Trivialization of creation

[tpir]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070820/...rtificial_life

If finite mortals like us can create life out of non-life, what does that say about the nature of our existence?

If you are a believer, would our ability to create life affect your faith in the (allegedly) miraculous nature of our existence? Hint: it should.

[Phil153]

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"But them getting out and taking over, never in our imagination could this happen."

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Comments like this make me nervous.

[tpir]

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"But them getting out and taking over, never in our imagination could this happen."

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Comments like this make me nervous.

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Me too [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

By no means was I posting this because I think it is necessarily a good thing. I am indifferent for the time being since it could end up flopping miserably. The idea still has some wild existential implications. Are we living in a universe that someone else accidentally created in their universe while messing around with test tubes?

[bunny]

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"But them getting out and taking over, never in our imagination could this happen."

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Comments like this make me nervous.

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I found this equally worrying:

"Bedau said there are legitimate worries about creating life that could "run amok," but there are ways of addressing it, and it will be a very long time before that is a problem."

I hope it speaks more to the journalist's abilities rather than the scientist's.

[Matt R.]

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If you are a believer, would our ability to create life affect your faith in the (allegedly) miraculous nature of our existence? Hint: it should.

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No. Why should it?

[bluesbassman]

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If you are a believer, would our ability to create life affect your faith in the (allegedly) miraculous nature of our existence? Hint: it should.

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No. Why should it?

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There are some religionists who claim only "God" can create life from non-living matter. In fact, these creationists often allege that naturalistic theories of abiogenesis are contradicted by the fact that man has not (yet) synthesized life in the lab.

Perhaps you aren't one of those types of creationists.

[TimM]

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If you are a believer, would our ability to create life affect your faith in the (allegedly) miraculous nature of our existence? Hint: it should.

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Tons of "miracles" have been demystified over the years and nothing has changed for some. What's one more?

[tpir]

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If you are a believer, would our ability to create life affect your faith in the (allegedly) miraculous nature of our existence? Hint: it should.

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Tons of "miracles" have been demystified over the years and nothing has changed for some. What's one more?

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"Life can't come from non-life" is a common appeal to ignorance that religious people point to for a logical basis in their belief. Humans being able to whip up life from non-life seems like a pretty huge strike against that line of thinking, especially considering how far removed from omnipotence we are.

Good question though. I suppose there will always be new gaps to push God into and over.

[TimM]

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"Life can't come from non-life"

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I'm not sure this experiment would solve this problem. We create life from non-life all the time, every time we eat non-living material and incorporate it into new cells. What is the difference whether we do it inside of our bodies or outside? Some might simply say this strengthens the argument that the initial creation of life from non-life requires an intelligent designer. I would just say it doesn't quite prove anything either way as to whether life could come from non-life spontaneously.

[GoRedBirds]

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What is the difference whether we do it inside of our bodies or outside?

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In the body, cells grow and split from other cells. In the lab, these guys are going to create a living cell from ingredients. That's a huge difference.