Is the existence of gratuitous beauty in the world better explained by God or naturalistic evolution?

Question

Both feature: The world itself and our minds that apprehend it. (why?)

Answer 1

Beauty changes over time. If it were given to us by God, certainly it would be static. I live nestled up against the Rocky Mountains, and when I look out on Longs Peak, with snow blowing off its jagged peak, I'm struck with awe.

The settlers in covered wagons hoping to cross the Rocky Mountains may have felt awe, but it wasn't in appreciating of the beauty of nature -- those Mountains meant weeks or months of misery.

Human notions of beauty -- of body fat -- have changed considerably in the past 200 years. It makes sense that in times of greater adversity, heavier women were more appealing. They were more likely to survive a brutal winter and that was perceived in beauty. Yet in our society of plenty, the ability to abstain from excess is now beautiful. This attests to our vision of beauty in the opposite sex is a function of our reproductive system.

Answer 2

It is evidence for neither. The pleasure center (the seat of beauty) is not predictable. It can trigger on anything; sexual fetishes are a classic "miswiring". So much of what we preceive as beautiful is based on culture and experience. Imagine a broad open beach next to bright blue waters with gently breaking waves. A primitive hunter might see it as open without cover. Some people might feel alone. Some people might think about the dangers under the water. Although tranquil scenes might be favorable for contemplating religious thoughts, beauty is too subjective a phenomenon to prove or disprove God.

Answer 3

the problem with the big bang and evolution is this.
First that says that everything was created by accident, yet evolution claims that only the strong survive.
Now if something occurs by accident then evolves to improve, that shows some sort of intellegince, in other words what determines what passes to the next stage of evolution.
I never hear of any germs or microbes testing each gene to see if it's strong enough to pass on.

Only through intelligent can something be created. take a clock, dictionary or even the human eye. All the greatest archeticts in the world say that no one can create a more perfect eye. sounds pretty intelligent to me.

Answer 4

Well here is another false question set up by a creationist. Since with God anything is possible, there is no way for evolution to better expalin anything. God can always be the better option since it is a concpet bound by no rules.

However, I will say that the perception of beauty is most definitely a product of evolution since at its core, it is sexual and leads to reproduction (in the human species, at least). In general, people prefer partners who seem fit and healthy - traits that would indicate genetic strength.

Answer 5

Gratuitous - given unearned or without recompense.

It completely makes sense in the natural world attraction/symmetry/strength, meaning beauty = propagation of the species.

(science has equated symmetry with human's association w/beauty)

God - makes no sense, i.e. loving god = suffering, torture, hell...

Why we are here to witness (and destroy) I have no idea, but a "loving god" does not fit into any sensible equation I think of. Nature is beautiful and violent, but humans are cruel, I will go to my grave trying to figure it out.

Answer 6

God is the creator of all.

Humanity is made of flesh and soul. The flesh and physical world is dependent upon the soul of humanity, however I believe the human soul is not dependent upon the flesh and physical world.

So my answer is the existence of gratuitous beauty in the world is better explained by it's creator.

Answer 7

Beauty is a perception, a judgement call. A raging storm at sea may be beautiful to someone snug on the beach and terrible to a sailor.

Answer 8

So what you're saying is that to create beauty, you must first have an eye for esthetics and then create beings who can appreciate it? Hey, there really is a God!

Answer 9

naturalist evolution, without a doubt.

Answer 10

Evolution, evolution only. Adam and Eve? Wow, explain midgets, asians,...People got more and more attractive, found ways to attract others, because of SEX!