Posted on 01/28/2005 4:28:41 PM PST by metacognative
Panicked Evolutionists: The Stephen Meyer Controversy
The theory of evolution is a tottering house of ideological cards that is more about cherished mythology than honest intellectual endeavor. Evolutionists treat their cherished theory like a fragile object of veneration and worship--and so it is. Panic is a sure sign of intellectual insecurity, and evolutionists have every reason to be insecure, for their theory is falling apart.
The latest evidence of this panic comes in a controversy that followed a highly specialized article published in an even more specialized scientific journal. Stephen C. Meyer, Director of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, wrote an article accepted for publication in Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. The article, entitled "The Origin of Biological Information and the Higher Taxonomic Categories," was published after three independent judges deemed it worthy and ready for publication. The use of such judges is standard operating procedure among "peer-reviewed" academic journals, and is considered the gold standard for academic publication.
The readership for such a journal is incredibly small, and the Biological Society of Washington does not commonly come to the attention of the nation's journalists and the general public. Nevertheless, soon after Dr. Meyer's article appeared, the self-appointed protectors of Darwinism went into full apoplexy. Internet websites and scientific newsletters came alive with outrage and embarrassment, for Dr. Meyer's article suggested that evolution just might not be the best explanation for the development of life forms. The ensuing controversy was greater than might be expected if Dr. Meyer had argued that the world is flat or that hot is cold.
Eugenie C. Scott, Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, told The Scientist that Dr. Meyer's article came to her attention when members of the Biological Society of Washington contacted her office. "Many members of the society were stunned about the article," she told The Scientist, and she described the article as "recycled material quite common in the intelligent design community." Dr. Scott, a well known and ardent defender of evolutionary theory, called Dr. Meyer's article "substandard science" and argued that the article should never have been published in any scientific journal.
Within days, the Biological Society of Washington, intimidated by the response of the evolutionary defenders, released a statement apologizing for the publication of the article. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the society's governing council claimed that the article "was published without the prior knowledge of the council." The statement went on to declare: "We have met and determined that all of us would have deemed this paper inappropriate for the pages of the Proceedings." The society's president, Roy W. McDiarmid, a scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey, blamed the article's publication on the journal's previous editor, Richard Sternberg, who now serves as a fellow at the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the National Institute of Health. "My conclusion on this," McDiarmid said, "was that it was a really bad judgment call on the editor's part."
What is it about Dr. Stephen Meyer's paper that has caused such an uproar? Meyer, who holds a Ph.D. from Cambridge University, argued in his paper that the contemporary form of evolutionary theory now dominant in the academy, known as "Neo-Darwinism," fails to account for the development of higher life forms and the complexity of living organisms. Pointing to what evolutionists identify as the "Cambrian explosion," Meyer argued that "the geologically sudden appearance of many new animal body plans" cannot be accounted for by Darwinian theory, "neo" or otherwise.
Accepting the scientific claim that the Cambrian explosion took place "about 530 million years ago," Meyer went on to explain that the "remarkable jump in the specified complexity or 'complex specified information' [CSI] of the biological world" cannot be explained by evolutionary theory.
The heart of Dr. Meyer's argument is found in this scientifically-loaded passage: "Neo-Darwinism seeks to explain the origin of new information, form, and structure as a result of selection acting on randomly arising variation at a very low level within the biological hierarchy, mainly, within the genetic text. Yet the major morphological innovations depend on a specificity of arrangement at a much higher level of the organizational hierarchy, a level that DNA alone does not determine. Yet if DNA is not wholly responsible for body plan morphogenesis, then DNA sequences can mutate indefinitely, without regard to realistic probabilistic limits, and still not produce a new body plan. Thus, the mechanism of natural selection acting on random mutations in DNA cannot in principle generate novel body plans, including those that first arose in the Cambrian explosion."
In simpler terms, the mechanism of natural selection, central to evolutionary theory, cannot possibly account for the development of so many varied and complex life forms simply by mutations in DNA. Rather, some conscious design--thus requiring a Designer--is necessary to explain the emergence of these life forms.
In the remainder of his paper, Meyer attacks the intellectual inadequacies of evolutionary theory and argues for what is now known as the "design Hypothesis." As he argued, "Conscious and rational agents have, as a part of their powers of purposive intelligence, the capacity to design information-rich parts and to organize those parts into functional information-rich systems and hierarchies." As he went on to assert, "We know of no other causal entity or process that has this capacity." In other words, the development of the multitude of higher life forms found on the planet can be explained only by the guidance of a rational agent--a Designer--whose plan is evident in the design.
Meyer's article was enough to cause hysteria in the evolutionists' camp. Knowing that their theory lacks intellectual credibility, the evolutionists respond by raising the volume, offering the equivalent of scientific shrieks and screams whenever their cherished theory is criticized--much less in one of their own cherished journals. As Dr. John West, Associate Director of the Discovery Institute explained, "Instead of addressing the paper's argument or inviting counterarguments or rebuttal, the society has resorted to affirming what amounts to a doctrinal statement in an effort to stifle scientific debate. They're trying to stop scientific discussion before it even starts."
