Is there Evidence that God Exists? Evolution vs. Intelligent Design

Once upon a time a much higher percentage of Americans and Europeans were believers in God. The founding fathers of the United States were commonly believers. But society has, per polling, shifted towards a more secular culture. Nevertheless according to Gallup on 3.29.2024:
According to an average of all 2023 Gallup polling, about three in four Americans said they identify with a specific religious faith." "The vast majority of Americans have a religious preference -- predominantly a Christian one -- though that percentage is declining." "By far the largest proportion, 68%, identify with a Christian religion, including 33% who are Protestant, 22% Catholic and 13% who identify with another Christian religion or simply as a "Christian," per Gallup. With that backdrop consider the following.

According to left-leaning Google's AI powered Gemini is the following.

Proponents of Intelligent Design often cite examples like the complex structure of the human eye, the bacterial flagellum, and the blood clotting cascade as systems that appear "irreducibly complex," meaning they seem to require all their parts present at once to function, making it difficult to explain their evolution through gradual steps according to natural selection; this is considered a key argument against a purely evolutionary explanation and in favor of an intelligent designer.

Key examples of "intelligent design" arguments:

• The Human Eye: The intricate design of the eye, with its lens, retina, and multiple supporting structures, is often cited as an example where each component seems necessary for vision, making it hard to imagine how such a complex system could evolve gradually.
• Bacterial Flagellum: This microscopic motor used by bacteria for movement is considered highly complex, with multiple protein parts that must all work together to function, leading some to argue that it couldn't have evolved piecemeal.
• Blood Clotting Cascade: The series of chemical reactions that lead to blood clotting involves many proteins interacting in a precise sequence, and proponents of intelligent design claim that any missing component would render the system useless, making it hard to envision how it could evolve step-by-step.

Important points to consider:

• Scientific Consensus: The vast majority of scientists reject the idea of intelligent design as a viable scientific explanation, arguing that evolutionary mechanisms can account for complex structures like the eye through gradual adaptation and natural selection.
• Evolutionary Evidence: Scientists point to fossil evidence and genetic studies that show transitional forms and gradual changes in organisms over time, which contradicts the "irreducible complexity" argument.
• The Nature of Science: Intelligent design is often criticized for not being a falsifiable scientific theory, as it does not provide testable predictions or mechanisms to explain how design might occur.

Now, note the final three points are arguments used against intelligent design. But note too that there are counterarguments to each of those claims. For instance, the first bullet under "Important points to consider" said: "The vast majority of scientists reject the idea of intelligent design as a viable scientific explanation, arguing that evolutionary mechanisms can account for complex structures like the eye through gradual adaptation and natural selection." Set the statistical claim aside, as it has no specific source. The first three bullets are clear reasons why the first, second, or third are incorrect. While there is evidence from fossils for evolution, famously, there has never been found the so-called 'missing link' between claimed by some between apes and humans. And the odds against evolution of complex organisms can be in the billions to trillions to one.

The following question was put to left-leaning Bing's AI powered Copilot.

"According to some arguments against evolution, the odds against the evolution of complex organisms are often stated to be astronomically high, reaching into the billions or even trillions to one, suggesting that such complex life could not have arisen solely through chance mutations and natural selection; however, the scientific consensus strongly refutes this claim, highlighting that evolutionary processes operate over vast timescales and can accumulate beneficial changes gradually, making the likelihood of complex life far more plausible than such extreme odds would imply." That later point claims that the earth is billions of years old, allowing time for those vast odds. However, isn't it true that there is no certainty about the age of the earth? Furthermore, isn't it for a much smaller part of that timeline of the existence of the earth such that life might have evolved? Additionally, in the example of humanity, there are multiple complex organism that would essentially all have to have evolved at the same time, making the odds against that nearly incalculable, while the explanation for intelligent design, meaning, an eternal all powerful Creator far easier and more likely statistically and logically, right?"

Copilot replied in part after a long pros and cons list with the following.

"Both perspectives have their proponents and critics. Evolution is supported by a vast body of scientific evidence, while intelligent design raises questions about the origins of complexity that some find compelling.

