As I see it, the current discussion about the relation between theism, atheism and morality is bedeviled by two false and often unexamined assumptions. First, it is assumed that if an act is self-evidently wrong, then that counts against a theistic account of morality. Second, it is assumed that if a theistic account of morality is correct, moral injunctions must be derived from the fact that God exists. In support of the first assumption, it is sometimes argued that if an action (such as torturing babies) is self-evidently wrong, then not only theists but also atheists can recognize it as wrong – in which case, we can know that the action is wrong without having to invoke God’s will in Read More ›

WD400: Selection can sometimes favour mutations that break existing proteins. OK, so what? Comment, If not Rupe So what? 😯 1. if selection can select in favor of breaking of proteins, so why then do we presume selection favors creation of proteins? 2. selection can select against breaking of proteins, but that would be no proof selection was involved in the creation of the protein (see: Selection falsely called a mechanism when it should be called an outcome. A proteins necessity for survival does not mean selection was the mechanism of protein creation. 3. selection is mostly irrelevant to creation of new proteins (since most molecular evolution is free of selection) (see: Most evolution is free of selection, therefore Darwinism Read More ›

Truth, rationality, and morality under naturalism, are irrelevant commodities, in and of themselves. The naturalist’s (atheistic materialist’s) concern with truth, reason and morality are stolen obligations – obligations that are not derivable from naturalism. If minds are the computed product of physics, they output whatever they output.  There is no ideal form, perfection, or “truth” outside of what physics produces in any particular instance to compare what physics produces against.  Whatever any individual computation of physics outputs with the label “rational” attached is the natural limit of what can be termed “rational”.  There’s nothing the individual can compare it against; they are stuck with their own ruler and no means by which to check its length.  What is considered “true” Read More ›

Imagine that you saw a magnificent mansion and when you asked where it came from, you were shown a box of fantastic tools. Perhaps those fantastic tools were used to construct the mansion, but they don’t exactly answer your question. What about the construction materials, the workers, the design, and the construction process? Those unanswered questions are like the recent findings of how squids and octopuses control their image and color. Action potentials travel down the nerve to the synapse near the skin of the squid or octopus, the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is released and it sets off a sequence of events in special cells. Special proteins are phosphorylated, they congregate, the cell membrane folds in on itself, water is transported, the cell’s Read More ›