Viruses as evidence

Creationism, Evolution, and other science issues

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Willum
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Viruses as evidence

Post #1

Post by Willum »

Viruses serve no useful or even unuseful purpose.
They are ineffective as culling agents, can’t love God, or whatever, and cause little benefit, only harm.

Isn’t this good evidence against an intelligent creator? Something without a purpose?

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Post #2

Post by otseng »

Just because we might not currently know the purpose of something does not mean they serve no purpose (eg junk DNA).

As for the purposes of viruses (besides starting pandemics), there certainly can be potential positive benefits of them.
Some of the viruses infecting humans are indeed capable of causing severe and often lethal diseases, but other viruses can be manipulated to be beneficial to human health. These viruses offer the potential to cure cancer, correct genetic disorders, or fight pathogenic viral infections. In addition, viruses are used in many genetic studies to determine molecular mechanisms, are used as insecticides, and have been reported to increase drought tolerance in some plants. Virologists must strive to downplay the “bad� reputation of viruses and promote dialogue on the many “good� things that they can do.
https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/ ... 217-100011

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Post #3

Post by Willum »

[Replying to otseng]

Well, that was a good effort, but with rationale, anything can be manipulated for a purpose. Men are required, not a divine plan.
As to us not knowing, yah, we do know.
It just can not serve any plan.
So, that being said, can viruses be considered evidence against a creator?

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Viruses

Post #4

Post by Diagoras »

otseng wrote:As for the purposes of viruses (besides starting pandemics), there certainly can be potential positive benefits of them.
Indeed. We're starting to gain some understanding of phages, which certainly hold some promise for positive benefit to humankind as a solution to bacterial antibiotic resistance.

I would argue that the part of the OP claim that viruses 'serve no purpose' isn't well supported. We'd be overrun with bacteria if it weren't for viruses.

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Re: Viruses

Post #5

Post by Willum »

[Replying to post 4 by Diagoras]
I would argue that the part of the OP claim that viruses 'serve no purpose' isn't well supported. We'd be overrun with bacteria if it weren't for viruses.
And we would love to hear them.
I have investigated them, and have seen nothing about them that would show any divine intent.

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Re: Viruses as evidence

Post #6

Post by Aetixintro »

[Replying to post 1 by Willum]

Viruses discipline humanity's health, cut bad blood? Good afterall?

Besides, in these modern times, 2020 and so on, viruses are no longer a necessary part of the World in terms of medication. I suspect there are 500 virus killers as medicines on the market!

:study: :D 8-)
I'm cool! :) - Stronger Religion every day! Also by "mathematical Religion", the eternal forms, God closing the door on corrupt humanity, possibly!

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Post #7

Post by Purple Knight »

If you're looking for an example of something that can't love, can only cause harm and destruction, serves no purpose, and replicates only by parasitising humans...

...Try a cat.

(...Kidding!)

Real men love cats.

Image

/thread

(Viruses serve the same purpose as we do: To replicate itself. To suggest that one organism must serve a different organism's purpose doesn't really disprove god either, since most people who believe in god concede evolution also. It comes close to disproving a strawman literal from-clay creationist god, however... but only if you don't think culling the weak is a purpose.)

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Post #8

Post by Willum »

[Replying to post 7 by Purple Knight]

I do not see that.
Their reproduction has no purpose I can see, where as according to the myth, animals and plants, etc. have purpose. Food, servitude, what-have-you.

If virus just disappeared, things would go on pretty much the same, except for the vaccum they caused.
Whereas you get rid of anything else, entire ecosystems can change.

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Re: Viruses as evidence

Post #9

Post by William »

[Replying to post 1]


Willum: Isn’t this good evidence against an intelligent creator? Something without a purpose?

William: Perhaps it is evidence that some people do not see purpose in anything. Like non-theists who believe that there is no purpose to this universe.

When the purposeless find purpose, are they forcing this idea of their purpose into their world-view in order to give their existence some kind of foundation of meaning?

Could it be argued that generally the Human Race has no specific purpose and is itself just operating as a type of purposeless virus?


[Replying to post 3]

Willum: ...with rationale, anything can be manipulated for a purpose. Men are required, not a divine plan.
As to us not knowing, yah, we do know.
It just can not serve any plan.


William: Who is manipulating, and what requires Humans?

I think the overall plan of The Creator was to create a biological form through which eventually a more robust form could be constructed, which would prove to be better for the purpose of going out into the cosmos and replicating itself and making use of the Galaxy...ultimately giving purpose to it.


[Replying to post 8 ]

Willum: If virus just disappeared, things would go on pretty much the same, except for the vaccum they caused.

William: In post #4 Diagoras has this to say;
  • I would argue that the part of the OP claim that viruses 'serve no purpose' isn't well supported. We'd be overrun with bacteria if it weren't for viruses.


to which you replied in post #5;

  • I have investigated them, and have seen nothing about them that would show any divine intent.


Can we rely on your sight as a reliable interpretation of the evidence?

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Post #10

Post by Purple Knight »

Willum wrote: [Replying to post 7 by Purple Knight]

I do not see that.
Their reproduction has no purpose I can see, where as according to the myth, animals and plants, etc. have purpose. Food, servitude, what-have-you.

If virus just disappeared, things would go on pretty much the same, except for the vaccum they caused.
Whereas you get rid of anything else, entire ecosystems can change.
Nope, not anything else.

Humans. Get rid of Humans.

Not only does the entire ecosystem go on, it proceeds a great deal better than it did before.

I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You're a plague and we are the cure.
- Agent Smith

What purpose do Humans serve, Willum?

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