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Wednesday, November 19, 2008 12:00 AM

God enough

We should see the ceaseless creativity of nature as sacred, argues biologist Stuart Kauffman, despite what Richard Dawkins might say.

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  • Wednesday, November 19, 2008 10:27 AM

    Poodle Drop Pantheist

    Nature has patterns inherent in itself, and this does not mean it was designed by something outside of itself. The sun 'coming up' every day is not proof of intelligent design - it is only proof of several laws of nature. Is gravity proof of god? Or proof of ... gravity?

    The earth was turning long before we developed. Animals have consiousness, and we have more consciousness. We are the very conscious animal, but animal nevertheless. Life has only the meanings we give it, as the existentialists say. There is nothing inherently meaningful in it, except the hoped-for joys of existence, which are not inherent in human society or nature either, as we know.

    Your 'relgion' seems more positivism - the cheery voice of the 'can do' American, the power of positive thinking, the complacency of wealth. I just read Jack London's "People of the Abyss" about humdreds of thousands of working class people in the east end of London without food, shelter, jobs, health care - at the height of the English Empire in the 1800s. Suicide was very common. Unfortunately, the 'joy' of existence was not theirs - as it is not for many on this globe today. Unless, of course, misery is just part of the 'intelligent design?' Then what a clock-maker we have!

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