>>Ideas of evolution, even if not so named, existed long before Darwin wrote his views down and long before Jefferson just as did the idea that one could look at the earth and detect a designer in the design, an obviously intelligent designer.<<
Which is a great theological and philosophical idea.
Just not a scientific one.
“Just not a scientific one.”
Not so. When an archaeologist finds a piece of fire baked clay how does he decide whether it is simply some wet clay that had a fire built over it or that it is a piece of pottery?