Man-made life

Good topic.

 

You could also argue that Michaelangelo's painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is not an act of creation, because he was only using elements that already existed. The same for any piece of art, literature, music.

How can we know, really, if God's act of creation was bringing something out of nothing--or if it was an original combination of things that already existed?

One might also point out that "in His image" might include the propensity for creativity.

The VALUE of what's created would have to be an entirely new topic, though.

 

If we take the Bible at face value, you could say it was a little of both where man is concerned. He created man's body from the ground/earth/dust that was already there, but 'breathed life' into the body, adding that which did not previously exist.

 

It is a moot point really. If something was here to start with and God used that stuff to make life then where did the original stuff come from? If God did not create the stuff then who did? Everything came from somewhere, how it got here is really the eternal question.

 

I honestly don't think we're smart enough.

 

I don't understand? What? if?

 

We elected Bush twice. We're about to elect another Clinton. We're smart enough to know how to control people through fear and ignorance. Religion has the same rewards with a nice helping of Earthly guilt to go with it. Why do most people believe in some sort of God? Because there's no harm in being wrong, unless you're a fundamentalist terrorist. Fear. People are afraid they might be wrong.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if this study produces viable single-celled organisms, or even simple multi-cellular organisms. Complex, multi-systemic life may be a ways off, though. Either way, my beliefs won't be shaken in the least.

And until I see it, I don't believe a viable human being will ever be created this way.

 

My point exactly.

To varying degrees, and for varying lengths of time, sure. But it always fails at some point.

People should be afraid they might be wrong, IMO. Regardless of who ends up on the side of truth in this debate -- the atheists or deists -- there are very real consequences for being wrong.

 

They aren't trying to create a human. They don't have millions of years to wait. Creating a human will be done through cloning.