Atheism, Theism, Science & Philosophy

[Whateverist]

When I say "guided", I am referring to the following: I feel that the laws of physics and chemistry were devised in such a way that abiogenesis and biological evolution would be an inevitable outcome, a view that is shared by the professor of Biology Kenneth Miller, among others. You could, in a sense, view it as creation, but I strongly disagree with the "creationism" movement (that totally rejects the theory of evolution). I fully accept the theory of evolution.

Well if that is all you meant by "guided" then it would be awfully hard to tell the difference between such divine participation and the nature of physics and chemistry being as they are without such guidance.

But that surprises me. From what you said before, I would've expected much more divine involvement that that.*

And why is natural selection unworthy of having been utilized by god? Natural selection surely is the way of it, so if god did not intend for it to play the role it does, then god is not responsible for the animals we see today .. including us of course.

*

We also haven't a clue as to how sexual reproduction evolved - or for that matter why. None of the benefits from it sufficiently offset the "cost" associated with it..

Indeed, I also find evolution by natural selection to be extremely counter intuitive. In fact, I find quantum mechanics and general relativity easier to comprehend than evolution by natural selection. There are many things in "unguided" evolution that don't make a great deal of sense, such as the aspect of sexual reproduction that you mentioned and also the emergence of subjective consciousness. I think the idea that evolution is unguided asks far too much of human credulity. This is why I believe that evolution is God's chosen method of formation.

WTF? Are you kidding me? God creates the conditions for abiogenesis and 'evolution' but you guys want to second guess the invention of sex and its role? How about speeding up the rate of variation/mutation thus allowing for -among other critters- us to evolve within the useful lifetime of the star we circle?

Seriously, I don't have a problem with theists feeling/believing that there is some cosmic intentionality going on in the progression from matter to life to consciousness and sapience. Honestly, if we were sitting around a campfire under a sky full of stars, eating s'mores and speculating for all we were worth .. this would fit right in, and I could keep up. But it is a long way from deciding this is your pet theory and arguing for it persuasively. So far, I am the one feeling credulous but not about adequacy of evolution to account for our origins.

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That's got to hurt. Mmm, but what a way to go.

Are you sure she isn't just trying to face palm this guy with her panty clad quim? Mmm.