Quote:
BEAJ wrote
His evidence for God is predicated on thy "why" did the big bang occur, and "why" was genetic mutation even possible to begin with. So I'm sure my answer won't satisfy him.
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Without genetic mutation, there would be no evolution. Mutation is how new information enters a gene pool. Without it - as creationists dishonestly but correctly point out - the net amount of information stored in the genes can at best remain the same, and would actually be expected to decrease.
Thus the "why" of mutation is answered by evolution and the mere existence of life around us. If there were none, the evolution of complex life would not be possible, and we would not exist. If I can put it more clearly, imagine a species which copies its genetic material perfectly. Individuals reproduce and compete for limited resources, and thus selection occurs on their genes, removing the bad ones and keeping the better ones. After time, the species stagnates. Every individual would share more or less the same genetic make-up, and there would be no new material for selection to occur on, so when the environment inevitably changes, the species would likely be out competed by those who could adequately adapt. Similar reasoning also shows why species which reproduce sexually vastly outnumber and out compete those who simply make perfect clones of themselves (at least among animals more complicated than flatworms and such).
Furthermore, a basis of life which did not allow for mutation could never have gotten off the ground. All of life would have stalled at simple replication, and likely would have gone extinct once their resources were exhausted. The mere fact that we exist shows that this is not the case, and looking for answers in the supernatural gets you nowhere.
For historical perspective, there was much argument in the 18th century over why we happen to live in a solar system where all of the planets orbit in the same direction. Famous mathematicians argued that the probability of every planet orbiting in the same direction was so remote that God must have started them all going. After all, the chance of each direction ought to be 50%. Compound that by the planets and asteroids known at the time, and the observed evidence would seem positively amazing. Of course today - apart from knowing that there are moons which do orbit backwards - we have a well-supported theory which describes the planets forming from an accretion disc, which would have been forced to rotate as a whole, and in one direction. The "why" is answered by simple physics, which shows that the 50% assumption was totally unfounded. In actuality, the probability of any body revolving, and especially orbiting against the other is very small.
If that sounds familiar, it's because the same argument, complete with logical fallacies, is used today, except it involves a 747, a junk yard, and a hurricane. Those creationists are so original.
Thus, the assumption that "why" questions can only be answered by "God did it" is, and always has been, absolute bullshit when you actually bother to think about it and utilize science. It may make you sound skeptical, but really it just makes you a dishonest douchebag who can't be bothered to educate yourself.