Evolution took a long time (Introduction)

by David Turell , Thursday, January 19, 2017, 15:07 (2865 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: Not finding God's program is not equal to the debate over the necessity for a mind doing all the planning. A mind is required, not might be, as in your so-called theistic positions.

dhw: Once again you are switching from the way evolution works to the source of the mechanism. These are two different discussions. You reject the possibility that your God might have created an autonomous, intelligent, inventive mechanism to drive evolution. And you reject it because the mechanism hasn’t been found. Nor has the divine 3.8-billion-year-old computer programme you prefer to my mechanism, and no one has observed God dabbling. Double standards.

I have always said an IM is a possibility, with God watching and in ultimate control. No double standard. Your autonomous IM smells of a way to get rid of God. Maybe, in your view, evolution proceeded with a miraculously appearing IM without God.

DAVID: As I've explained, because of the requirement for intense mental planning, which only God can do.

dhw: Why can’t your God have intensely planned life and then let it continue on its own? Isn’t that precisely what you imagine he has done with humans and their free will?

You have introduced consciousness in this suggestion. That is a major different set of circumstances, a non-material state while simple evolution of life is material.