The Narrative of Evolution

Humans are not primarily rational beings; we are storytellers by nature. Our cognition is structured around narratives, which communicate more holistically and resonate with our emotions and spirit.

We are drawn to stories that align with our understanding of existence, even if they lack rational coherence. This is why some individuals can find enjoyment and belief in tales that seem illogical, such as the theory of evolution.

As a screenwriter, I would be ridiculed if I presented a narrative with as many inconsistencies as the story of evolution. I specifically mention 'evolution through random chance' because that is usually what is implied by the term 'evolution,' though many fail to articulate the full implications of their stance.

The 'random' aspect is crucial, as theists like myself readily acknowledge that genetic mutations contribute to evolution. This is evidently part of our organic reality. Change is undeniably a core aspect of existence.

Life does evolve, but I do not believe that these processes are accidental. For the materialist perspective to hold, the observable changes and the evolving narrative of our reality must be devoid of intelligence or purpose; they must unfold unintentionally.

Thus, we arrive at the story of 'evolution through random chance.'

I may not be doing this narrative justice, but as I learned in school, it goes something like this: Life began during the early stages of planetary evolution, possibly sparked by lightning striking a primordial ooze.

From this serendipitous event, the fundamental components of life emerged. Simple forms evolved into complex organisms over extensive periods, despite the consistent laws of physics.

After eons, atoms transformed into single-celled organisms, which eventually led to the reign of dinosaurs, some of whom perished while others survived. These beings competed, and through instinctual behaviors, they passed information to their offspring, benefiting from random mutations that enhanced their competitive abilities.

Thus, over immense spans of time, simple life forms evolved into complex entities, including humans and other diverse organisms. In the end, humans emerged as the apex of evolution, dominating all forms of life.

Critiquing the Narrative of Evolution

This story does not resonate with me. Although it places humans at the pinnacle of evolution, I cannot overlook its glaring inconsistencies.

These flaws undermine the entire narrative, especially when individuals insist that it is 'scientific' or factual. The criticism of this 'theory' could fill volumes.

To start, there is zero scientific evidence demonstrating that life can arise from a lifeless primordial medium. No peer-reviewed, reproducible experiments have validated this possibility, making claims of an 'evidence-based' theory dubious at best.

Few scientific theories have withstood the test of time since Darwin's "Origin of Species." Our understanding of reality has expanded significantly since then.

In Darwin's era, it was commonly believed that complex forms evolved from simpler ones, but we now recognize that even the simplest entities exhibit complexity comparable to larger organisms. The idea that straightforward building blocks for life exist is outdated.

We have since learned that life emerges from a fundamental field of information and energy. To suggest that this process is entirely accidental is absurd. Similarly, the notion that biological life originates from mere atomic components is a relic of outdated thinking.

The discovery of DNA should have discredited the idea of random accidental evolution, but it hasn't. DNA is essential for evolution; one cannot have accidental mutations without organisms possessing DNA that can be inherited.

To clarify, one cannot explain the evolution of DNA through random mutations since such mutations rely on the preexistence of DNA. Furthermore, DNA itself is not something that could emerge accidentally.

It operates like firmware, utilizing a base-4 code to determine the nature and behavior of biochemical organisms. It functions as a nano-factory, interacting with its surroundings and storing immense amounts of information, which we have been studying for decades.

In essence, DNA is extraordinarily complex, and it appears to exist for a specific purpose: enabling organic life.

Setting aside the implication that a code necessitates a coder, I challenge anyone to explain how a lightning strike on a pool of ooze could produce DNA.

While some materialists argue that RNA is the fundamental building block of life, this perspective does little to strengthen their case. RNA, though simpler than DNA, cannot be the foundational element of biology arising from random interactions among elemental particles.

RNA also contains a base-4 structure, stores information, responds to its environment, and operates purposefully. Such building blocks could not emerge from natural phenomena like rain or lightning.

Deeper Issues

The notion of a primordial ooze is frequently presented as the origin of evolution, but this is misleading. The story must account for the myriad missing links in the causal chain extending through billions of years of cosmogenesis.

