On the "If God transmutes preexistent matter and life and then gives it the potential to become, via natural order, everything that will ever manifest, then we can call this a beginning of sorts" issue, if I were an American I would just invoke the Nth amendment as a defence based on ignorance.
I hope that Sallywoofs will provide the numerical value for N.
As a non-American I just say: I haven't a clue what you are talking about; this may, of course, change after a few glasses of single malt.
