• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

How can you justify the sheer complexity that evolution would have to evolve?

wordy80

New Member
There are 3 billion base pairs in the human genom(a cell) and around 30-40 trillion cells in a human each specialized for a specific function.

There are approximately 86 billions of neurons in the brain.

The eye has a cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina, optical nerve, macula, fovea, Aqueous Humor, Vitreous Humor, Ciliary Muscles, sclera, Choroid and Conjunctiva to name a few. The eye can distinguish between 10 million colours.

The human gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, collectively known as the gut microbiome.

These are just a few incredible facts about the human body there are hundreds more.

This doesn't even touch on the origins of the first cell, first DNA, first multi cell etc etc

How can you expect anybody to believe that it was random mutations that ultimately created all of this, the complexity is ridiculous and there's no way all these complex organisms could have evolved to work together in harmony as they do?
 

Pogo

Well-Known Member
There are 3 billion base pairs in the human genom(a cell) and around 30-40 trillion cells in a human each specialized for a specific function.

There are approximately 86 billions of neurons in the brain.

The eye has a cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina, optical nerve, macula, fovea, Aqueous Humor, Vitreous Humor, Ciliary Muscles, sclera, Choroid and Conjunctiva to name a few. The eye can distinguish between 10 million colours.

The human gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, collectively known as the gut microbiome.

These are just a few incredible facts about the human body there are hundreds more.

This doesn't even touch on the origins of the first cell, first DNA, first multi cell etc etc

How can you expect anybody to believe that it was random mutations that ultimately created all of this, the complexity is ridiculous and there's no way all these complex organisms could have evolved to work together in harmony as they do?
Yes and the onion genome is five times as large ~16 billion base pairs and there is a fern that is 50 times as large ~160 billion base pairs.
dfdfdf.jpg.webp

What you are presenting is known as the argument from incredulity, also known as the divine fallacy.
I refer you to my prior reading suggestion.
Evolution 101
 

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
There are 3 billion base pairs in the human genom(a cell) and around 30-40 trillion cells in a human each specialized for a specific function.

There are approximately 86 billions of neurons in the brain.

The eye has a cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina, optical nerve, macula, fovea, Aqueous Humor, Vitreous Humor, Ciliary Muscles, sclera, Choroid and Conjunctiva to name a few. The eye can distinguish between 10 million colours.

The human gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, collectively known as the gut microbiome.

These are just a few incredible facts about the human body there are hundreds more.

This doesn't even touch on the origins of the first cell, first DNA, first multi cell etc etc

How can you expect anybody to believe that it was random mutations that ultimately created all of this, the complexity is ridiculous and there's no way all these complex organisms could have evolved to work together in harmony as they do?
Actually, since it is well known that living organisms change, and not always in conformity with other living organisms, and given that we also know that there have been billions of years of change going on, what would be much more surprising than the complexity we see before us is that such complexity didn't exist -- that there were very few, very simple, organisms.

So how do you explain that such simplicity does not exist?
 

Clizby Wampuscat

Well-Known Member
There are 3 billion base pairs in the human genom(a cell) and around 30-40 trillion cells in a human each specialized for a specific function.

There are approximately 86 billions of neurons in the brain.

The eye has a cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina, optical nerve, macula, fovea, Aqueous Humor, Vitreous Humor, Ciliary Muscles, sclera, Choroid and Conjunctiva to name a few. The eye can distinguish between 10 million colours.

The human gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, collectively known as the gut microbiome.

These are just a few incredible facts about the human body there are hundreds more.

This doesn't even touch on the origins of the first cell, first DNA, first multi cell etc etc

How can you expect anybody to believe that it was random mutations that ultimately created all of this, the complexity is ridiculous and there's no way all these complex organisms could have evolved to work together in harmony as they do?
If you say so. I am convinced by the evidence but it is your prerogative to not be convinced due to incredulity.
 

Copernicus

Industrial Strength Linguist
There are 3 billion base pairs in the human genom(a cell) and around 30-40 trillion cells in a human each specialized for a specific function.

There are approximately 86 billions of neurons in the brain.

The eye has a cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina, optical nerve, macula, fovea, Aqueous Humor, Vitreous Humor, Ciliary Muscles, sclera, Choroid and Conjunctiva to name a few. The eye can distinguish between 10 million colours.

The human gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, collectively known as the gut microbiome.

These are just a few incredible facts about the human body there are hundreds more.

This doesn't even touch on the origins of the first cell, first DNA, first multi cell etc etc

How can you expect anybody to believe that it was random mutations that ultimately created all of this, the complexity is ridiculous and there's no way all these complex organisms could have evolved to work together in harmony as they do?

The answer is that evolution requires a span of time that is very difficult for humans to grasp intuitively. We tend to think in terms of human lifespans and generations of offspring. So, although our evolution has taken place over an immense length of time and numbers of generations, we feel intuitively that there just hasn't been enough time for something as complex as the human eye to evolve. It is tempting to think that some kind of designer must have intervened to make it happen so quickly. But it can take a very long time for biological changes that promote survival (and therefore more progeny) to spread through a human population. Evolution takes place much more quickly in fruit flies, because their generations are relatively short. And viruses evolve so rapidly that we need to get annual vaccination boosters for some communicable diseases.

Richard Dawkins has written an excellent book on just this subject: Climbing Mount Improbable. It is devoted to debunking claims that probability somehow contradicts biological evolution, and he does an excellent job of helping the reader to develop an intuitive grasp of long periods of time that vastly exceed the human lifecycle.

