[Infamous]

Well if there is, he's made a bloody piss poor job of it.

Actually, it is us that have screwed things up penisman. BTW, are you trying to tell us something about your personality with that unusual name, penisman?
..........................Infy

[Bored chemist]

If the designer made us, and we screwed up then it's a poor design.

[namaan]

If the designer made us, and we screwed up then it's a poor design.

Although I don't agree with this, I appreciate the involved thought process.

Now, even using this logic, every single species besides humans "works". In fact, using this logic, everything in the entire universe besides humans "works".

If the strong force was just a bit stronger than the weak force, or if the electromagnetic force was just a big weaker than the gravitational force, or if the universal gas constant was just a bit larger or if the speed of travel of electromagnetic radiation was just a bit slower, or if the fresh water was not separated from the salty water, or if the earth was a bit farther from the sun, or (as the theory goes) if the collision that caused the moon never took place, or…etc., than helium may not have formed, stars may not have formed, solar systems may not have formed, galaxies may not have formed, earth may not have formed, the moon may not have formed and most importantly, life on earth may not have formed.

But all these things did form, as well as trees of various kinds, animals and, through pre-determined evolution (Quranic understanding), eventually humans. And yet after successfully creating all these things, the designer somehow “screwed up” when it came to humans? Some how, I doubt this.

If at all you are willing to consider the Quranic understanding on this issue, humans have yet to evolve in the here after. Islamic heaven doesn’t consist of the sexual/material fantasies that certain “Muslims” and the media abroad would have people believe. When one’s state of mind is heavenly (consisting of peace & security), they inherit heaven in the hereafter and vise versa. And those who inherit a heavenly state of mind, to them doors to further evolution are opened. Thus this life is a test to see who is willingly capable (through our own choice) of attaining the state of mind that would render the doors to further evolution of the Self to open.

[Bored chemist]

Most species are now extinct because they didn't wokr well enough.

[namaan]

You're pretty good at one sentence responses... []

I should try that sometimes.

Anyway, so far as I'm concerned, these species didn't die off because of a mistake by the designer, but rather the life and death of all species is part of the design.

Consider this: if it were the will of the designer to have the world dominated by humanity, than would not the successively more intelligent primates leading up to the human interfere with His design and create confusion for humans if they did not successively become extinct as well? Thus, extinction of the ancestors of humans was a necessary condition in the design layout.

Also, please try to respond to more than just the “easy pickings” since it is rather discouraging for me.

[Bored chemist]

I am.

Feel free.

The original question was "is there a designer". It is logically impossible to prove the designer's absense since there is always the counter-argument "you are only saying that because, as part of his design, He wants you to.

"Consider this: if it were the will of the designer to have the world dominated by humanity, than would not the successively more intelligent primates leading up to the human interfere with His design and create confusion for humans if they did not successively become extinct as well? Thus, extinction of the ancestors of humans was a necessary condition in the design layout."
Yes, He could have worked it that way; He could equally have ensured that evolution doesn't happen by simply ensuring that the rate of mutation was zero. There are many possibilities like that.
If His grand design includes the death of species it seems to me to be wasteful.

[namaan]

I already responded to the original question:

If the strong force was just a bit stronger than the weak force, or if the electromagnetic force was just a big weaker than the gravitational force, or if the universal gas constant was just a bit larger or if the speed of travel of electromagnetic radiation was just a bit slower, or if the fresh water was not separated from the salty water, or if the earth was a bit farther from the sun, or (as the theory goes) if the collision that caused the moon never took place, or…etc., than helium may not have formed, stars may not have formed, solar systems may not have formed, galaxies may not have formed, earth may not have formed, the moon may not have formed and most importantly, life on earth may not have formed.

But all these things did form, as well as trees of various kinds, animals and, through pre-determined evolution (Quranic understanding), eventually humans. And yet after successfully creating all these things, the designer somehow “screwed up” when it came to humans? Some how, I doubt this.

Also,

It is logically impossible to prove the designer's absense since there is always the counter-argument "you are only saying that because, as part of his design, He wants you to.

Don't worry, I wasn't planning on making such a fatalist argument. The Quran challenges its readers to logically prove to themselves what it reveals and not to blindly follow anything you read/hear. In fact it specifically states to not lead a life based on fatalist ideology. My quote above along with other things is that proof for myself.

He could equally have ensured that evolution doesn't happen by simply ensuring that the rate of mutation was zero.

I am not sure what you mean by this, but if I understand correctly than without evolution, where did all the modern animals come from? I wasn't talking about hypothetical scenarios, I was commenting on blatant observations (the fact that humans exist as well as all the other facts that attempt to prove that evolution took place leading to humans).