Is this valid?

[Halbhh]

But you had the right idea of it. Consider this: God's plan requires a creature with self-aware intelligence. That's all. It doesn't necessarily have to be an erect, bi-pedal mammal (Can you not imagine a species of intelligent crustaceans who decorate their places of worship with pots of boiling water?). As you have observed, developmental lines converge on successful traits. Could it be that the kind of cognitive ability required is such a convergent point? God conceived of the process of evolution and set it going in the omniscient certainty that the kind of creature he required would sooner or later inevitably emerge?

Do you mean cognitive ability as the key 'in His image' part? If so, maybe. I tend to think that means pretty closely in outward form too, myself. But, do we even know how closely forms could converge given sufficient time?
Consider the huge advantage of the true bipedal -- we can exhaust prey animals by chasing them down on foot, no traps required, no matter how fast they can run. Not to mention there is always the possibility of inserting genes should He choose to (and why not?). It is an interesting thing how closely forms can converge though. Just whoa! Like the blue irises for eyes further down in the article. Perhaps forms could even converge in some niches profoundly like the plants at the top.

 

[Speedwell]

Do you mean cognitive ability as the key 'in His image' part? If so, maybe.

Look at the lessons we were taught. Man must know good and evil, and be able to contemplate his own mortality. That is what separates us from the other creatures. That is what self-aware intelligence is.

I tend to think that means pretty closely in outward form too, myself. But, do we even know how closely forms could converge given sufficient time?

Does God have an outward form? He took ours when He came here.

Not to mention there is always the possibility of inserting genes should He choose to (and why not?).

Why not? If you can show it happened. My position is that there was no need for it.

 

[DogmaHunter]

? perhaps you need another topic thread for that, but we are definitely bound to some definite constraints alright.

Really? Wich constraints would that be?
Because it seems to me that there isn't anything you can't claim on the basis of religion.

Dead people coming alive, seas being split, food falling from the sky, living inside a fish for a couple of days, the sun "standing still" in the sky, magicing water into wine, ....


What constraints? Certainly not physical or logical constraints...
The whole idea of supernatural stuff is that it happily violates or suspends physics.

After all, an "all powerfull god" can do anything. Even the impossible. Perhaps even especially the impossible.

 

[Halbhh]

That's right in a way -- God can do what we consider "impossible" in ordinary reality. Because He exists.

 

[DogmaHunter]

That's right in a way -- God can do what we consider "impossible" in ordinary reality. Because He exists.

Right. So.... no boundaries, no constraints. Anything goes.

Just like I said: on religion / faith, there is NOTHING that you can't claim (or believe, for that matter).

 

[Halbhh]

When people consider God to have abilities that are God-like, that means they are just saying God can accomplish anything, without limits? No constraints. Yes, that's pretty close! Still, to find out about God more accurately (far more accurately), you'd do far better to read what the most knowledgable person said, his own sayings on that, such as ascertained by one reviewer:

"1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you..."
Luke 1 NIV

 

[DogmaHunter]

When people consider God to have abilities that are God-like, that means they are just saying God can accomplish anything, without limits? No constraints. Yes, that's pretty close! Still, to find out about God more accurately (far more accurately), you'd do far better to read what the most knowledgable person said, his own sayings on that, such as ascertained by one reviewer:

"1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you..."
Luke 1 NIV

Those are still just claims, no matter who wrote them down.
Regardless, I don't see how that alters the point I made.