Re : virus: Re: virus-digest V1 #50

Hakeeb A. Nandalal (nanco@trinidad.net)
Thu, 17 Oct 1996 10:34:38 +0000


Reed Konsler wrote :-

> Religion is obviously very successful at propagating. It's like saying:
> what is the probability of life arising on Earth. Well, obviously, it's
> pretty damn near unity: given that we are having this conversation.

First of all I agree with you in principle that life on earth is a
product of evolution, however, your logic in the above example is flawed
since you've approached the problem using the anthropic principle. Let
me illustrate :-

Q: What is the probability of people being on Earth if a space-ship from
Alpha Centauri got lost a million years ago on its way to Mars but
crash-landed on Earth instead and the horny little green buggers
cross-bred with the Neanderthals and then left when they fixed their
ship?

A: Well, obviously, it's pretty damn near unity: given that we are
having this conversation.

Now if we alter our argument as follows :-

Q: What is the probability of life arising on Earth via evolution as
opposed to simply being created by a Supreme Being?

A: The probability of the former proposition is higher since there is
abundant physical evidence to support it while the latter is
"faith-based" meaning that it requires no proof other than blind
acceptance.

As a former ape, I thank you for your indulgence.

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* Hakeeb A. Nandalal *
* nanco@trinidad.net *
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