Theodicy: solution lies in definition of God (Introduction)

by David Turell , Thursday, October 07, 2021, 18:58 (1141 days ago) @ dhw

Irreducibly complex controls

DAVID: Evolution connects everything. You can't split it up into unrelated parts.

dhw: You have already done so with your theory of Cambrian species without precursors, but in any case, the only connection between all the branches of evolution is that they descend from a single root – bacteria. Countless branches have lived and died, but that does not mean they were all connected with humans and our food.

See the Cambrian discussion in the other thread. You are still slicing and dicing evolution to no effect. It is a general relationship of stages evolution with necessary food supply. Of course we are now not directly related to platypus, but at one time mammals were evolving.

dhw: ...Are you saying that your God individually designed every life form, econiche, strategy, natural wonder etc. just so that the animals etc. could eat one another before he designed humans?

DAVID: Yes. And then we eat them.

dhw: How can we eat animals that no longer exist?

DAVID: Same silly approach , we obviously eat what is present.

dhw: So stop pretending that every single species of animal that ever existed was necessary for OUR food supply.

Silly: your wildest twist. We eat what is presently available, not ancient food which fed our ancestors.

DAVID: […] It is simple to accept that God chose to evolve us in necessary stages. All evolution is connected in branching stages.

dhw: It is indeed simple for any evolutionist to accept that ALL life forms branched out in stages from earlier life forms. That does not mean that all extinct life forms plus food, most of which had no connection with humans plus food, existed only “as part of the goal of evolving [= designing] humans” plus food.

DAVID: It does if one believe God evolved us from bacteria.

dhw: Firstly, that is no longer clear since you believe the Cambrian yielded species with no precursors , and secondly, our evolution from bacteria does not explain why your God would have specially designed life forms which had no connection with his “direct intentionality” to create us and our food.

Just accept a designer and your constant confusion will disappear. All life needs a big bush of food supply .