cofty: "First christians failed to explain why the bible is full of flaws, contradictions and deplorable ethics.
Then they lost the argument about evolution.
Now they retreat into cosmic origins and deism.
You pointed out a big change in the nature of the debate, and the subject at hand; whereas research on the bible is about an ancient, man-made book, and it's guessing at origins,-- but--the contemplation of the processes of life's developments, it's origin and then the existence of the cosmos, it's laws, energy, laws, that debate, research deals with another level of interest altogether, --nature's reality.
To pry understanding out of the big universe we live in, takes great work. why is it so hard to realise that it must have taken even greater work to create all this in the first place?
Deism, belief in a creator might not a last retreat but a first proposition.