Re: There are more things in our heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophies
@Jtom:
"I am not particularly religious and I have a strong background in science (masters, physics and astronomy) Mutations and evolutionary changes quite obviously take place, but something else is going on, too. What, I cannot say."
I love science too. So much fun and so amazing. What is most amazing is that every question answered brings more questions. You say something else is going on too, but that is a pointless question as it means nothing. Something is always going on and science is looking for the answers. Religion gives answers based on make believe. If you follow science then you look for the truth and fact which is then accepted world wide although it will likely be tested worldwide too. If you follow religion it depends on what stories the people around you believe.
"In the human immune system, a multitude of mutations would be required, in the correct sequence, none of which would provide any benefit to the organism until the complete system was developed."
I do hate the term 'in the correct sequence' as it forgets there is more than one way to skin a cat. What is the right answer? If you mistakenly think this is the 'right' answer (e.g. the immune system) then you are wrong. You are wrong because you are human. Not only human but the current evolution of man. You could just as easily been a dog, fish, single cell or even just some non sentient construct of particles. Or not even that.
You see the world the way you do because this is the way the world turned out. Yet through the various possibilities this is but one possibility. Our current state is the state we ended up in, it is not the only possibility.
"Random mutations like that would be like individual stones in an avalanche landing to form a keystone arch (please don't enlighten me with the fact that there are natural arches - they are usually formed from a single stone and none are keystone arches)."
What is the probability of it happening? Probably extremely small. So break it down. What needs to happen? Stone of the right sizes/shapes (many possible sizes and shapes could do it). Then they need one of many slopes to cause the fall correctly (complex and many possibilities to do this). The problem with an avalanche is the construction would likely be destroyed by the following debris but a temporary construction is more likely. And how big is the universe and what is the availability of these conditions? Add to that an unknown but large span of time for these things to happen. Compare that to the huge number of one in a million events which happen every day (one in a billion etc) and you find that possibility opens up. More time and more resources eventually leads to the very small and almost but not quite impossible probability.
"As I said, I am not particularly religious, but the theory of evolution does not come close to explaining how things came to be. Something else is going on. There is much left to discover."
Remove all of that line but the last part. There is much to discover. There is a huge universe to be measured in ways we cannot yet think of to understand processes we are currently ignorant of or unable to comprehend. Dont fall for the trap of the easy answer. Dont assume the religion just as you dont assume we know it all. Look for the truth, look for the facts.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
