Evolution took a long time (Introduction)

by David Turell , Saturday, December 31, 2016, 00:59 (2885 days ago) @ dhw

dhw: A few days ago, however, you actually condemned my hypothesis as illogical and atheistic, and out of the blue introduced the atheistic argument that the human retina is illogical.

We have just so much evidence from the studies of evolution and the resultant bush of life. What is apparent is that even a single living cell is highly complex. It is not logical that it developed from a series of contingent chance events. What is left in design. Logically where does complex design come from? Mental planning. That is what the retina represents. What the retina argument implies is that it is not rational to deny design created life. What it all goes back to is first cause which has to be a designer. The atheists admit life looks completely like it was designed, but there cannot be a designer according to their beliefs. There are only two choices, chance or design. Tehre is no third way.

DAVID: Atheists like to point out the human retina as illogical, when research shows it is a wondrous design. I still maintain God is behind all complex designs. A semi-autonomous inventive mechanism for complex advances may exist, but it is highly theoretical, with no evidentiary support.

dhw: The unjustified atheistic criticism of the human retina does not make my hypothesis illogical or atheistic. Meanwhile, the hypothesis that your God personally designed or preprogrammed the first cells with every innovation, lifestyle and natural wonder in life’s history is highly theoretical, with no evidentiary support.

No direct evidence, only logic beyond a reasonable doubt.

DAVID: Free-wheeling means the organisms are possibly free to invent and try out modifications, perhaps though epigenetic mechanisms, but God reviews and exerts final design formation.

dhw: Being possibly free to do their own inventing and trying out would require the means to do their own inventing and trying out. That freedom would therefore require an autonomous inventive mechanism, because if it was not autonomous, it would not be free. […] Either the mechanism is free and therefore autonomous (UNTIL it is dabbled with) or it is preprogrammed. “Semi-autonomous” is sheer weasel.

DAVID: Since I think God is in full control, there is no weaseling, just theorizing what organisms might try on their own.

dhw: Do please theorize further. How do organisms “freewheel” or try things on their own if they not have a mechanism that enables them to “freewheel” or try things on their own?

But I have suggested that they might have an epigenetic free-wheeling mechanism. Something drives the increasing complexity we see in advancing evolving life.