Atheism

Well... this is awkward...

I will assume that Con's opening statement was his only argument, then.
Based on the analogy he utilized, he seems to be implying that the universe is too complicated for it to have came into being by naturalistic means.
Since it is likely that he is going to forfeit the rest of this debate as well, I'm not going to put forth too much effort in explaining why naturalistic processes CAN explain the origins and development of the universe...


Cosmology- There is no reason to believe that it is impossible for the universe to have come into existence via the big bang without external cause. We have never observed nothingness before; we have never observed a plane of existence in which space and time do not exist. There is a very strong possibility that the conditions of pure nothingness are radically different to the point that our metaphysical intuitions, including that of determinism, no longer hold true. We simply cannot assume that the big bang must have had an external cause, as it would have come about from nothingness, a thing which we do not know enough about to jump to such conclusions.

Earth & Life- There are trillions of planets in this universe; we have already discovered many different earth-like planets just in our relative proximity, so it is not surprising that out of the trillions of planets out their, there would be several that are just like Earth. This shows that Earth having the properties it has is nothing special at all, refuting any notion that it must have been "fine-tuned by an intelligent designer to support life". We have also observed through simulations such as the Miller-Urey experiment that 6 simple elements (i.e. Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Sulfur, Phosphorus, Nitrogen) make up the vast majority of organic compounds known to us. These organic compounds naturally react to form primitive cells, leading into the next step...

Evolution- There is ample evidence in the form of preserved DNA and fossil record that naturalistic evolution did happen. Random mutations at the genetic level cause certain traits to form within individuals. Some of those traits just so happen to be favored by the environment, allowing the individuals possessing those traits to survive long enough to reproduce and pass down those traits to their offspring. Eventually, through that process, entire populations "evolve" to possess those traits. This is the process known as evolution. It is clearly completely naturalistic and does allow for life to develop and gain complexity through the gradual addition of advantageous traits. Evolution adequately explains how life developed on Earth to the point that it is at today, and is also completely consistent with available evidence.


I have shown that not only is it possible, but that there is also plenty of evidence for the notion that the Universe came into being through completely naturalistic means, thus refuting the intelligent design/fine-tuning argument that my opponent seems to have made in his Round 1.

Hopefully my opponent doesn't forfeit all the remaining rounds...