PaulSacramento wrote:Id tend to think that all that was needed for life to appear and do its thing would be inherent in the nature of reality, and needed no tinkering past the "big bang" or whatever it was that happened.
Science disagrees with you.
In the case of evolution, for example, even the most "atheist" of scientists admit that natural selection has to happen for evolution to happen and if that is the case then there IS a process in nature that "tinkers" with life.
It can hardly be called unguided either by the way, just by the term "process", which implies:
Dear me, its nothing to admit, not about atheists. Of course there has to be natural selection. By "tinker' I meant supernatural intervention.
Other than what one may think is implied by human words applied to it, Im unaware of any evidence of evolution being guided. (which implies, does it not, an intelligent guide?)
1.
a systematic series of actions directed to some end:
to devise a process for homogenizing milk.
2.
a continuous action, operation, or series of changes taking place in a definite manner
:
There is no evidence of evolution being direct to any end that I am aware of.
Please say if there is.
And what is selection ( as in Natural selection):
se·lec·tion
səˈlekSH(ə)n/
noun
1.
the action or fact of carefully choosing someone or something as being the best or most suitable.
2.
BIOLOGY
a process in which environmental or genetic influences determine which types of organism thrive better than others, regarded as a factor in evolution
""Selection" is a word, and words are open to a lot of equivocation and interpretation.
This isnt necessarily the place to discuss how evolution is understood to work, but
you are a couple of points off compass.
Perhaps an analogy would be useful, think of setting up a sprinkler to simulate rain (or be patient, and wait for rain). Have an area of bare loose dirt to work with.
You've seen this; in no time, a miniature river system develops, complete with tributaries, meanders, cut banks, riffle-and-run, braided channels, sand bars, and if you are more patient, cut off oxbows, distributaries an delta and an evaporation pan.
No plan, no guidance, no "selection" per se, no choice, no best, no most suitable.
It just happens as the nature of the soil, the slope, the intensity of the rain, and, of course, the math of particle size and stream velocity and all the other laws and principles involved.
Evolution is more complex, but its not different in kind.
.