[js1138]

And to have a one-celled organism (which in itself is an astonishingly complicated machine) that replicates itself using gene controllers come into being from nothing in only a few billion years is simply impossible.

Simply impossible in one step, but no one believe it happened in one step, or even a thousand steps. Natural replicators can be brewed up in any college chemistry lab . Chemistry does not have to be close to life to achieve self-replication. No one knows what steps might have led to replicating cells, so no one can calculate the odds. Perhaps it is impossible, but it is not outside the realm of science to find out.

[SirJohnBarleycorn]

Huh? I didn't say anything about "one step". The analogy is NOT that the monkey produces King Lear in a single keystroke.

That's why these threads are so worthless, everyone's debating their own strawmen.