Kenneth Miller finds good news in evolution

[yallerdawg]

Source: Religious New Service, by Yonat Shimron

*****

In the words of scientist and atheist Sam Harris, “We are driverless cars running a program we did not write, which we cannot control, and whose existence we are not even wired to sense.”

Kenneth R. Miller, a Brown University biologist, agrees that humans evolved according to Charles Darwin’s law of natural selection, but in his new book, “The Human Instinct,” he suggests “we are more.”

Humans are also conscious, self-aware, creative and intelligent. We are, in Miller’s view, exceptional in those very traits.

*****

"By the human instinct, I mean the collection of traits and behaviors and cognitive abilities that make us unique among all the organisms on planet Earth. I also mean the processes that gave rise in us to reason, consciousness and free will. These are the things that make the human species absolutely unique.

"What I mean by special is not a chest-thumping “we’re-the-pinnacle-of-creation,” but an acceptance of responsibility. Of all the creatures that inhabit the planet, we’re the only ones who are aware of where we came from, what gave rise to us and what effect we’re having on the future of this planet. That gives us a special responsibility that no other species can possess. We’re the only ones aware of a process called extinction. We’re the only ones aware of our global footprint on this planet. We’re the only ones that can take steps to safeguard the biodiversity and future of the planet. That alone makes human beings special."

*****

Do you go to church?

Every Sunday and on holy days. I am a practicing Roman Catholic and I will keep on practicing until I get it right.


Read it all at: https://religionnews.com/2018/04/19/kenneth-miller-finds-good-news-in-evolution/

[guillaumeb]

1. A biologist, and a theist?

However does he reconcile the two?

I liked the "practicing until I get it right" part.

[yallerdawg]

3. On his book...

In The Human Instinct, he rejects the idea that our biological heritage means that human thought, action, and imagination are pre-determined, describing instead the trajectory that ultimately gave us reason, consciousness and free will. A proper understanding of evolution, he says, reveals humankind in its glorious uniqueness—one foot planted firmly among all of the creatures we’ve evolved alongside, and the other in the special place of self-awareness and understanding that we alone occupy in the universe.

In quantum physics, there is a developing school of thought that without "The Observer" nothing exists, nothing happens, there is no experiment, no outcome.

Is it possible "The Human Experiment" requires "The Observer?"

[Mariana]

8. The Roman Catholic Church accepts the Theory of Evolution.

Why should there be any conflict?

[guillaumeb]

11. Some theists do not.

Thus the conflict.

[Mariana]

14. All theists' religious beliefs are not identical, Gil.

Are you really pretending to be unaware of this reality?

[whathehell]

26. My thought as well...n/t.

[guillaumeb]

31. Did you see the word "some"?

If so, you have the answer.

[Mariana]

33. Why should Dr. Miller be conflicted

because some other theists don't accept the Theory of Evolution? Why do you think that would effect him in any way?

You're making even less sense than usual here. There's no reason for Dr. Miller to have the slightest difficulty reconciling being a theist and a biologist. There is no conflict.

[guillaumeb]

34. You seem confused.

[Major Nikon]

17. Did you miss the part where he identified as a Catholic?

[Mariana]

19. The specifics don't matter, I guess.

I had thought that Gil reserved this kind of dehumanizing conflation to atheists, but I was wrong, he does it to his fellow theists as well. Just as atheists are all identical and interchangeable, so are theists all identical and interchangeable. If any one theist, anywhere, has difficulty accepting the reality of evolution, then all theists, everywhere, must have the exact same difficulty.

[Major Nikon]

21. For all I know he may be right

That’s why I am no longer an atheist. For the foreseeable future I’m an unaffiliated apatheist.

[Mariana]

22. That may be for the best.

If you were an atheist, he'd point at something some other atheist said that offended him, and ask you why it was posted, and would hold it against you that it was posted. Because, you know, we're all exactly the same, and we have have a hive mind, like the Borg. If one of our number does a thing, we're all responsible for it. We aren't individual discrete human beings at all, you see.

It's possible he will classify you with the atheists, anyway. Welcome to the fold.

[Major Nikon]

23. I cant possibly be an atheist

Atheists have a belief system that I lack, so I can’t be a club member anymore.

[Mariana]

25. And Roman Catholics accept the Theory of Evolution

but Roman Catholic biologists must be conflicted because some other theists who aren't Roman Catholics don't accept the Theory of Evolution. You see how this works? Effect doesn't have to follow cause, the opposite may be true, or they may have no relationship at all.

