Viruses - Proof That There Is No Designer

[Evolution_beyond]

I'm currently ill with a cold. And it's brought this subject to my mind again.

 

I think that the existence of viruses is proof that there is no Designer God.

 

A virus is simply a piece of DNA in a protein shell. They can't reproduce on their own but must be absorbed into a living cell to hijack the cell's equipment to reproduce themselves.

 

This is exactly the sort of thing you could expect to exist if life came about by itself. Viruses are just biological debris - bits and pieces from the origins of life that can still be subject to evolution as DNA mutates when it is replicated. So they get better at hijacking cells. But they are not alive themselves, they are not proper cells - they are just biological debris.

 

Why would a creator design such a thing? It doesn't make sense. God would just design cells as fully functioning entities. Why would he design a kind of half-living, half-cell? It is exactly the sort of evidence that points at life arising by itself and not as part of some design.

 

A virus is a missing link, a half-way house between non-living chemicals and living cells. Just the sort of thing that backs up the idea that there is no designer and life arose by itself.

[LosingMyReligion]

Of course fundies will say, "Well, viruses came about because of the fall..."

 

They have and excuse for everything, morons.

[Antlerman]

Why would a creator design such a thing? It doesn't make sense. God would just design cells as fully functioning entities. Why would he design a kind of half-living, half-cell? It is exactly the sort of evidence that points at life arising by itself and not as part of some design.

 

A virus is a missing link, a half-way house between non-living chemicals and living cells. Just the sort of thing that backs up the idea that there is no designer and life arose by itself.

I think you may be looking at this all wrong. It is quite possible that originally a mega-virus infected a eukaryote cell, but didn't kill it, and caused it to mutate into the animal cells that eventually became a human being. So could it be that the Creator is in fact among us today in our world quite prolifically, and inhabits your body at this moment, manifesting Himself through your runny nose and fits of coughing? Embrace your cold, for it is a sign the Lord is in you!

[Ouroboros]

That's why we say "Bless you" when someone sneeze.

[Antlerman]

That's why we say "Bless you" when someone sneeze.

That's right. It's a polite way of saying Praise God!!

[Ouroboros]

Flu, the gift the keeps giving.

[Antlerman]

Flu, the gift the keeps giving.

"And out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." Scriptural proof God is a virus.

 

 

[Asimov]

I'm currently ill with a cold. And it's brought this subject to my mind again.

 

I think that the existence of viruses is proof that there is no Designer God.

 

A virus is simply a piece of DNA in a protein shell. They can't reproduce on their own but must be absorbed into a living cell to hijack the cell's equipment to reproduce themselves.

 

I don't see how that indicates a designer doesn't exist.

 

This is exactly the sort of thing you could expect to exist if life came about by itself. Viruses are just biological debris - bits and pieces from the origins of life that can still be subject to evolution as DNA mutates when it is replicated. So they get better at hijacking cells. But they are not alive themselves, they are not proper cells - they are just biological debris.

 

Maybe, but so what?

 

Why would a creator design such a thing? It doesn't make sense. God would just design cells as fully functioning entities. Why would he design a kind of half-living, half-cell? It is exactly the sort of evidence that points at life arising by itself and not as part of some design.

 

You're making assumptions based on a conceptual entity. Why doesn't it make sense? Why would he just design cells as fully functioning entities? Isn't a virus fully functioning?

[Evolution_beyond]

You're making assumptions based on a conceptual entity. Why doesn't it make sense? Why would he just design cells as fully functioning entities? Isn't a virus fully functioning?

 

Ok, its mostly the xtian idea of a loving god that doesn't sit comfortably with him designing viruses that attack everyone pretty much indiscriminately.

 

Also it seems one more piece of evidence that fits into the "isn't it funny that God designed the Universe so that it behaves exactly as you'd expect it to if he wasn't even there" box.

 

So it's not a knock down argument but it is one of those things that make atheism more convincing.

[Lycorth]

Certainly, the existence of viruses disproves the notion of an all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing god. If he were all-knowing, he'd realize that the existence of viruses would cause people to deny his own existence; if he were all-powerful, he would have the power to eradicate all viruses so that humans didn't suffer needless illness and did not deny his existence; if he were all-loving, he'd not want us to suffer illness which is again a needless thing.

 

The only way a god could exist alongside viruses and such maladies is for it to be not all-powerful (hence unable to rid us of the viruses), and/or not all-knowing (unable to realize the fallout of permitting the existence of viruses), and/or not all-loving (unable to care if viruses exist). The fact there is no paradise proves that the god the Xians posit is possible. Viruses are just one more irrefutable piece of evidence against them, as is all of nature.