[John Locke]

I rather think of this issue in terms of Paley's Watchmaker. My watches are man-made, and sometimes need new batteries, resetting, repair, and so on. But a watch made by God would run perfectly forever, not needing any intervention.

There is also chance in the Universe. My children are what they are as a result of random shuffling of chromosomes - but I still love them all. And maybe we are featherless bipeds through variation and natural selection - but God still loves us. And I have no difficulty in believing that he foresaw that his Creation would evolve beings in his own image - that is to say, rational beings capable of moral choice.

[allmendream]

I agree.