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To: William Terrell
Occam's Razor demands that the simplest explanation be accepted.

Occam's Razor is, in effect, a restatement of the principal of parsimony. It can be stated variously as -- one should not increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything -- or -- one should not make more assumptions than the minimum needed.

Since the reflection of these systems would imply an intelligent cause to a reasonable person observing the result, the simplest explanation is that it was created and guided.

Although creationists repeat on a regular basis that the "simplest explanation" is creation ex nihilo by a supernatural agent, and that this supposedly "simple explanation" is consistent with Occam's Razor, it is in fact a direct violation of Occam's Razor.

This "simple explanation" involves the introduction of an invisible, undefined, unexplained, and inexplicable entity -- thus adding (or superimposing) on that which is being explained an unnecessary entity or an additional assumption that is itself incapable of explanation.

722 posted on 04/06/2006 8:16:13 AM PDT by atlaw
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To: atlaw

To a creationist, simple means the quickest way to end inquiry.


726 posted on 04/06/2006 8:21:47 AM PDT by js1138 (~()):~)>)
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To: atlaw
And, you are coming close to hitting on the head the problem of "Natural Selection". It's certainly invisible, and it may involve being an eater, or being eaten, or maybe not at all (does DNA care if it's eaten?).

Gad.

748 posted on 04/06/2006 8:56:29 AM PDT by muawiyah (-)
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To: atlaw
This "simple explanation" involves the introduction of an invisible, undefined, unexplained, and inexplicable entity

Like the introduction of a aimless random force that bring organization from disorder?

758 posted on 04/06/2006 9:10:12 AM PDT by William Terrell (Individuals can exist without government but government can't exist without individuals.)
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To: atlaw

The principal of parsimony has not been empirically tested as a valid means of attaining objective knowlegde. IOW, the simplest explanation is not necessarily the truest one. Creationists have been accused of stifling scientific inquiry because they attribute the general organization and behavior of matter to an intelligent designer. In fact, it is evolutionists who throw up their hands and say "We don't know, and what cannot know, what is behind this mere 'appearance' of organization."


763 posted on 04/06/2006 9:14:35 AM PDT by Fester Chugabrew
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