Evidence God Exists: Part II

[AngelThMan]

Even if you don't believe in God, could it at least show a sign of intelligent design?

If what you believe is true, then try explaining why many plants have compounds that are harmful and even deadly to us. Are the poisonous leaves of the oleander plant the result of "intelligent design"? If not, why not? You want to give "God" credit for the antioxidants in the skin of the banana. In that case, your deity must also be responsible for deadly things like hemlock, nightshade and moonseeds. After all, he's either responsible for all of it, or none of it. If he "intelligently designed" the banana to have some sort of antioxidant, then he also "intelligently designed" certain berries to be deadly if we consume them. But if these deadly plants were not "intelligently designed", then neither was the banana skin.

So which is it?

DownBeat, as I've said before, neither the bible, nor anyone has ever claimed the world God created for us is perfect. The central figure in Christianity was poor and died violently. So it's amazing to me that atheists use negative things found in this world as a sign there's no God.

God did create, or allowed to develop, certain plants, berries and animals that are harmful to us. But he's got his reasons, which are probably too complex for any human to really provide answers for. But I'll give you some possible scenarios. I'm not saying they're the actual answers, because only God knows. These are just some possibilities...

As we all know, poisonous animals developed their venom as a defense and survival mechanism through evolution. Venom was the tool God chose to provide those animals for the preservation of their species. The same can be said for certain plants. At the same time, God also gave us, and even certain animals, the intelligence and/or instinct to identify those poisonous animals and plant life, so that we can circumvent such harmful forces and thrive as a species. The point is that there are poisonous berries out there, but they weren't meant for us to eat.

Despite all these harmful and negative forces, life has thrived and is very successful here on earth. If we look inside our own individual bodies, we can perhaps see a microcosm of what goes on in the world. Cells and organisms fight and kill one another. One cell might be harmful to another cell, etc. And the final result is one healthy human being.

You can look at things that from our standpoint are either positive or negative, and comment on them individually. But looking at the big picture, we can see that a perfect balance has been maintained that has allowed life to thrive for millions of years. That's really what needs to be examined. Only God knows why each piece of his complex puzzle behaves as it does.

Perhaps God uses poisonous animals/plants as population control for animals, plants and other organisms. Perhaps he uses them for retribution. Who knows? Again, I'm not saying these are the answers, just some possible scenarios. But to come to the conclusion there's no God because harmful forces exist is very simplistic.