RE: What beliefs would we consider reasonable for a self proclaimed Christian to hold?
March 23, 2018 at 6:56 pm
(March 23, 2018 at 6:18 pm)He lives Wrote:(March 23, 2018 at 3:06 pm)polymath257 Wrote: I want to point out that this type of figure is often quoted, but it has no solid foundation. The problem is that is assumes that a cell has to pop into existence as a complete unit in a single step with no precursors at all. NOBODY makes such a claim!
Furthermore, the usual 'computation' that leads to such absurd numbers makes some assumptions about probabilistic independence (even at the level of proteins) that are known to be incorrect. Among others: that only a single string of amino acids would perform the job of a given protein, that there is no precursor to that protein, that the amino acids are integrated in sequence and each is probabilistically independent from the rest, etc.
Every single one of these assumptions is known to be wrong. In almost every case, there is *far* more flexibility in protein composition than the calculation claims. And, again, the formation of a protein of 200 amino acids is NOT thought to happen in a single step, but via the merging of smaller, but useful (maybe for different reactions!) proteins.
And, of course, this completely neglects the RNA world that is strongly suspected as a precursor to the current protein based biology.
Sorry, but your F-16 claim is irrelevant to the reality of the chemistry of life.
Francis Crick believed the origin of life was almost a miracle. He thought life might have been seeded from another planet.
I find your name-dropping of Francis Crick to be very odd. This is the same guy who said about Christianity: "I do not respect Christian beliefs. I think they are ridiculous. If we could get rid of them we could more easily get down to the serious problem of trying to find out what the world is all about." and "Christianity may be OK between consenting adults in private but should not be taught to young children."
Yes, he did espouse directed panspermia in the 1970's, but in 1993, in the article "Anticipating an RNA world. Some past speculations on the origin of life: where are they today?" (now found on PubMed, just go to a good library with research databases and you can read it) he states that in the past he was "clearly overly pessimistic about the chances of
(wait for it)
ABIOGENESIS.

"The family that prays together...is brainwashing their children."- Albert Einstein