1. When it is impossible (by impossible I mean so ridiculously improbable that it is almost impossible) to explain the coincidental formation of even one of the nucleotides making up RNA, how can it be possible for these nucleotides to form RNA by coming together in a proper sequence?
The problem with this argument is that it attributes improbability to the divine. Bear with this analogy if you would be so kind:
Walking home today, I saw cars with number plates 's509 ncu', 'm2t6 twe', 't8e7 kjs' combine to form a traffic jam. What a miraculous coincidence, that of all the cars in London at that particular moment, taking the A40, it was these cars with these number plates which I saw combine to form a jam. Does that mean a divine hand was at work, dictating these particular cars ended up on that route, which I happened to be taking, at that exact time? Certainly not, however the odds of me seeing those cars that day, at that time, and on that road would be immensely slim. Still, it happened.
2. Suppose the RNA strands did miraculously form by chance, how could this RNA simply made up of a nucleotide chain have 'decided' to self replicate and with what kind of mechanism could it have carried out this self replicating process? Where did it find the nucleotides it used while self replicating?
There are two core components to evolution:
Random mutation. This is how all traits, good and bad appear.
Nonrandom selection. This is how the 'good' traits survive, and the 'bad' die off.
(Note I put quotation marks around good and bad, as they only refer to short term, immediate benefits. A mutation which has a short term benefit will be favoured even if it carries long term negative repurcussions).
In answer to your original question though, as to what mechanism made this type of evolution possible, consider the multitude of different possible combinations, (also remember that RNA organisms aren't necessarily viruses). Essentially, what happnes on this primordial level, is that there was no 'moving forward', so much as 'filling out'. A niche presented itself. A parasitism of living cells, and the niche never closed. Viruses make a whole lot of sense to me in this regard, as even though RNA organisms aren't necessarily viruses, it is very easy for them to mutate into them.
This might be a given if you understand evolutionary mechanisms, but it's still interesting to me.The link should explain your third point, as I don't much feel like paraphrasing something that is best read to be understood.
