>
> An Atheist might spend his time
> trying to create life in the laboratory.
>
This has already been accomplished.
>
> A design theorist might look for
> evidence that life is a common and natural component of the "design" of
> the universe.
>
Those "atheists" who have been able to create life in the lab have also
learned that life is an inevitable consequence of the self-organization
capabilities built into the physiochemical laws. In other words, life is
part of the "design" of the universe. The question then becomes, did this
design arise naturally or was it the result of intelligent action?
>
> An atheist might see imperfections in nature. A design
> theorist would look for the purpose behind each of those so-called
> imperfection. (Death and disease, for instance.)
>
Again, "atheists" accept that these "imperfections" do have purpose, because
their research has demonstrated that. Concepts like death and disease are
accepted as natural consequences of living systems, and are investigated as
such, rather than as aberations that must be explained away. In fact, it is
the creationist position that death and disease are aberations rather than
part of natural "design".
Kevin L. O'Brien