Big time. I’ve always been kind of agnostic on metaethics. I’ve always felt uncomfortable with divine command theory and it’s modified versions. Then I read Wielenberg’s “Robust Ethics” and things started coming together for me. I’m very close to his position. Or maybe Swinburne’s. Which is very similar
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Gesundheit.
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Are you talking about sex, drugs, and rock and roll?
If God does not exist and even if God does exist, I find it extremely EASY for any person in the world to SUBJECTIVELY live meaningful, moral and beautiful lives with ideals and purpose.
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@Patrick Always keep your light touch. It really helps around here.
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LOL
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The thing is, it can’t be objectively demonstrated that God exists. It seems to me that you can live AS IF he exists, which is fine.
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If I did, I didn’t mean to. He certainly doesn’t equate the two, but he does link them into a larger pattern that is relatively uncontroversial. If one is a materialist, evolution follows naturally (pardon the pun), but the opposite isn’t necessarily true and I don’t think he suggests otherwise. (Strong evolution haters like Egnor do seem to do that.) As for Behe’s personal views, he seems to allow for a range of possibilities of how the designer can/could/has provided the genetic information that he feels must come from somewhere other than natural processes. His only hard position regarding mechanisms is that unguided processes alone can’t do it. That’s my read anyway. His position is a lot more subtle and nuanced than most people on both sides think.
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@Mark
The tentative nature of the hypothesis puzzles me.
The only unknown, really, is the full count of ALL the myriad ways there are to trigger mutations!
I am notorious for my references to cosmic rays. But it is my general understanding that mutations (aka, the imperfect replication of the original genetic code) can be triggered by any factor promoting heat, cold, excess molecules of water, lack of water molecules… the list is endless. All Quantum and non-quantum factors are eligible causes.
What i like about Behe’s proposed models is that he sees the possibilities include “Design” as divinely arranged thru purely “natural” factors.
And what i like about “Genealogical Adam” is that humans are evolved, but with an accomodation for a few humans to be specially created by super-natural means.
When do the Creationists stand up to accept both aspects of Creation and Design?
Suicide statistics are NOT way up. As discussed in by Pinker, in Enlightment Now, suicide statistics are really down for the past 25 years. Please provide your data for suicides statisitc being way up.
Thanks. I was giving you my prescription for you to live with less despair, denial, suicide, anti-socialism. 
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Careful. You know that if Dr. Gauger stopped believing in God, she’d be liable to go on a murder spree like all those atheists do.
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I was thinking that she would adapt the rock star lifestyle of sex and drugs.
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@Patrick @John Harshman
You really don’t want to know what that would look like.
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Ok, I guess I’m wrong. @Agauger finds you guys funny.
Yes, that’s a response that wisely evades the serious argument buried in the humor.
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@Patrick
Here’s a case of selective use of statistics. I was discussing a materialist worldview (beg pardon) and connected that with an increased rate in suicide . Pinker’s graph is for worldwide populations, many(most?) of which are not materialist. But from the same report here are the graphs for the US
Here’s a graph showing rates for different countries around the world, age-standardized. Almost all have declined rates. Except the US.
Here you can choose the countries to compare.
2000-2016
Lastly, youth and suicide. This is real. Can I say it is related to materialist worldview–no. Not based on this article. But it is a problem and growing, and I would do what I can to help. I know people who were suicidal, people who attempted, and people who succeeded.
https://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/toolstemplates/entertainmented/tips/suicideyouth.html
It may be declining elsewhere but not here. Pinker was feeding you ____.
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I believe the more correct way of stating that is:
"One could live “as if” God exists, but a great many people think the logic for that position is sufficient to decide that God does exist.
Its not the logic of entailment, but it is a satisfying psychological logic on a personal basis!
Not based on anything, right? Is it your contention that religious belief is increasing in France?
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Are you suggesting that because belief in God is satisfying, therefore that’s a logical reason to believe in God?
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