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To: James C. Bennett
random genetic mutations will occasionally occur

I'm curious about the word here "random". If I remember correctly;

Science is deterministic - there are causes for events, we don't live in a random universe.

Secondly, random is a subjective quality - 6397204 may be a random number to you, but it's not to me. In other words, you cannot look at it or analyze it, and say objectively - that is random.

I'd appreciate your thoughts on this.

243 posted on 01/17/2011 10:51:50 AM PST by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
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To: D-fendr; kosta50; stormer
Science is deterministic - there are causes for events, we don't live in a random universe.

Secondly, random is a subjective quality - 6397204 may be a random number to you, but it's not to me. In other words, you cannot look at it or analyze it, and say objectively - that is random.

I'd appreciate your thoughts on this.

You are right, every event has a cause, but what I meant by my use of the word 'random' was that there is no specific intent ("intelligent design," if you will) on the part of the forces that were involved in causing the referred event to occur (i.e., the series of DNA segments to combine / split off / alter). In other words, when you come across a plant in the crack on the middle of a wide road, did "intelligent design" cause the elements (the heat of the Sun, the rain, the snow, etc.) to produce a crack on the road of specific dimensions, that later allowed dirt to accumulate, just so that a seed could fall onto it and produce the plant from it? Or did 'randomness' have a part to play? It would be better to substitute 'randomness' with 'unintended consequences of natural forces,' perhaps.

246 posted on 01/17/2011 11:03:26 AM PST by James C. Bennett
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To: D-fendr
we don't live in a random universe

It's funny that you assume that.

248 posted on 01/17/2011 11:07:05 AM PST by MrB (The difference between a (de)humanist and a Satanist is that the latter knows who he's working for.)
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