(June 30, 2010 at 3:43 pm)The_Flying_Skeptic Wrote: I grant that the reality of complex organic molecules forming independently of life is not a direct step to the formation of life; but, if you were as charitable as you are with the idea of 'resurrections' and 'walking on water' which are unsubstantiated, you wouldn't see the connection as too far a 'leap of faith'.
Are you saying that given the reality of complex organic molecules forming independently of life, taking this as an indication that life formed via abiogenesis is a "leap of faith", although not too far a leap? If so, I am surprised that you would say so since most of the atheists I have met here seem to argue vehemently that faith has nothing to do with anything in their worldview. If not, I guess I misunderstood.
It seems to me that whether or not resurrections, walking on water, and/or abiogenesis are much of a leap of faith would depend on your starting point. If one starts from the position that God exists and the Bible is the Word of God (as I do), then resurrections and walking on water is not as much a leap of faith as abiogenesis. On the other hand, if one starts from the position of metaphysical naturalism, positivism, materialism, empiricism, monism, scientism, and a healthy dose of skepticism (as you do), I could see how you could take abiogenesis (or some other naturalistic explanation for the existence of life) as less of a leap of faith then ressurections or walking on water.
