I believe yes He had control over the direction of evolution. I believe that He created life forms with the ability to adapt to their environment. I believe He put forth a system that minimized the harm that this system would produce.
That makes no sense....
This system is exceptionally cruel.
It is entirely based on the harsh struggle of survival.
It's like a straight up arms race between species.
Antilopes just fast enough to outrun hungry lions.
Lions just fast enough to outrun antilopes to devour.
Micro-organisms that cause terrible suffering, etc.
It's actually a system of death.
What are horrible organisms? What "horrible" organism is there that does not have some good that is accomplished by its existence?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yersinia_pestis
What "good" is accomplished by the existance of this thing that outweighs the incredible harm it causes?
More then 100 million people have died from it.
I believe that God has created a universe that He wished to show His existence. It then has to be able to be comprehended by us to do so. The laws of physics and the nature of the way He created while showing this also creates possible harm to us
Funny. I'ld say that a universe that looks like that would rather be an argument
against the existence of god(s).
Rationality is not something that your worldview produces. You can't have rationality unless free will exists.
Hmmm. Are you know saying that in my worldview, no free will exists?
Perhaps you should stop assuming what other people think and just ask them instead.
You can't have rationality unless intelligence comes from intelligence rather than mindless matter
That doesn't follow. At all.
When a cat decides not to jump straight down from a roof, but instead first jump unto a crate and only then to the ground, it is making a rational decision. It realises that jumping from the roof directly will cause physical harm, so it doesn't do that.
I'ld call that a rational decision.
Secondly, intelligence doesn't need to come from intelligence in order to have rationality. If we assume that rationality is a trait from intelligence, then it doesn't matter how intelligence arises. Then to have rationality, it just needs to exist
by whatever means.
If X is a property of Y, then X exists if Y exists - no matter where Y comes from.
You're trying to slip in your a priori faith based beliefs.
You can't have rationality if you claim that we only have a physical brain that comes from matter alone.
Again, that makes no sense. It doesn't follow.
If rationality is a product of a working physical brain, then it doesn't matter where the brain comes from.
Again: If X is a property of Y, then X exists if Y exists - no matter where Y comes from.
Once more, you try to slip in your faith based beliefs.
So to tell me that I can't be rational while claiming the brain and mind are the same makes your argument one that you can't rationally make but make due to the way you are hard wired to think.
That's not at all what I said.
I merely stated that holding contradictory positions is not rational.
I didn't say anything about where rationality comes from, so I have no clue why you are rambling about that.
I suspect it's just another attempt to change the topic and derail.
Just like alien abductees "experienced" weird sexual experiments on board of a UFO.
Or so they believe.
What horrible things? Disease? Man made evil? Which because there is reason for both.
The topic of the point. Horrible organisms causing horrible deaths.
Do you even read the quotes you reply to?
I said that in order for the word "morality" to have any meaning at all, one needs to acknowledge the difference between suffering and well-being.
Acknowledging this difference is a
requirement for even understanding what morals are. A
premise.
If well-being and suffering are understood as being the same thing, what does it mean to call something "immoral"?
Ok, what makes something morally good or bad if we can only behave the way we are hard wired to behave?
I never made such a claim. I see no need to defend claims I never made.
I don't agree at all that we are hard wired to
behave in a certain way.
He designed a universe with a system that harm could be produced by things that have a good reason.
What good reason is there for cancer?
And since he intervened, in your belief, in the development of humans, why did he not intervene in the development of the black plague? What "good reason" exists for the black plague?
I think the problem doesn't rest with my position but your lack of understanding.
Perhaps. And I actually consider that option. Which is why I'm asking all these questions. But you're not making it any easier to understand.
In fact, you're only making it harder.
First you implied that horrid organisms are an unintended side-effect of the system.
Then you claimed that the horrid organisms were planned for.
Then you claimed again that they are just a consequence of the system.
Then again you claim they are planned.
And so it continues.