Can't get the link to work here but.

[Brian37]

Avoiding death is pretty much the same goal of all life.

Not true. Even if it were, it isn’t a goal in the sense that you’re using the word - it’s more like a pre-programmed impetus. The impala isn’t running away because it’s trying to avoid death. It’s running away because it can’t stop itself from running away.

Boru

What? It is running away just to run away? Are you kidding me?

A long time ago, when I was delivering pizzas, I got a delivery to a hotel late at night. It was one of those where all the doors were face out, not interior. And it had split walkway in the middle that lead to both sides parking lots.  When I approached the first side driving in, I looked at all the door numbers, but suddenly noticed someone peering out of the walkway that split the building, hiding behind an ice /soda machine  barrier. I slowly went around the building to the other side of that walkway, and noticed him again, peering at me. My "Spidey Senses" went off. And instead of trying to continue to find the room, I went to the front desk and asked them if anyone from the room called in was occupying that room. The answer was no. So what most likely happened was that a renter of one of the rooms, in another room, was looking to set me up for a robbery. 


What does that have to do with a Cheetah or hyena or impala?  Catching food for most life involves deception. Even humans use fishing lures for bait. But life to avoid death, also recognizes patterns to avoid death too. 

I am very certain in the context of my story, if I had not payed attention, I would have been robbed or worse. 

In the context of this impala escaping, it played dead and survived. I don't think it was mere reaction. That impala certainly took a risk playing dead, but it, like I did in avoiding a potential robbery, it assessed the situation and did the best it could do to survive, and did. 

If we are going to chalk the impala's survival up to reaction and luck, then explain the Venus Flytrap that also relies on luck to eat flies.

Evolution isn't about always merely reacting, or luck. It is both. Life is a crapshoot. But it most certainly isn't divine or the product of sky heros.