Arguments from incredulity are informal fallacies that often drive religious arguments, so they are sometimes called the divine fallacy.
 
Last edited:

Dan From Smithville

The Flying Elvises, Utah Chapter
Staff member
Premium Member
of course neutrinos evolve (roll out) they have spin don't they.;)
Of course, I don't know what magic is really, so I have no idea what it can allegedly do. Don't even know that it exists.

But neutrinos, they spin me round. Right round. Like a record.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
There are 3 billion base pairs in the human genom(a cell) and around 30-40 trillion cells in a human each specialized for a specific function.

There are approximately 86 billions of neurons in the brain.

The eye has a cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina, optical nerve, macula, fovea, Aqueous Humor, Vitreous Humor, Ciliary Muscles, sclera, Choroid and Conjunctiva to name a few. The eye can distinguish between 10 million colours.

The human gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, collectively known as the gut microbiome.

These are just a few incredible facts about the human body there are hundreds more.

This doesn't even touch on the origins of the first cell, first DNA, first multi cell etc etc

How can you expect anybody to believe that it was random mutations that ultimately created all of this, the complexity is ridiculous and there's no way all these complex organisms could have evolved to work together in harmony as they do?
The short answer....
Evolution has gazillions of organisms per species.
There are gazillions of species existing over billions of years.
Tiny changes over the lifetimes of organisms will add up to macro changes.

It's not the answer you want.
But the vast amount of info involved is far beyond
the scope of this thread, & above my pay grade.
The best way for you to find answers is to study
relevant works on the primary & related subjects.
 
Of course, I don't know what magic is really, so I have no idea what it can allegedly do. Don't even know that it exists.

But neutrinos, they spin me round. Right round. Like a record.

Back in 2007, while I was giving final exams, my wife told then Senator Barack Obama that he would be the next President of the United States of America.

She was concerned for the safety of him and his family, given the dangers posed by the gundamentalists (like one of our armed forum members here), so she cast a magic spell on Senator Obama to keep him and his family safe.

They’re still alive to this day.


 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
A few things to keep in mind:
  • "Complexity" is not a scientific concept. Rather, it is more of an aesthetic one. There is no justifying "complexity" in the sciences any more than there is justifying "beauty" or "ugliness" - it's a subjective and very personal reaction certain humans have to witnessing the wonders of the world around us.
  • 3.5 billion years is a very, very, very, very, very, very, very long time. That's roughly how long life has been on Earth. Human lifetimes are extremely brief - none of us really has any comprehension of these massive time scales. Our incredulousness at how these things are possible on these massive time scales is more symptomatic of human limits of perception than anything else.
  • Nothing in biology makes sense except in light of biological evolution. If you are not a scientist or don't have a job where biology is a significant part of your work, it really doesn't matter what you believe about any of this. If you find it hard to believe, then don't. The mechanisms of evolution will continue regardless and don't particularly care what you believe about them.
And, most importantly - experiencing awe and wonder and the splendor of the gods (aka, nature) is not only normal, but routine. I suppose if you aren't a Pagan like myself, you would frame it more like experiencing awe and wonder at God's creation. Nothing about biological evolution is incompatible with accepting the gods are present within the world or had a hand in the making of things. While accepting the gods is not a scientific perspective, it doesn't have to be. Science is only one way of knowing among many. And while it's one that I personally enjoy a great deal, I can't imagine limiting oneself to it. There's just no need to. By all means, continue to be inspired by emotions of awe and wonder, let the muses of ages past and their mythic stories speak to you, let your soul of souls shine.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
There are 3 billion base pairs in the human genom(a cell) and around 30-40 trillion cells in a human each specialized for a specific function.

There are approximately 86 billions of neurons in the brain.

The eye has a cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina, optical nerve, macula, fovea, Aqueous Humor, Vitreous Humor, Ciliary Muscles, sclera, Choroid and Conjunctiva to name a few. The eye can distinguish between 10 million colours.

The human gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, collectively known as the gut microbiome.

These are just a few incredible facts about the human body there are hundreds more.

This doesn't even touch on the origins of the first cell, first DNA, first multi cell etc etc

How can you expect anybody to believe that it was random mutations that ultimately created all of this, the complexity is ridiculous and there's no way all these complex organisms could have evolved to work together in harmony as they do?
Because we can directly observe what makes what and even how to a degree.

Complexity is really compromised of simpler components.
 

Dan From Smithville

The Flying Elvises, Utah Chapter
Staff member
Premium Member
Back in 2007, while I was giving final exams, my wife told then Senator Barack Obama that he would be the next President of the United States of America.

She was concerned for the safety of him and his family, given the dangers posed by the gundamentalists (like one of our armed forum members here), so she cast a magic spell on Senator Obama to keep him and his family safe.

They’re still alive to this day.


Me too. And lots of other people also. Many of us are still alive.

I don't know of anyone that fits the description of what I take gundamentalist to mean. Merely owning firearms and supporting the 2nd Amendment doesn't seem to be proper criteria for that.
 

Dan From Smithville

The Flying Elvises, Utah Chapter
Staff member
Premium Member
Back in 2007, while I was giving final exams, my wife told then Senator Barack Obama that he would be the next President of the United States of America.

She was concerned for the safety of him and his family, given the dangers posed by the gundamentalists (like one of our armed forum members here), so she cast a magic spell on Senator Obama to keep him and his family safe.

They’re still alive to this day.


I recall praying for President Obama way back when. Perhaps it was my prayers that were answered that kept him and his family out of harms way. That and the large number of armed Secret Service agents.
 
Top