[Liberal Classic]

Actually the idea of evolution predates Charles Darwin considerably. Darwin's contribution, other than being the father of the modern science of biology, was the idea of natural selection.

Why can't it be accepted that something we cannot identify started *life*, then evolution took over from there?

Ironically, you've just put your finger on the source of much needless contention. Evolutionary theory does not attempt to identify what started life. Only, as you say, that it took over from there.

[SteveMcKing]

Evolutionary theory does not attempt to identify what started life. Only, as you say, that it took over from there.

I think you mean natural selection, specifically. There are some good theories of how biochemistry gets started from the presumed brine of planetary chemistry.