[Calgaryborn]

Originally Posted by Gozer

How do you harmonize this with an omnipotent creator?
Is he malevolent, capricious, or inept?

He is righteous. What we are observing is an earth under judgement because of sin.

Originally Posted by Gozer

Please support your ratio of evidence-based conclusion to guesses.
(Spoiler alert! He can't because that claim is garbage, like most of this post).

Paleontologist Donald Prothero(a noted believer) said in his book "Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why it Matters"- Columbia University Press. that the total number of species of all kinds known through the fossil record was less than 5% of the number of known living species. This suggests that the number of species known through fossils must be less than 1% of all the species that have ever lived.

One percent of a thousand piece puzzle is 10 pieces. The other 990 pieces have to be imagined.

Originally Posted by Gozer

I understand their claims, and find that conclusion to be the most likely explanation.

Yup and that is called faith.

Originally Posted by Gozer

We can observe this complexity when we look at the same strain virus that our bodies must re-learn how to fight every year. We can observe this complexity when 99% of all species that have ever lived on this planet are now extinct. The evidence is all around you if you'd open your eyes.

What "we can be observed" do you consider to refute the theory that "nature left alone becomes more complexed" ?

First I should comment on your statement regarding viruses and our immune system. It is the current complexity of both the viruses and our bodies that allows this yearily struggle to take place.

Entropy is the answer to your question. We are witnessing the decline of everything into simpler forms. Earth and nature isn't building up by rather is in a state of decline. There is less variety in nature today than even 20 years ago. You can argue that variations that are occuring within a species proves otherwise but, the fact is we have less diversity today than yesterday. Animals, plants, fish, ect. are becoming rarier and many species have become extinct in our life time. This has been going on throughout recorded history.

Scientists have even created theories to explain the net loss in species. They hypothesize that somewhere at various distant times in the history of the planet there were periods of rapid mutation followed by long periods of weeding out of the weak. This of course represents a puzzle with no pieces other than the benefit of having no way to disprove it.

Originally Posted by Gozer

It is very silly to assert that your willful ignorance of a rudimentary scientific concept is somehow noble because your feelings get hurt defending it.

It appears to me that you are the one guilty of willful ignorance. You don't even know the limitations in the circumstantial evidence your theory is based on.

Originally Posted by Gozer

The Qur'an claims that the holy text takes precedence over observable evidence - you're welcome to take their zealots under your umbrella if willful ignorance is your criteria - we don't want them.

Yet you embrace scientific theory over observable evidence.