Ultimately, the discussion involves not only scientific evidence but also philosophical and theological considerations. ..."

That last quoted sentence is arguably quite correct. Philosophers have since ancient times believed that there must be a Creator, because it alone seems to satisfy all the various doubts and uncertainties. Furthermore, because most Christians, Muslims, Jews and other religions routinely believe in free will, it should be obvious that humans can always find an excuse to ignore evidence that doesn't suit their desired response or taste.

In an article linked here is a rather simple response to this back and forth about how did humanity come to be question.

"Acorns come from oak trees. Oak trees come from acorns. So, which came first? Or eggs come from chickens, and chickens come from eggs. So, which came first?

Science, faith, and common sense all tell us that the chicken came first. As the Daily Mail reported: “It had long been suspected that the egg came first but now we have the scientific proof that shows that in fact the chicken came first,” said Dr. Colin Freeman, from Sheffield University’s Department of Engineering Materials. That’s like saying God came first, and God created the universe “in the beginning” like what the Biblical book of Genesis said.

That quotation from Dr. Freeman, per Google on this date, is only found on about 1050 websites. Why so few? In an information age, why has so little attention been paid to this researched remark?"

According to the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1.1 (NIV).

Christianity, Islam and Judaism all have some similarities including a belief in an afterlife. The afterlife is forever. Nothing is more important than our eternity. Our eternity, that of our family, friends, and neighbors – those are paramount.

That said, while we are in this world, we must earn our keep.

https://www.manufacturedhomelivingnews.com/seek-first-a-post-charlottesville-message-of-healing-and-principles-for-america/

So, life is a balance, and God has not left us without evidence. We have evidence that Jesus was a real person, from the Bible, but also from beyond the pages of the Bible. It has been said that no person in the ancient world has more evidence for their life than Jesus of Nazareth, born in Bethlehem, known as Jesus Christ. We happen to be in Advent, coming up on the Christmas season, as this article is being prepared.

For the past few years, the crowdfunded streaming video series The Chosen has been a sensation. It seeks to bring to life aspects of the life of Jesus that make the ancient stories relevant to all.

The story of humanity is one of tragedy mixed with joy with hope. The Christian message is that all of sinned, but that God is routinely giving us 'second chances,' the grace needed to overcome our weaknesses and to obtain eternal life. Let's be blunt. Even billionaires don't have it all. But with God, there is an offer of an eternity where we can all have what amounts to every healthy desire fulfilled. From 1 Corinthians 2:9: (NIV or New International Version) is this.

"However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived
the things God has prepared for those who love him."

There is much more found at the link here including multiple videos. Among them is one: "How a Baptist Pastor Went from Shroud of Turin SKEPTIC to DEFENDER | Glenn Beck (Beck is a Mormon or Later Day Saints (LDS). Jeremiah J. Johnston (Ph.D.) is the Baptist." The Shroud of Turin is perhaps the most scientifically studied ancient artificat ever. Millions believe it is the burial shroud of Jesus.

What that article doesn't have is a clip from the Chosen.

For those who refuse to believe, they are obviously able to do so. God didn't make us robots. But for those willing to use their God-given power to reason, the evidence for God is all around us.

Even in the time of Christ, Pilate asked a question that seems curiously modern. Pontious Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?" For those with an open mind and an open heart, the evidence is as close as the nearest mirror or a glance at your hands or other body parts. These are all among the amazing wonders that we have taken for granted.

We'll plan to dive more into this and related topics as we approach Christmas. Thanks for checking in and please share this increasingly popular series of diverse topics about life and how we can make it better shared here on this Patch with others.

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---> L. A. “Tony” Kovach is a publisher who has earned multiple awards in history. He and his family live in a manufactured home on private property in Winter Haven, FL. He is the co-founder of Manufactured Home Living News.com (MHLivingNews.com) and Manufactured Home Pro News.com (MHProNews.com), trade publications serving segments of the manufactured home industry. Having worked in several segments of the manufactured home industry for over 3 decades, Kovach is a widely acknowledged and often praised expert on manufactured housing. ###