To begin the evolution narrative after the formation of Earth and the conditions necessary for life is to concede more than is justified. Life, and the prerequisites for its evolution, originated long before Earth existed.

Life on Earth requires a sun positioned at an optimal distance, as well as chemical molecules formed long ago from distant stellar explosions.

To genuinely argue for accidental evolution, one must trace back to the story's beginning, typically regarded as the Big Bang.

The primary outcome of the Big Bang was superheated plasma, which eventually formed atoms, molecules, stars, and planets, leading to the astonishing diversity of life we see today.

Moreover, this must also account for consciousness. The plasma must have given rise to both consciousness and intelligence, as they undeniably exist.

To deny the reality of consciousness is to overlook the vast experiential evidence supporting its significance. Everything we create, from technology to art, originates in someone's mind before materializing in physical form.

Thus, anyone claiming that random accidental evolution elucidates life on this planet must also explain how supercharged plasma led to consciousness, intelligence, biology, elemental forces, and the fundamental laws of physics.

This is an immense challenge, one that remains unmet. Personally, I doubt it ever will be.

Between the Big Bang and the primordial ooze, countless miraculous occurrences would need to align perfectly to allow life to transition from that primordial pool to our current state.

If the strong nuclear force were slightly altered, life would cease to exist. The same goes for the weak nuclear force, gravitational force, and electromagnetic force. Any minor variance in the universe's expansion or Earth's position relative to the sun would have prevented life.

The fine-tuning of the universe's development is miraculous. Yet, the materialist must still contend that everything, from the Big Bang onward, emerged from Nothing.

This implies that despite the absence of cause and effect, from that Nothing arose a plasma that evolved into a universe filled with vibrational frequencies, music, and unique notes.

I struggle to accept that Nothing could achieve such feats, but many do. Furthermore, no one has yet attempted to experimentally prove that something can arise from nothing.

Consequently, there is no scientific basis to assert that the narrative of evolution through random accident is anything more than a mere story.

The Multiverse Escape

Materialists must address the staggering improbabilities associated with all these necessary conditions for our existence.

While I am not a mathematician, I understand that the odds against such coincidental occurrences are astronomically higher than the likelihood of a person hitting a bullseye from across the universe.

This is why the concept of the Multiverse has become a refuge for informed materialists who recognize the improbability of all these events occurring in our universe.

A staunch materialist might dismiss the statistical unlikelihood of our existence by asserting that we exist in a Multiverse with an almost infinite number of universes. Thus, it is statistically inevitable that at least one contains life, and we just happen to reside in that one.

This perspective undermines the entire quest for explanation. If an extraterrestrial craft appeared and began altering our environment, a materialist could simply attribute it to chance within a multiverse, negating the need for any causal explanation.

Even if such a craft abducted them and subjected them to bizarre experiences, they could still assert that no reason exists for these phenomena—they are mere accidents in a universe filled with random occurrences.

In essence, causal explanations are rendered unnecessary in a multiverse where anything can happen. We are left with only physical sensations and awareness of particles in motion, simply because we inhabit that universe.

This intellectual retreat is fundamentally flawed. The materialist must now explain not only how one universe came into being but also how an almost infinite number of them emerged by chance. This increases the complexity of their argument exponentially.

Additionally, they must acknowledge their inability to ascertain whether life exists in those other universes. Their mathematical reasoning suggests otherwise, yet they cannot know for certain, leading to mere speculation passed off as credible explanation.

Some quantum physicists propose that alternative universes may bear life and differ in narratives and characteristics. While I believe we exist in a multiverse, I do not find the existence of an accidental multiverse any more plausible than that of an accidental universe; in fact, it seems even less plausible to me.

In Conclusion

We are drawn to stories that resonate with our understanding of existence. While the world can be harsh and full of despair, many find comfort in a narrative that explains how life evolved without purpose.

However, it is undeniable that our reality is also filled with wonder, mystery, and magic, which demands a different kind of explanation. Nature operates as a master creator, a force that unfolds through all we know, present in each moment of our shared narrative.

And it appears to me that this force knows precisely what it is doing.