Evolution took a long time (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, January 20, 2017, 21:18 (2864 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: I have the same old problem trying to differentiate between pre-planning or dabbling. No matter, God is in control.

dhw: My “same old problem” is that you seem to have your God personally intervening, or loading the first cells with billions of programmes to cope with every difficulty that even the most basic forms of life will ever encounter (not to mention all the innovations and natural wonders of evolution). Bad luck on those that die. The programme never reached them, or perhaps God was too busy that day to come to their aid. There has to be an alternative to this theory. So why not consider the possibility that your God enabled the cells to work out solutions for themselves?

Because I see evidence they have the smarts to do it. the changes in the gaps is generally too complex.

DAVID: 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.

dhw: You have missed the point. You refuse to accept the possibility that God might allow life to follow its own course – i.e. that he would sacrifice control. Human free will is an analogy. If he is prepared to let humans do their own thing, why would he not be prepared to let the cells do their own thing? Sacrificing control is the point of the analogy.

Because I think humans are the goal and most likely won't arrive by a chance process of evolution.