If you're expecting the G-man to make sense and be consistent, you're just about certain to be disappointed.

[guillaumeb]

35. Reread #11. My post.

Do you appreciate the difference between some and all.

[guillaumeb]

2. From the article:

Miller may be best known as the plaintiffs’ expert witness in the landmark 2004 Kitzmiller v. Dover trial in which a group of parents sued the Dover, Pa., public school district for requiring the teaching of intelligent design. They won when U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III ruled that intelligent design was a religious view, not a scientific theory.

[Mariana]

9. Yes, he was a brilliant witness in that case.

It must have made him sad to have to testify, essentially, that his fellow Christians were lying through their teeth.

[guillaumeb]

12. Some may have been lying, but I have heard theists defend the concept of ID.

One of my cousins explained to me that the Grand Canyon was formed by the flood. I did not attempt to debate the matter.

[Mariana]

15. The people who changed out a few words

in a religious creationism book in order to pretend it was an "Intelligent Design" science book were lying. No question about it.

[Major Nikon]

24. They probably would have been OK had they reprinted it

... instead of scribbling out Jesus and writing Creator over the top.

[guillaumeb]

30. We disagree.

[Mariana]

32. Doesn't surprise me.

Of course, I wasn't arguing whether or not they believe creationism is true. I'm sure they do believe it. The dishonesty came when they tried to deceive students by teaching them religion and calling it science. One way they did that was by taking a religious book and changing a few words in it and trying to pass it off as a science textbook. The cut & paste job was very sloppy and very obvious.

All of this is a matter of public record, Gil.

[Binkie The Clown]

4. Kenneth Miller discuses this on YouTube

[yallerdawg]

5. The thing that makes the "Theory" of Evolution so compelling...

is every time we seriously look into the "missing links" - we find them!

Miller says:

We human beings are wholly natural creatures. We are indeed animals. We have our origin in the process of evolution, just like every other living thing on this planet. We are made out of matter and energy and it’s matter and energy that gave rise to us. But I don’t see anything in that formulation which is contradictory to the message we get from all the Abrahamic religions.

I remember the admonition from the Bible: “Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt return.” To me that’s the admonition that we are creatures made out of the matter of the Earth. And even in the Book of Genesis, which I do not take as science or literal history, there is an understanding of the way in which God works, as God commanding the Earth and its waters to bring forth life. The Earth is seen by the author of Genesis as the intermediary creating and sustaining life, which is pretty much what science tells us too. So I don’t find that a threat to religious belief unless you are someone who demands that every book of the Bible, every word of Scripture, be taken in a very literal sense.

[guillaumeb]

7. The very names Adam and Eve are metaphoric.

From Earth comes life.

[edhopper]

28. Yes but

o. So I don’t find that a threat to religious belief unless you are someone who demands that every book of the Bible, every word of Scripture, be taken in a very literal sense.

What about those parts of the Bible you do take litterally?

How much of the story of Jesus can we discount as a-historical and incompatible with known facts before it threatens your belief.

Are you okay with none of it being true at all?

[guillaumeb]

6. Very interesting.

[Major Nikon]

10. I can shave my balls if I want

Few animals have the physical ability to do so and none would do so of their own accord even if they could. This proves humans are unique and exceptional.

[yallerdawg]

13. I aim slightly higher with my aspirations...

but whatever floats your boat!

[Major Nikon]

16. Im pretty sure whatever you come up with isnt going to be better

As long as humans are the only ones who get to define what unique and exceptional means, we are always going to come out on top.

[yallerdawg]

18. I asked my dog about this.

He replied, "Seriously? You want to check out my balls? Idiot!!! You had them removed!"

Oops.

[Major Nikon]

20. Your dog probably spends more time wondering why you dont lick yours

While oblivious to the fact you can’t.

[Cartoonist]

27. I am offended by this theist

On behalf of my animal friends. What a pompous ass. Despite his denial, he is indeed thumping his chest and proclaiming HIMSELF to be the pinnacle of creation. I wish a gorilla would toss him in the sea so a dolphin could push him into the mouth of a whale.

Live the life of Jonah you conceited humanoid.

[Mariana]

29. Honestly, this theist is one of the good guys.

It's partly thanks to him that the schoolchildren of Dover, Pennsylvania are not being taught religion in their science classes. He stood up in court and testified, essentially, that his fellow Christians were lying through their teeth about the nature of the ridiculous "Intelligent Design" curriculum and textbooks they intended to foist upon the students. Whatever he may think about the alleged superiority of human beings over other animals, he did put himself at some risk to prevent lies being taught in school.