(May 6, 2014 at 10:54 am)rasetsu Wrote: So, is it your entire objection that it isn't evidence for evolution and common descent that God "could've done it that way" ?
Yes, that appears to be the crux of this argument. If they are non-functional, God simply had a reason we can't fathom for inserting them into identical locations of different species' genomes. And if they are functional, then God had a reason, etc. Of course, this has fuck-all to do with science and everything to do with preserving a particular approach to scripture at all costs.
It's funny how they don't apply the same reasoning to evolution itself: For reasons we don't understand, God decided to use evolutionary processes to effect his creation. Of course, many Christians do reach that conclusion, which is why I urged Rev pages ago to take up his objections with his fellow Christians, since this entire "debate" really comes down to how one interprets the Bible. As an atheist, I have no stake in the outcome of that pissing match.
