Hi gbrk:
Thanks for starting this amazing thread.
I agree with your argument against evolution as far as this is concerned: I do not believe that evolution continues back to ever simpler and simpler origins. Well, let me rephrase that… I believe that on this world life evolved from those simple forms promoted by the many materialists who post here… I just also believe that there is a plan and a purpose to evolution in the universe.
I see the universe as being a creation of eventual experiential perfection, not a random and chance juxtaposition of moving galaxies. And as such, I see it as imperfect, yet perfecting, the whole universe, not just this one planet. When a person looks at the deep field (not the deep fat field) view taken by the Hubble telescope, the idea that we are alone seems almost absurd. I mean there are millions of galaxies out there, each with million of suns, and each of those suns has the possiblilty of being orbited by worlds which could sustain life.
To me, knowing this, it is the supreme of hubris to think that we are somehow alone in the universe. To believe that we are somehow so all important that the God of the Universe would be so interested that anything we could do could actually anger him. God is God of a million worlds, a billion worlds. A few individuals who are planning to opt out of the eternal adventure could hardly be of such a great consequence to him. I am sure it happens all the time, on every evolutionary sphere.
In the end, I think, we will all get what we want. God gives to each of us all we will receive. If we are trapped in the mindset that all we can conceive of God is that he is somehow like us, vengeful, wrathful, a stern judge of men, well, that is OK… for now. It is all that these individuals can conceive. God is ever ready to respond to even the faintest flicker of faith. And even these individuals will someday truly find God, and find him to their complete satisfaction.
And if some would rather reject the eternal adventure, then this too, is their right. If this short life is all they wish, then they too will be granted their desire, again to their complete satisfaction. The goodness and love which they experienced, those things of lasting value, they will be returned to the over-control of experiential potential as a drop of water returns to the sea. Man can not stop the continuing experiential perfecting of the universe, but each of us has complete control in whether of not we are personal participants in that evolving perfection.
So, really, it is all good.
Take care
Al