Re: virus: God's Invisible Hand

Sodom (sodom@ma.ultranet.com)
Tue, 21 Oct 1997 11:04:35 -0400


chardin wrote:

> But this, too, is predicted in the
> scriptures. Have you ever heard of the wheat and the tares? They
> look exactly alike while they are growing but the tares are
> posionous. Christ says in his parable that a neighbor sneaks into
> the farmers vineyard and plants tares. 'Let them grow side by side"
> says the farm, "at the time of harvest, I will separate the wheat and
> put it in my barn and the tares I will bundle and burn." Thus,
> Christ will separate the wheat and the tares but until then, we are
> told that the tares will be among us.
>

The Marines have a similar saying, "Kill em all and let God sort em
out". When using divine powers, it's amazing the claims you can make. I
am not joking, but the parables are one simple and a little elegant, but
far from amazing or inspiring to me. Much more inspiring to me, are
those of Socrates and Plato.

> I agree with you completely. In all of these instances something can
> be shown to work or not to work. In this sense, you have
> replication. In the more philosophical pursuits of science, i.e.
> origins of the universe, etc.,

This is noit a philosophical arguemnet, it's a mathematical argument.

> this is not so easy. In addition, I
> have pointed out that the same problem lies in medical science where
> there are many, many variables to account for. You can not
> extrapolate and say, science worked in the advent of the telephone,
> therefore I can rely on the fact that this medication is safe,
> effective, etc. or that this gene, is in fact responsible for my
> breast cancer.

This is correct, and any idiot who did take it "hook line and sinker",
would definately be showing "faith" in something they don't understand.
i do not think that this is many people though, and even the concept
that genes could be responsible, or partly responsible, is still a new
idea. The real age of medicine is just now falling upon us. Over half of
all cancer patients are cured now. In 1940, 1 in 4 lived, in 1960 1 in
3.

> Not all scientists are scoundrels and you mistake me
> if you think that is what I am implying. I am just saying before you
> buy something hook, line and sinker, put a skeptical eye to it.

I put a scepticle eye to EVERYTHING, for I do not have the concept of
"faith" to ignore evidence with. I do not dislike faith, I would like to
be able to know the feeling, and I am happy for those that can feel it,
but it is misplaced, always.

Sodom