When the Biological Society of Washington issued its embarrassing apology for publishing the paper, the organization pledged that arguments for Intelligent Design "will not be addressed in future issues of the Proceedings," regardless of whether the paper passes peer review.
From the perspective of panicked evolutionists, the Intelligent Design movement represents a formidable adversary and a constant irritant. The defenders of Intelligent Design are undermining evolutionary theory at multiple levels, and they refuse to go away. The panicked evolutionists respond with name-calling, labeling Intelligent Design proponents as "creationists," thereby hoping to prevent any scientific debate before it starts.
Intelligent Design is not tantamount to the biblical doctrine of creation. Theologically, Intelligent Design falls far short of requiring any affirmation of the doctrine of creation as revealed in the Bible. Nevertheless, it is a useful and important intellectual tool, and a scientific movement with great promise. The real significance of Intelligent Design theory and its related movement is the success with which it undermines the materialistic and naturalistic worldview central to the theory of evolution.
For the Christian believer, the Bible presents the compelling and authoritative case for God's creation of the cosmos. Specifically, the Bible provides us with the ultimate truth concerning human origins and the special creation of human beings as the creatures made in God's own image. Thus, though we believe in more than Intelligent Design, we certainly do not believe in less. We should celebrate the confusion and consternation now so evident among the evolutionists. Dr. Stephen Meyer's article--and the controversy it has spawned--has caught evolutionary scientists with their intellectual pants down.
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R. Albert Mohler, Jr
If I say, "My bad. I made the mistake in believing the word of a Atheist.", then I have demonstrated an obstinate intolerance towards others who differ with me.
And If I said it I would own up to it and accept the word bigot describes my statement or apologize for making the statement in error.
There you go again. Evidently your memory is as long as your whatsis but that doesn't stop you from making whackjob statements.
Equating a typo to the misuse of a word is demeaning to those that do so.
And Jeff, unfortunately successful "debunking" is often in the eye of the beholder. And I think we all have our blind spots. I guess that's just human nature.
Thank you RWP and JA for writing!
That statement is correct but it does not describe my posting.
A dictionary is a "dual-use" technology--it can be used to check up on both meaning AND spelling.
Cheers!
Why do you care how or what a Christian thinks? You don't even know if I am a Christian since you have RAM problems.
For the record I am but you're a bigot who claims no Christian can be trusted. So I ask again, why would you encourage any person to act like a group of folks who can't be trusted? It maskes no logical sense, it is therefore nonsensical.
Apology accepted.
I didn't realize when I posted that I'd be piling on. ;)
Good luck.
Change CBS to WildTurkey and your tagline will be right on point.
Ah, now I remember. Your use of words brings it all back, now. I was afraid I had you confused with another but there is no mistaking your master of words.
Perhaps you shoud read the thread and see how senseless you post is.
Great, will you be sending the Romans and Lions?
Ho Ho Ho. I have never seen a fanatical creationist own up to any of his errors.
Is it your opinion that no Christians word can be trusted?
I think that WildTurkey is trying to assert that many Christians in these threads don't actually live up to typical Chrisitan moral standards - deception and dishonesty come to mind.
In these threads, Christians have been very dishonest in their attacks against the theory of evolution and evolutionists. It is true that many are just parroting some Christian website and are knowinglingly being dishonest, but the original author of the "information" knows better.
Again, there was an earlier post in this thread were a anti-evolutionist claimed that evolution was mathematically impossible due to her "population growth calculation". Another anti-evolutionist cheered her on for exposing evolutionist for "ignoring so many things".
Unfortunately, her own calculation comes up with a human population of 19 trillion if 6,000 is used for the number of years humans have inhabited the planet. The original poster still claims that she made some sort of point. The cheerleader has yet to address his mistake either.
Its one thing to make an honest mistake, but its quite another to hold up that mistake as proof after it has beyond doubt been shown to be in error. Quote mining is another deceptive and dishonest tactic that goes on repeatedly in these threads.
We all have problems when Muslims proclaim Islam to be a religion of peace yet fail to condemn suicide bombers. In the same way, Christians claim to have high moral values with truth being one of the cornerstones. Why then do other Christians in these threads sit back and not condemn fellow Christians that are dishonest or deceptive?
Interesting, that as a "Christian", you have no problem judging me and bearing false witness against me; particularly since you have been twice admonished for not reading the rest of the comments for which you would see the whole story.
It's "Chritians" like you that give Christianity a bad name.
Jackson is a hopeful monster.
I didn't consider your post "piling on". It was thoughtful, courteous and well worded and deserved my full disclosure response.
Why would ID continually "degrade" our genes resulting in shorter lifespans? Seems like ID would be improving as he went along?
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!
Is it any wonder that "liar" is the number one phrase to describe the anti-evos?
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