Re: Why do so many people rag on "Dear doctor"
Actually, I'm pointing out the progression of philosophies debated and adopted by characters in-universe. If "nature's plan" is nonsense to you, take it up with Troi, Phlox, et al.
Just as Trek canon itself lacks consistency, so do in-universe philosophies. "Nature's plan" is a highly unscientific concept. It is in fact very close to creationism, which is basically a religious concept, and yet, in "Who Watches the Watchers" Picard dismisses religion almost with disgust.
"Religion is something left over from the infancy of our intelligence, it will fade away as we adopt reason and science as our guidelines."
― Bertrand Russell