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Does evolution have a purpose?

Does evolution have a purpose

  • yes

    Votes: 17 32.1%

  • no

    Votes: 30 56.6%

  • not sure

    Votes: 6 11.3%
  • Total voters
    53
YoursTrue

YoursTrue

Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
Valjean said:
Do you know what a straw man is? How many times have we explained to you what a scientific theory is? How many times have we corrected you on this very point?

YT, you're blabbering uninformed nonsense; claims so ridiculous it's hard to believe you're actually serious and not trolling.
"There are none so blind as those who will not see."
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So can you explain
KWED said:
No.
Evolution is a blind process. There is no "end goal" or fixed direction. It is simply the means by which species adapt to environmental pressure through random mutation.

"Purpose" itself does not really exist in nature. It is a man-made concept we invented to help make sense of a bewildering world.
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Some people have to work and their purpose may be to get a job. Or get more money.
 
We Never Know

We Never Know

No Slack
KWED said:
Evolution is not a response to a changing environment.
It is the process by which a species can become better suited to some particular feature of an environment.
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I agree to a point. Whether the environment changes slow or fast, some species survive. Some traits for survival may already be there but not yet needed.
 
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YoursTrue

YoursTrue

Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
KWED said:
"Hope" is not dissimilar to "purpose". It is a human construct and so therefore is not a part of natural processes.
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I understand your point. Some do have hope. It's a fairly natural process because -- few really want to die. Of course people hope for different things. What do you think? The ultimate supposed outcome of the process of the theory of evolution is death. But -- I have cast aside the broad scope of the theory.
 
YoursTrue

YoursTrue

Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
We Never Know said:
Survival is a goal in my opinion.
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Gotta say when I was taking biology in school, the teacher said that animals have a natural instinct to run away from danger. Instinct. He was talking about evolution with the 'fight or flight' instinct. I believed it. I believed almost anything they taught about the theory. I take that back -- I believed anything they taught. At time. Just sayin'...(P.S. not saying it's not true -- fight or flight instinct - about animals. Well, some animals -- salmon go upstream and then die. I don't think they 'think' much about it, do you?)
 
We Never Know

We Never Know

No Slack
YoursTrue said:
Gotta say when I was taking biology in school, the teacher said that animals have a natural instinct to run away from danger. Instinct. He was talking about evolution with the 'fight or flight' instinct. I believed it. I believed almost anything they taught about the theory. I take that back -- I believed anything they taught. At time. Just sayin'...(P.S. not saying it's not true -- fight or flight instinct - about animals. Well, some animals -- salmon go upstream and then die. I don't think they 'think' much about it, do you?)
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Going upstream to lay eggs to guarantee survival is their drive. Thats their goal even if many die trying to get there.
 
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YoursTrue

YoursTrue

Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
We Never Know said:
Going upstream to lay eggs to guarantee survival is their drive. Thats their goal even if many die trying to get there.
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Yes, I don't think they turn it over too much in their minds. If they have a mind. Don't know. Either way, whether they do or not, I'm sure, quite sure, they don't weigh the odds before their drive pushes them to go upstream. Pretty interesting, eh, in reference to the difference in animal instinct and the way humans reflect on things. Like death and life.
 
Truthseeker

Truthseeker

Non-debating member when I can help myself
YoursTrue said:
My hope is that God will put an end to the ruination of the earth. I find it amazing that it actually says he will in the book of Revelation. He will ruin those ruining the earth, it says. Eye opener for me, and very hopeful. How he will do it is yet to be seen.
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Nice to know that you haven't got it figured it all out to a T. Shows humility.
 
Truthseeker

Truthseeker

Non-debating member when I can help myself
YoursTrue said:
At the beginning, before Adam and Eve had children, they rejected God's leadership, Eve thinking she didn't need God to tell her what to do. So He let her to make her own decisions as to what was good or bad for her. Except she had to cope with her husband who also discarded God's rulership in his life. I can only imagine she didn't eat poison mushrooms but died of old age, as the saying goes. A "natural" death. Nothing is said about the exact cause except that it was ensured by her creator that she would die as a result of her disobedience in that respect. More suffering was involved, but she lived for a much longer time than we do today.
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It looks a little different to me. I see this as a symbolic story. Not history. As to how long they lived then according to scripture, it looks like an exaggeration, personally.
 
Valjean

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
YoursTrue said:
Yes, I don't think they turn it over too much in their minds. If they have a mind. Don't know. Either way, whether they do or not, I'm sure, quite sure, they don't weigh the odds before their drive pushes them to go upstream. Pretty interesting, eh, in reference to the difference in animal instinct and the way humans reflect on things. Like death and life.
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Maybe organisms have "selfish genes." An organism may be a genome's way of reproducing itself, and codes for whatever behaviors will most successfully multiply the genome. The actual organisms are just reproductive organs, and disposable.
The Selfish Gene Theory: How Does It Work? | Shortform Books
 
Willamena

Willamena

Just me
Premium Member
Valjean said:
Change is a purpose in itself? To what end?
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The "end" is the purpose. Evolution isn't just change, it is a means and mechanism of biological change as explanation for speciation. It is a construct; and as a construct it was developed by humans to explain an aspect of nature (an "end") to other humans.
 
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