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Profs debate design theory
The Battalian ^ | 2/16/05 | Ji Ma and Steve McReynolds

Posted on 02/18/2005 7:09:03 AM PST by Michael_Michaelangelo

Michael Behe, professor of biochemistry at Lehigh University and thought by many to be the chief proponent in the intelligent design movement, battled Vincent Cassone, department head of biology at Texas A&M University regarding the key points of the controversial intelligent design theory Tuesday evening in Rudder Auditorium.

Intelligent design is the theory that certain aspects of the natural world were created by a source of intelligence for a specific purpose, rather than evolving from random patterns.

As applied to biology, Behe said the design is not a mystical process, but is deduced from solid physical and empirical findings, whereas Darwin's theory of evolution appeared to have glaring holes.

(Excerpt) Read more at thebatt.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: academia; behe; crevolist; debate; id; intelligentdesign
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To: Michael_Michaelangelo

Nice post!

This is actually a balanced article. These are tough to find.


21 posted on 02/18/2005 9:00:47 AM PST by <1/1,000,000th%
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To: Tribune7
That settles it for me. The mousetrap evolved entirely by random mutation and natural selection.

LOL!

22 posted on 02/18/2005 9:01:53 AM PST by <1/1,000,000th%
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To: frgoff

> Guess what? You no longer have a mouse trap

That's right. You have something *else*.

You have just debunked the "irreducible complexity" arguement.


23 posted on 02/18/2005 9:04:02 AM PST by orionblamblam
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To: frgoff

> Guess what? You no longer have a mouse trap

That's right. You have something *else*.

You have just debunked the "irreducible complexity" arguement.


24 posted on 02/18/2005 9:04:04 AM PST by orionblamblam
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To: <1/1,000,000th%

Thanks! I thought the same thing after I read it.


25 posted on 02/18/2005 9:09:01 AM PST by Michael_Michaelangelo (The best theory is not ipso facto a good theory. Lots of links on my homepage...)
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To: Tribune7

"That settles it for me. The mousetrap evolved entirely by random mutation and natural selection."

As did this computer I am using to respond! :-)


26 posted on 02/18/2005 9:14:48 AM PST by Sola Veritas (Trying to speak truth - not always with the best grammar or spelling)
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To: mc6809e

From the article you posted:
"The mousetrap illustrates one of the fundamental flaws in the intelligent design argument: the fact that one person can't imagine something doesn't mean it is impossible, it may just mean that the person has a limited imagination."

Actually, that is the major flaw in "non-ID" thinking.

And I assume his "reduceable" mousetrap is humor.


27 posted on 02/18/2005 9:19:57 AM PST by RobRoy (They're trying to find themselves an audience. Their deductions need applause - Peter Gabriel)
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To: mc6809e

From McDonalds own "reduceable mousetrap article:

"Of course, the reduced-complexity mousetraps shown below are intended to point out the logical flaw in the intelligent design argument; they're not intended as an analogy of how evolution works."

In other words, it is an analogy. Analogies are designed to explain a thing more simply, not prove it. All his analogy proves is that he can be creative and clever. His mousetrap has no examples whatsoever in the actual biological world.

When I was in High School back in 1970, a very clever paper was reprinted that proved black is white. It was a hoot and got an A at some university. Of course the logic was flawed, but in a very covert way. I read and reread it and learned a lot about debate from that paper.

The trick is to get the reader/listener to grant you one seemingly insignificant point (which is actually false), and then build your entire foundation for your conclusion from that one point, without exposing it. They don't know what hit them.


28 posted on 02/18/2005 9:28:46 AM PST by RobRoy (They're trying to find themselves an audience. Their deductions need applause - Peter Gabriel)
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To: frgoff

Stop it! The whole argument against the irreduceably complex mousetrap is a straw man designed to confuse the issue. Don't go for the bait. 8^>


29 posted on 02/18/2005 9:30:56 AM PST by RobRoy (They're trying to find themselves an audience. Their deductions need applause - Peter Gabriel)
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To: Michael_Michaelangelo
Cassone's suggestion that religious people did not come to the debate to learn about science. (sound familiar?)


30 posted on 02/18/2005 9:31:03 AM PST by Messianic Jews Net (Close to heaven is a child's laughter.)
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To: olde north church

Not to a blind man.....


31 posted on 02/18/2005 10:17:29 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going....)
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To: Sola Veritas

Put random changes into the source code for Windows, for a zillion years.



is it any better???


Ergo, NSID is proven!


32 posted on 02/18/2005 10:20:51 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going....)
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To: Elsie
Put random changes into the source code for Windows, for a zillion years. is it any better???

Some days I think that might actually help Windows.

33 posted on 02/18/2005 10:30:03 AM PST by Dataman
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To: Michael_Michaelangelo
Sophomore biochemistry major Ryan Baxter said that both sides of the controversial debate were presented well. "For me it was interesting to leave all biases behind and go in with a free mind," he said.

Imagine that. Hallelujah!

34 posted on 02/18/2005 10:30:09 AM PST by Aquinasfan (Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
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To: Tribune7
That settles it for me. The mousetrap evolved entirely by random mutation and natural selection.

LOL!

35 posted on 02/18/2005 10:36:24 AM PST by Aquinasfan (Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
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To: Elsie
Put random changes into the source code for Windows, for a zillion years. is it any better???

Is it any worse? Less a comment on ID than on Windows...
36 posted on 02/18/2005 10:40:23 AM PST by Stone Mountain
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To: UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide
I thought 'mutation' had been discarded in favor of 'genetic drift'?

A much better explanation for the mousetrap.

37 posted on 02/18/2005 10:51:42 AM PST by Tribune7
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To: <1/1,000,000th%

:-)


38 posted on 02/18/2005 10:52:14 AM PST by Tribune7
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To: Messianic Jews Net
[cartoon snipped]

A computer isn't science. It's technology.

SW

39 posted on 02/18/2005 11:02:01 AM PST by Snidely Whiplash
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To: Michael_Michaelangelo

Thanks for the ping. Great Article!

Wonder how long it'll take the evo-ping list to make it's round...


40 posted on 02/18/2005 11:18:31 AM PST by MacDorcha
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