[spatso]

"The issue is not whether there are good scientists who are also people of faith. The issue is whether faith may be used as a starting point for scientists. Though you and your cheerleaders a loath to admit it science always begins with faith. Intelligent design is a reasonable, normal, non-supernatural means of explaining organized matter in any form. One need not be superstitious, mystical, suprnatural, or even unscientific to assume or assert as much."

I don't know enough about science to be a cheerleader. However, I do know enough about theology to recognize nonsense when it placed in a faith wrapping. Intelligent design is way outside our understanding of biblical or extra biblical literature. You can teach it to anyone you want as science if you can convince the body of knowledge within science that it has scientific merit. But you cannot posture ID as having any historical connection to our understanding and teaching of scripture. It drives me nuts when I see supposed Christians wanting to rewrite sacred text. The stories on Creation are more than 2500 years old, God has never needed help before to explain the meaning of Genesis. The text says what the text says.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Intelligent design is way outside our understanding of biblical or extra biblical literature.

On the contrary, intelligent design is integral to, and essential for, our understanding of biblical or extra biblical literature, including the intelligible universe. My response to those who think intelligent design is unscientific is to request an alternative explanation for the existence of organized matter that performs specific functions. No alternative explanation has come forth except upon philosophical grounds. Science is not obligated to belabor the obvious any more than an author is obligated to insert his own name into every sentence of his work, nor is it incumbent upon science to construct an artificial barrier between itself and the Creator.