[MD] Dawkins a Materialist (is watching?)

[pholden at davtv.com]

Quoting ARLO J BENSINGER JR <ajb102 at psu.edu>:


> [Arlo]
> "We exist so that we can exist" is a tautology. It is reducible to, simply, "We
> exist". This is not "active", this is passive.

At least you might quote me correctly. I said the purpose of life is to live,
not exist. To live is to act, even if it's getting in line for a handout. 

> By the way, you never answered this one either. Does a firefighter who
> sacrifices his life in an attempt to save another violate his "purpose"? If our
> "purpose" is simply "to live", then his actions are immoral, as the violate his
> very purpose. If not, why not?

And you've never explained how a universe emerges from nothing at all, and
how consciousness emerges from a lump of meat other than "We got lucky."  

> [Platt]
> Anyway, there's your magical "arising" or "emerging" again. In your world,
> things just happen for no reason at all.
> 
> [Arlo]
> Not at all, and if you'd read what's written (by both Case and myself) you'd
> know that. And if there is anything "magical" being proposed here, its your
> "supernatural being" who designs and creates us and gives us purpose.

So what's your reason for the universe and consciousness?

> [Platt]
> It's just good or bad luck, depending on the situation that "arises." Things
> oblivious to the world and purpose like atoms and neurons just happens to
> emerge into something that becomes conscious of the wold and exhibits purpose.
> 
> [Arlo]
> Ten billion years ago, Platt, where was the "design" for humans or platypi? Why
> were the dinosaurs for millions and millions of years with no people at all?
> Why did this "transcendent intelligence" not just make people from the start?
> Seems to me that were it not for many environmental and climate events
> (including a meteor collision) the world would still be inhabited by dinosaurs.
> Yes, I'd say we are lucky to be here. If billions of years ago, the one chunk
> of planetary debris went on a slightly different trajectory, and never hit the
> earth, there could very well be no people. Go figure.

Yep. Just dumb luck.

> [Platt]
> The rabbit comes out of the hat. Well, golly gee-whiz. It's magic!
> 
> [Arlo]
> Positing that God put the rabbit in the hat is just as magical, Platt.

Positing that God created the natural laws that resulted in rabbits, hats and
a million and one other patterns of existence at least makes sense based on
experience of how things are made.  





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