But there's no evidence that says life arose spontaneously from organic chemicals rather than any other way, either. If you define that as "nature", then you are basing your judgement on an unproveable belief of what nature is - which is exactly what religious doctrine does. A truly objective scientist can accept neither one as incontrovertibly established fact.
Why is it scientifically inconceivable that, if not God, some elder, sentient, and spacefaring race created Man and deposited us here, on a world suited to our needs? There's no evidence of that, but there's no evidence that life spontaneously generated here either.
I'm using the words "spontaneous" and "generated" here because the idea that life was created by chance out of non-living molecules is very similar to the last theory known as spontaneous generation. Seems sensible from a practical point of view, but that's not necessarily the case in reality.
With respect to spontaneous generation as the creator of life on Earth, to me - and I think also to our hypothetical objective scientist - that is no less fantastic than aliens or God as an explanation.
There's plenty of evidence of that. In fact, it must have happened. How and by what model, no one knows.
" If you define that as "nature", then you are basing your judgement on an unproveable belief of what nature is"
Nature is defined independently and w/o regard to that question.
"Why is it scientifically inconceivable that, if not God, some elder, sentient, and spacefaring race created Man and deposited us here,"
The short answer, because I'm out ... Provide the specimens and put them on the table. Gather some of their tools, docs, maps, plans ect... and put them down on the table. If you can't demonstate the object, then it doesn't exist! That's usually Art Bell's and his follower's problem. The Discovery Institute has the same problem. Nothing behind the claim.
"With respect to spontaneous generation as the creator of life on Earth, to me - and I think also to our hypothetical objective scientist - that is no less fantastic than aliens or God as an explanation."
There are no aliens anywhere around, nor have there been. As far as God goes, He does not belong in the science class whatsoever. Anyone that poses a particular invisible God can examine the claim with pure logic. All illogical claims can be tossed as rubbish. Here's what Jesus the man that said He was GOd said, "Matt 12:39
He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. The sign of Jonah is the Holy Spirit and God says, no other sign will be given. Only by the Holy Spirit will you know God created the world. The science class just tells how.
Night.