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Post by Josh on Jan 26, 2011 17:17:50 GMT -8
If life could be created in the lab artificially (and it looks like scientists are very close), what implications (if any) does that have for the Christian worldview?
Any opinions?
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Post by freebirdro on Jan 26, 2011 20:55:44 GMT -8
No big deal to me, I think they can copy, grow or modify life.
It kind of reminds me of one guy that said:''How can u believe in God? The man invented the TV." Silly.
If they can create life from absolutely nothing and can prove that there was really nothing there when they began, I will not believe it and secondly I will think that they are working with Satan, unless they say Jesus is their Lord.
By the way what kind of ''miracles'' do you think we can expect from Satan?
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Michael
Intermediate Member
Posts: 68
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Post by Michael on Jan 27, 2011 18:36:53 GMT -8
(and it looks like scientists are very close) What, did you hear that on NPR? ;D www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127010591Here are the implications as I see them: It took intelligent designers 16 years to create one living cell in the laboratory. If they really did it. I always like to wait for the once front page story to end up being debunked on page A17 of the newspaper a few months later. Cynical, I am.  To my mind, this proves that it takes an intelligent designer to create life! Now if the scientists left a disorganized, lifeless laboratory one day, and walked into the lab to find a living cell on a petri dish the next day, that deserves to be front page news!  |
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Post by Josh on Jan 27, 2011 21:03:28 GMT -8
No, I actually read about it in anReasons to Believe (Hugh Ross' organization) newspaper. One of their authors, Fuz Rana, is writing a book on the subject. I suspect he's going to develop an argument along the lines of yours.
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Post by stevekimes on Jan 28, 2011 8:57:47 GMT -8
So they finally have a copy machine for life. Just because someone can publish someone else's work doesn't mean that they deserve any credit for the creative process.
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Post by Kirby on Jan 28, 2011 11:24:24 GMT -8
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Post by Josh on Jan 28, 2011 11:30:46 GMT -8
I hear and share your sentiments, but there are other possible implications.
For instance, if true life can be created from non-living material by scientists, then the creation of life is a rational process, not breaking any rules of the cosmos. My point here is that it would be a vindication of viewing the "miracle of creation" as not a breaking of rules (I'm not fond of the idea that miracles break any "rules") but God working within his own created system.
It also would could back up the idea that God made living creatures from non-living material or from other species.
However, it would also give materialists a bit more confidence in their faith claim that with the right conditions and materials, life could have spontaneously arisen. Of course, as some of you are pointing out, we would at least now now how hard it would be for life to do so- and we might possibly be able to come close to ruling out it happening without a guided hand.
Switching gears slightly, what ethical dilemmas do you think the creation of life in the lab bring?
What if scientists were able to create a synthetic human? Would said human have a soul/ spirit?
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Post by stevekimes on Jan 28, 2011 13:42:42 GMT -8
If it looks like a human and acts like a human then we should treat it as a human. Especially since human design would simply be a copy of God's design. It is the image that must be respected, not the concept of a soul.
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Post by Josh on Jan 28, 2011 17:24:58 GMT -8
Are you trying to tell me you don't believe in a soul/ spirit?  Perhaps one of your heterodox views? |
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Post by Josh on Jan 28, 2011 17:34:01 GMT -8
This got me thinking- this begs the question, how should we treat humans who don't look or act like they are humans?  |
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Post by stevekimes on Jan 28, 2011 22:20:53 GMT -8
How does a human not act like a human? How does a human not look like a human?
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Post by Josh on Jan 29, 2011 13:20:30 GMT -8
It was just a joke. I was thinking about my kids, actually ;D. They definitely break the bounds of the definition of human regularly  |
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Post by stevekimes on Jan 30, 2011 12:03:28 GMT -8
Ah. You must have teenagers, then.
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Post by Josh on Jan 30, 2011 14:33:58 GMT -8
Actually there's 8 and 4. So you're saying I won't even be able to recognize them when their teenagers, huh? |
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Post by stevekimes on Jan 30, 2011 14:39:25 GMT -8
Well, your kids might be different than the norm, but....
Actually, I've got two teens and one has remained human and the other... well the other has grown out of the less-than-human stage. I am still in Kierkegaardian fear and trembling for the teenhood of my youngest daughter...
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Post by Josh on Feb 26, 2011 21:00:31 GMT -8
I don't want to even think of it myself.
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Perhaps one of your heterodox views? 
