Serious question: it seems that to start a process of natural selection, you cannot start with nothing?

Question

Natural selection is true within the limits it operates. The issue is.....

Logically, you cannot select unless you have something to select. This beginning point for natural selection assumes a lot of biology is in place, right?

How did that happen? Biological affinity is not panning out. Is there another theory?

This Q? is in the RS section, since the answer affects my reason and faith based belief in a creator.

If we know, great. If these answers are not know, then I have a choice where I put my faith, either in a cold and materialistic universe, or in a purposefully created universe.

Answer 1

It's hard to debate a faith issue. Whatever happened was in the past and cannot be scientifically verified, neither evolution nor creation.

Answer 2

Good point! This article says the same thing from an engineering standpoint:

-------------------------------------------------
Abstract

In a recent interview, Richard Dawkins, a fanatical atheist and a leading spokesman for Darwinian evolution, was asked if he could produce an example of a mutation or evolutionary process which led to an increase in information. Although this has been known for some time to be a significant issue, during a recorded interview, Dawkins was unable to offer any such example of a documented increase in information resulting from a mutation.

After some months, Professor Dawkins has offered an essay responding to this question in context with the interview, and it will be examined here. It is pointed out that speculation and selective use of data is no substitute for evidence. Since some statements are based on Thomas Bayes’ notion of information, this is evaluated in Part 2 and shown to be unconvincing. Some ideas are based on Claude Shannon’s work, and Part 3 shows this to be irrelevant to the controversy. The true issue, that of what coded information, such as found in DNA, human speech and the bee dance, is and how it could have arisen by chance, is simply ignored. Part 4 discusses the Werner Gitt theory of information.

After several years, we continue to request from the Darwinist theoreticians: propose a workable model and show convincing evidence for how coded information can arise by chance!

Answer 3

The choice to believe it is yours. But picking only the bits of evidence you like isn't exactly a very smart way of being educated (I'm looking at you creation museum...).

Besides, you're saying that life came from nothing. If there was nothing then I could understand but there wasn't nothing, all the building blocks of life were there, they just hadn't arranged themselves yet.

There have been experiments done since the '50s to see if the basic chemical elements of life really can just arrange themselves into structures and the results were that they can, after so many weeks the 'premordial soup' had begun to form basic amino acids, the pre-cursor to proteins. Although in a close environment it's hard to reproduce similar results to Earth's early ages it definately proves that something can come of 'nothing'.

Answer 4

I assume your talking about abiogenesis (producing life out of no life). I'm not sure anyone really knows the answer (which doesn't mean that the only explanation is god) but I believe lighting acted as a catalyst on the early earth to produce more and more complex amino acids out of the elements available which eventually became self replicating. The rest is natural selection

Answer 5

Well, answer these questions. What if there never was a beginning? What if it always was? We human beings have always had a beginning. We begin life in the womb, begin to walk, talk, begin school etc.,etc.,........ The human mind is so conditioned to preconceived notions and conditions that we have a difficult time looking at things outside the envelope. Once, we can master our own thought processes can we truly look at all things in a more enlightened and enriching way.

Answer 6

Of course you have a choice. But which ever way you go, you will eventually have to come to a "Where did it start" question. Where and how did organic form from inorganic verses Where and how did God arise?

Myself, I go for the "cold and materialistic universe". If this one was created on purpose, then somebody screwed up.

Answer 7

If technology has no longer yet stronger, then how ought to materialistic scientists probably comprehend what could be spoke back contained sooner or later? they have an inclination to inexpensive predictive prophecy, a minimum of while it’s contained in the Bible. If extra questions approximately evolution have been spoke back by potential of medical strengthen, the skeptics would have a ingredient. yet precisely the choice has been actual contained in the previous. The extra our organic and organic expertise expands, the extra issues evolution has. case in point, Darwin’s chum Haeckel concept that the cellular develop into in easy terms a blob of goo; now all of us comprehend it truly is a miniature city with stronger nanotechnology, which includes machines and factories which includes ATP synthase and kinesin.

Answer 8

"Logically, you cannot select unless you have something to select."
There is always something to select, the universe exists, it is filled with matter, you don't need to be an organism for natural selection to work

Answer 9

everything you said is deep and profound,
and based on what you know you get to choose where to put your faith

i dont know the human being will ever figure out how the first cell became "alive"

i respect you immensely for your wonderful question

Answer 10

I agree 100%. Check out my theory http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Amqd_YQKJPetvFJxKElQ52zsy6IX?qid=20060920141835AA17WAB