It's not irrelevant, if our desire is to fully understand the entire process by which the Almighty's grand biological "experiment" is being conducted.
And I disagree the out come is predetermined. It's apparent both in word and in nature that it isn't. God wasn't satisfied with his previous results and wiped out many species according to the word. Likewise, physical evidence of mass extinctions is fact.
Summarizing Einstein: our understanding is only what we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble minds." It does all make for interesting study and lively debate and the rest I pretty much agree with you on. :-)
Agreed, my favorite analogy is of the Universe as a giant casino, with many slot machines, each of which randomly rewards players.
But the machines are "rigged" so that the House (God) wins overall, long term.
Just an idea...