How Intelligent Design Hurts Conservatives (By making us look like crackpots)

The New Republic ^ | 8/16/05 | Ross Douthat

[muawiyah]

The Sa'ami are the Sami. Problem in looking up Sami on the net is you get all these guys named "Sami". It's a common Arabic name!

[Dimensio]

No, if YOU find fault with Behe's work because of your own research and observations, lets have it.

Ah, so criticisms are only valid if the person putting them forth is the one who authored them.

By that standard, just about any criticism of evolution presented here on FR is rendered moot, because most people pushing forth the criticisms didn't author them originally.

I'll give you a graceful out--you're up on your Stephen Jay Gould, yes? Where did the man see problems with Darwin's theories?

Gould disagreed with gradualism, at least universal gradualism.

What completely unprovable theories did he devise?

All theories are, by definition, unprovable, so any theories that Gould put forth are unprovable.

[kidkosmic1]

"Crackpots is crackpots, baby."

Like G. W. Bush, eh, "Right Wing" Professor?

"Stop hitting yourself!"

[Torie]

The provability/plausibility/evidence tending to support, of theories is a continuum. Some are way out there, others have considerably more traction. One size does not fit all. It is in the end an odds thingy. But I suspect, the truth odds on many theories are overstated; it is a reflection of the state of hubris of the human species.

[kidkosmic1]

Circular arguments.

Why argue the unprovable in science or religion?

[curiosity]

I have yet to read the testimony or expressed personal beliefs of faith from anyone who professes that evolution is compatible with being a biblical Christian.

Does the Nicene Creed suffice? I say it and believe every word of it every Sunday, and on occaisional weekdays. But maybe you don't consider Catholics to be Biblical Christians.

So how about this guy, an evangelical Protestant:

http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~kbmill/

I like this article of his:

http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1993/PSCF9-93Miller.html

Or how about the good people at Wheaton College? They accept evolution, and are good Christians too. Scroll down to their statement of faith:

http://www.wheaton.edu/welcome/mission.html

[Doctor Stochastic]

Is there a bibilical equivalent of Enkidu?

[Dimensio]

Circular arguments.

What is circular?

Why argue the unprovable in science or religion?

Because even if an explanation cannot be conclusively proven (unprovable), it's still possible to support it as being the best available explanation.

[GSHastings]

I know someday I will die, GOD knows I will die also. So why wait then, lets remove the purpose of freewill and off ourselves since then no matter what we do god knew we would and therefore we are only following his master plan and therefore it isnt freewill. I guess that removes hell as a punishment, since GOD is the only person to blame and GOD is infallable so no matter what we do, its on GOD and not us.

There is so much on this thread that demonstrates a misunderstanding about free will, and God's all knowing nature, it's hard to pick the right spot to butt in. But this is as good a place as any.

Current science supposes that the whole of the Universe emerged in a "Big Bang" event. Yes, I know that's not the only Theory, but it's the one with the most traction at this time.

The big bang isn't matter exploding out into empty space. It's matter AND empty space AND time exploding out of...for a lack of better word...nothing.

God is outside of ALL of that. He isn't dragged along sequentially by Time as are we. So he can create us with free will, and know the outcome of our lives before it happens FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE INSIDE THE CONFINES OF TIME.

[porkchops 4 mahound]

There is a large portion of American people who do not find the idea of GOD or intelligent design "crackpot".

That any so called "conservative" would be embarrassed by the honest expressions of people of faith's beliefs, shows that they are self serving wannabe CINOs, if for no other reason that their contempt for their fellow citizen's honest religious views, which exposes them as the narrow and closed minded folks they accuse people of faith of being.

The true crackpots are those who live in this forest and cannot see it because of the trees.

[general_re]

There are some interesting parallels between Enkidu and Adam - deciphering them (not especially hard) is left as an exercise for the reader ;)

[GSHastings]

It's like a mosque in Riyadh. Only the language is different.

What is like a mosque in Riyadh?

[jennyp]

PLACEMARKER

[curiosity]

That any so called "conservative" would be embarrassed by the honest expressions of people of faith's beliefs,

This has nothing to do with religion. This has to do with crackpot science, in which certain hacks are claiming they can PROVE that certain life forms are too complex to have evolved in the Darwinian sense.

I am a Christian, and believer, and I do believe God intelligently designed the universe. Believing it doesn't make me or anyone else a crackpot. It is NOT, however, what the term "intelligent design" refers to in the context of the crevo wars.

[aft_lizard]

You misunderstand, I am sarcastically using wildturkeys wild ideas against him, I am showing him the fallacy of his reasoning by demonstrating it, tell him not me.

[Right Wing Professor]

Check out my tagline, "kosmic".

[syriacus]

Anything complex becomes "the great designer did it"

I guess you're kidding..

[Right Wing Professor]

Your post. Only the name of the deity is different.

[GSHastings]

To traduce roads that some have used in their culture in their attempt to not only live, but live the just and moral and self empowering enobling life, is well, foolish.

If one believes in Jesus, and trusts what he says, then to say otherwise would be, well, foolish :-)

It is not being kind to a Buddhist to tell them to just continue to do what they are doing, and they'll be just fine, if you believe the opposite to be true.

Lot's of moral, well intending, GOOD people may well not live eternally with God, if what Jesus said is true. You don't get there by trying to be good enough. It's not possible.

[From many - one.]

Guess I'm not.

Clottiing is out, presumably related cascade phenomena are out, flagella, eyes...most taxonomy is out since it presumes genetic relatedness (DNA) when a Intelligent Designer would not be so constrained.

Shall I go on?