Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 63 (9161 total)
3 online now:
Newest Member: popoi
Post Volume: Total: 915,581 Year: 2,838/9,624 Month: 683/1,588 Week: 89/229 Day: 61/28 Hour: 0/3


Thread  Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   Sigmoid Curve Suggests God is not actively involved in evolution
PinkPixie
Inactive Member


Message 1 of 2 (360192)
10-31-2006 5:02 PM


I am writing a research paper right now for my paleontology class and I think it would be helpfull to get some different opinions on my topic.
First, I am a christian who has come to accept the theory of evolution, so I guess you could call me a theistic evolutionist. Throughout history, scientists have tried to better understand God by studying the natural world around them, and that is also what I am trying to do. Within the theistic evolution community I know there has been some debate as to what extent God has played a part in the creation of the universe. Some believe God created all the materials and natural laws and then just let the system go while others believe that God has been actively involved, personally guiding all the billions of miniscule mutations that have resulted in evolution of organisms. Previously, I did not hold fast to either one of these ideas because I found nothing that could prove one over the other, until just recently.
I read an article written by the late Stephen Jay Gould titled "Is the Cambrian Explosian a Sigmoid Fraud?" (published in 1977 in Ever Since Darwin). In this article Gould argues that the Cambrian explosion of life (for those who don't know the goelogic timescale, there was a monumentous increase in the number of organisms alive on Earth about 540 million years ago, at the beginning of a time period called the Cambrian, hence we call it the Cambrian explosion), anyway Gould says this explosion is really not any big mystery but can simply be explained by the notorious Sigmoid Curve. It has been proven that almost every aspect of life, from the growth of a population to the course of a relationship follows the form of a sigmoid curve. It is believed that the Cambrian explosion simply reflects the log phase of a Sigmoid Curve. In my paper I am trying to make the argument that the Sigmoid Curve is a physical law created by God, just like gravity or Newton's three laws. After that I will argue that if the sigmoid curve is a natural law and the evolution of life can be explained by a sigmoid curve, then it makes more sense that God did create the materials and natural laws of the universe and then he just sat back and watched his creation unfold. Based on this I don't believe God has been personally guiding evolution throughout history....
So what do you think? I would appreciate any comments on this, especially if anyone can think of any books or journal articles I should read, that would really help me with my paper. Thanks.

AdminNWR
Inactive Member


Message 2 of 2 (360204)
10-31-2006 5:39 PM


Thread copied to the Sigmoid Curve Suggests God is not actively involved in evolution thread in the Theological Creationism and ID forum, this copy of the thread has been closed.

Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024