--- In [email protected], "authfriend" <jstein@...> wrote:
>
> --- In [email protected], "whynotnow7" <whynotnow7@> wrote:
> >
> > --- In [email protected], "Rick Archer" <rick@> wrote:
> <snip>
> > > > I don't know whether intelligence is "infinite" or not, but
> > > > to me, the universe does not look like it came about and is
> > > > maintained through random collisions of little billiard balls.
> > > > It seems to me that every level of creation, from the sub-
> > > > atomic to the cosmic, animate and inanimate, is governed by
> > > > inconceivable vast intelligence. Can't think of a better word
> > > > for it, except perhaps "God", but that one carries a lot of
> > > > baggage.
> > >
> [Barry wrote:]
> > > Just to play deva's advocate here, wouldn't it be an
> > > even *more* interesting universe if everything in it
> > > *had* evolved through nothing more (nor less) than
> > > random collisions of little billiard balls? :-)
> > >
> [Rick wrote:]
> > > I suppose, but impossibly improbable.
> > >
> > I agree. Also by presupposing that the universe evolved and
> > continues to in a random fashion, is placing human
> > intelligence at the peak of intelligence in the universe,
> > because we understand it. The only type of intelligence
> > worth even considering is that which we can comprehend,
> > within the tidy sphere of our human intellect.
>
> Or to put it another way, when random collisions of little
> billiard balls produce the extraordinary complexity of
> (just for one thing) cells as shown in the TED animation
> (except that, as he says, the animation doesn't cover even
> "a percentage" of the real complexity), that pretty much
> renders the concept "random" meaningless; "random" vs.
> "intelligent" becomes a distinction without a difference.
>
> I think people boggle at the notion of intelligence being
> behind the universe because they anthropomorphize it,
> visualizing a Very Big Person carefully planning things
> out.
>
** Ah, you've opened a great big can of wonderful worms with me. I agree that
as a result of an over simplified, watered down, very weak representation of
spirituality through religion (which is usually our first cultural exposure to
the idea of God), this Big Guy In The Sky Blond Blue Eyed Jesus thing took over
at some point in American Christianity, and those who are insisting, no, its
all little random movement of tiny spheres do so in the mistaken belief that
their distinction is closer to a model of reality, but its more of a a
knee-jerk reaction. Personally I enjoy the lively richness of life, and the
wonder and grace and violence and sympathy of it all, I would much rather
ascribe that to the mystery and magnificence of God than little, itty bitty
"billiard" balls. :-)
>
> >
> > No humility, or wonder, or awe - the rest is just a bunch of random little
> > billiard balls out there; click, click, click, click. Oh, unless you're
> > talking about ME, the magnificent ME, ME, who cannot even see beyond my
> > floodlights, the edge of the stage. ME, the pinnacle of narcissistic
> > wonder, ME, alone making sense and comfort among the scary, disordered
> > rabble of a random little billiard ball universe. Ah, ME!
> >
>
