Life, its existence and evolution is explained. Nothing surprising about it. The only source of surprise by individual researchers must be due to their ignorance of theory. Existing theory has already predicted their results. They shouldn’t be surprised.

So what's up with that "surprise"?

Mike Gene may correct me on this, but I was always under the impression that the biological evolutionary process was designed, "front-loaded."

What say you, Bilbo?

So “critics” who argue that “front-loading” = evolution are arguing “design” = evolution.

Uh, duh. (Or is it "Dough!!")

What's the difference? What's the difference between design and evolution? Other than "theosophical" repsonses, I've never heard a scientific answer.

According to Mike gene's critics there is none!

Icd: The question I have is why would they front load the genome? If we are to keep God out of the equation, something I fully support when it comes to Front Loading, what else is Front Loaded? Why did the designer of these bacteria Front Load them?

Icd, I'm not quite sure why you think Front Loading means that God planned the Fall. Looks like a non sequitur. Perhaps you can explain that one to me.

Meanwhile, the designer, God, aliens, or other, may have front loaded the cells in order to exploit the inevitable forces of Darwinian evolution, where random mutation and natural selection are bound to happen. Realizing this, the designer front-loaded information into the first cells that would eventually be revealed by evolution.

Are humans Front Loaded and if so, Front Loaded how? How do we detect Front Loading? How do we find what is being Front Loaded and how can we predict it vs coming in after the fact?

All good questions. Right now, Mike Gene is just trying to answer the question, Is Front Loading Evolution even plausible? And he keeps finding information that suggest that it is.

That depends on your definition of evil. For example, if killing things because you're bored counts as evil then much of the animal kingdom qualifies.

Are you asking a question with morality in mind? Your morality or a snails morality? Where does this morality exist but within construct of 'your' mind and originating from what many believe is a mindless beginning? Where does morality exist in mindless matter from a mindless origin?

You tell me why killing in the animal kingdom is OK but killing mankind is bad. Intelligence? Fine… Define intelligence (who should live and die). Do this with only science in mind. I don’t want to see any theology brought into the picture.

If the only evil you see is the only animal made in god's image that doesn't speak well to god's benevolence either.

Lions are what they are - lions. They eat gazelles. Tornadoes blow, hurricanes rain, earth quakes, volcanoes blow. You'll have this. None of it's got a real choice, isn't that what you keep telling us? Surprise, surprise. I believe it too.

Humans are indeed qualitatively different, thus quite possibly quantitatively different. The Book says humans had a choice, and made it. It doesn't give anything else a choice. I'm just talking about what the metaphors and allegories in Genesis say to me, per that tradition. What I learned mostly from my godparents. They were Jews, whose origin mythology Genesis *is*. I've never considered it anything else - a description of the situation humanity finds itself in, how and why it came about, and that sets the stage for the entirety of history that follows. History is a human endeavor, you know. It's not an endeavor of beavers or turtles.

I do pretty much believe in consciousness and freedom of will. Thus I believe in choice. Humans are nothing if not adept at blaming their bad choices on somebody else, but I've never found that the least bit convincing. Too many children - including juvenile delinquents - in my life. It's kind of like the 12-year old brat who hits that girl he likes WHILE you're looking right at him, then whines to high heaven that "I didn't do it! It's not my fault!" Horsehockey.

That Jesus guy made it so simple that nobody's ever going to come up with anything easier to understand. Love One Another. Forgive their trespass. We can't even accomplish that much. And you want to blame GOD for that? [sheesh!]

The old argument of - “I just believe in one less god then you” - can be reversed by any theist to say - “I believe that love, joy, beauty, morality, etc. actually does exist”.

Joy: The 'problem of evil' isn't as big a problem as you like to believe. Humans are evil. What else in nature can make that claim?

That depends on your definition of evil. For example, if killing things because you're bored counts as evil then much of the animal kingdom qualifies. It's interesting though that you would imply that it is only god's most precious and penultimate creation, man, that is evil. If the only evil you see is the only animal made in god's image that doesn't speak well to god's benevolence either.

But as a few of my atheist and non-religious friends, like our friend Todd, would point out that if our God did if fact know about sin entering His perfect Creation, it wouldn't be perfect and, well again as Todd pointed out, would make God less than benevolent.

The way it speaks to me… it was all 'good' before the choice to know good AND evil. God didn't make the choice, but he did put the choice (by means of reverse psychology) in front of humanity. I doubt he was all that surprised by the outcome, because the back-question is…

Why did God create humans? If he wanted good slaves, he could have made some. The stock was here. Apparently he didn't need more heavenly hosts and adoring cherubim. Or maybe didn't want more of the same old same old. Who knows? I don't, but I sure don't see the question as a God-Killer.

Todd B.:

Had you read the article FMM linked, you would know it's yet another failed attempt to reconcile a benevolent Christian god with the problem of evil.

The 'problem of evil' isn't as big a problem as you like to believe. Humans are evil. What else in nature can make that claim?