of death are due for a drastic makeover. Some view viruses as encapsulated rogue DNA/RNA strands, but they are much more than that. Though inert, they are alive alright. As you said, their potential functionalism should define their living or dead status.
Because they can only make use of the equipment of living cells to replicate themselves, they are called obligatory intracellular parasites. Here are some illustrations of a T-even bacteriophage (host: E. coli) and its life cycle. It resembles a syringe, somewhat more complicated than our plastic variety, and is species specific. Again the chicken and egg question: Which of the two came first?
I find it hard to imagine that it would develop spontaneously by itself. Before anyone asks: Yes, I do believe viruses were designed and that with a fully functional, optimally tuned immune system, one would be able to resist any viral or bacterial attack.
in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?
as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.
there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.
Cofty, I cannot work the process of evolution into my present worldview for various reasons. But to be honest, finding life on Mars as well as demonstrating, in a lab, how life started from A-Z, would effectively demolish my present worldview and I would have to start the reconstruction process in all earnestness. But we are not there yet. Even if it could be done which I strongly doubt, then it would not be in my life time, I am reasonably sure of that.
in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?
as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.
there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.
Hi Viv, where have you been hiding? Good to hear from you. The wannabee microbiologist is again at your service.
Interesting for a guy on psychedelic mushrooms to know man will reach a point in future where he is able to destroy his earthly home. It’s called prophecy, don’t you know? The little swallow knows not to defecate in his nest, a lesson man has not learnt as yet, especially now in the nuclear age.
However,
if vermin and insects invade your home and are in the process of destroying it, you get in pest control to get rid of them. Remember “Apocalypse Now!” and
the general standing on the beach, saying: “I love the smell of napalm in the
morning.” I, again, find solace in the words,
“and to destroy those who are destroying the earth” (Rev. 11:18 NJB).