The Flawed Philosophy of Intelligent Design

Tech Central Station ^ | 11/17/2005 | James Harrington

[Cicero]

Actually, it demonstrates that even the politically correct understand that religion is necessary for the development of civilization.

[WildHorseCrash]

The most important question regarding the teaching of evolutionary theory is, who has the last word regarding schooling, the gov't or parents?

Good point. I say parents. And as a parent, I want my child to learn the science of evolution. So don't try to fill his head with your religious nonsense and superstitious mumbo-jumbo.

[Cicero]

No, I was making a passing point, that even a video game maker understands that theology was historically basic to the foundation of European universities. All the great universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, Padua and Paris, were originally religious institutions.

[highball]

That doesn't mean that science should be ignored, denied or cast aside when it conflicts with religious dogma, does it?

[Senator Bedfellow]

Not much wondering to be done, IMO - Teilhard was a crackpot, by and large, with that particular French gift of burying both the absurdly wrong and the ludicrously trivial under a smothering avalanche of verbiage (SEE ALSO: Lacan, Jacques; Foucault, Michel; et. al.)

I don't have a clue what the author means by "you could spend years struggling...in order to see where Teilhard goes wrong" - Peter Medawar did it in about six pages...

[WildHorseCrash]

How about taking the Bible apart, passage by passage and trying to prove what it says is either right or wrong. Use its words as a theory and see how it holds up.

In the first three lines of Genesis 1, I count 5 false statements and an unsupportable one made twice...

[Antonello]

Actually, it demonstrates that even the politically correct understand that religion is necessary for the development of civilization.

And are you willing to continue to trust in the politically correct understanding as it extends to the scientific method making religion obsolete, as mentioned in the article your post I referenced discussed? Or do you prefer to cast them off when they are no longer conveniently supporting your point?

[Alter Kaker]

No, I was making a passing point, that even a video game maker understands that theology was historically basic to the foundation of European universities.

If that's the best argument you can come up with, you really need to get out more. Why the hell should I care what's in a video game?

[Coyoteman]

What if the designers were visitors from space?

Do you think religious believers are going to all of this effort to make the school system safe for visitors from space? (What planet do you live on?)

[Tenacious 1]

ID will be tough to "prove" until someone introduces those without faith to the designer.

I never met Jesus but I believe he existed. Who here says Jesus did not exist? If you say you don't believe the man was ever here on earth, then the discussion is over and written history means nothing. If you do believe he exists, then I say prove it. You should tell me about written history. I will ask of your source and your best and most reliable source will be from writings of the day including the Bible. Here I should scratch my head.

The moral of the story suggests that this author does not believe in God. I do. If you believe in God you must believe he/she/it played a role in our existence. If you would like to argue how he did it (ID Vs. Creation) we can. If you want to start in on the Big Bang I will use the age old question, what went bang and where did it come from? Did something come from nothing?

Finally, It suits me fine that human intellect has limits. Our minds, at varying levels, are restricted in certain spacious imagination. Metaphysically and philosophically, what is nothing? See? Me believes that the limits of our knowledge at this stage of our development is also "by design."

[Alter Kaker]

Actually, it demonstrates that even the politically correct understand that religion is necessary for the development of civilization Al Qaeda.

[thomaswest]

If "evolutionary theory is largely materialist dogma", then aren't the germ theory of disease, the theory of gravitation, astronomy, and the laws of aerodynamics equally "materialist dogma"?

[Tenacious 1]

That is a fine intellectual inquiry and it is true. Like it or not, where science fails to provide answers, is where theory and faith reside.

[sagar]

Intelligent Design does not have any evidence or merits to support its claim, instead all it stands for is its emotional rhetoric against evolution.

[Tenacious 1]

"The burden falls on its proponents to show that it is a legitimate theory and should be considered such. They have failed to do so."

How long have you been a scientist? A theory is there to be tested. The "theory" of evolution is still just that because we humans have not discovered all of the links just yet. Tell me about how someone will finally "prove" the Big Bang "theory."

[Secret Agent Man]

Well, my response is both a blow at evolution and evidence for Intelligent Design. Go back to Shannon's theory of information. Information is not self-creating. There is no mechanism that exists to create something out of nothing. The original DNA of creatures did not know in advance what it was going to be. Information does not create itself, it must be created.

And if you know anythign about DNA, DNA does not exist to evolve into new life forms, it exists to prevent the current life form from changing and to preserve its form. Variations do not prove inter-species evolution.

[Alter Kaker]

The moral of the story suggests that this author does not believe in God. I do. If you believe in God you must believe he/she/it played a role in our existence. If you would like to argue how he did it (ID Vs. Creation) we can. If you want to start in on the Big Bang I will use the age old question, what went bang and where did it come from? Did something come from nothing?

Well, I believe in God and I also accept that the theory of evolution provides the best explanation for observed changes in allele frequencies over time. I believe that God played a role in our existence, but that doesn't invalidate evolution. You seem to have a very narrow view of His design.

As for what existed before the Big Bang, that's a meaningless philosophical question unanswerable by science, or by any other discipline for that matter. What happened before Genesis 1?

[js1138]

I went to a small college that required all students to read one book a term that was common to everyone, and write a ten page essay. The book chosen for my first term freshman year was "Phenomenon".

I'm still recovering. People who inflict this stuff on others, with a gun to their head, are evil.

[sagar]

"But, on the other hand, ID isn't disproved either"

Similarly, nobody has ever disproven that life was created by a thousand headed snake-like monster.

[Bigh4u2]

"ID will be tough to "prove" until someone introduces those without faith to the designer."

Nope. God gave us 'free will' and the inherant ability to discover ourselves. I have never believed that God said that seeking him 'in your own way' was as limit on HOW you did it.

Freewill precludes a 'one way' only path.

" I never met Jesus but I believe he existed."

And so do I. But the Bible is not the only source of his proof of existance, but just one.

" The moral of the story suggests that this author does not believe in God. I do. "

And so do I.

" Me believes that the limits of our knowledge at this stage of our development is also "by design."

It's the 'this stage of development' that is the key.