[Apologetics] Intelligent Design

[Marty Rothwell]

The problem is that when you look at some form of life you have to ask, "Was
this designed by some outside intelligence or is this design here simply
because it can survive?"  There is no experiment I know of which can give
you that answer.  

-----Original Message-----
From: apologetics-admin at gathman.org [mailto:apologetics-admin at gathman.org]
On Behalf Of Stuart D. Gathman
Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 2:52 PM
To: skorsman at theotokos.co.za
Cc: apologetics at gathman.org
Subject: Re: [Apologetics] Intelligent Design

On Tue, 13 May 2008 skorsman at theotokos.co.za wrote:

> Al-Ghazali said that one does more harm to a doctrine by defending it with
a
> method not suited to it, than by attacking it with a method suited to it.
A
> perfect example of such a harmful defense is the ID movement, or any other
> movement that might try to find God or intelligence through science.

While finding supernatural intelligence is problematic, detecting
intelligence
in general is perfectly suited to science - which can't know whether the
source
is supernatural.  Many secular pursuits depend on this, from archaeology
to criminology to SETI.  In fact, the leading secular solution to problems
with
the evidence for Darwinian evolution on planet Earth, espoused by Watkins,
Crick, and even Dawkins, is Intelligent Design by aliens.  Their only real
objection to the ID movement is that they (with some justification) regard
it
as "thinly disguised creationism".  The only substantive difference between
the
ID theories of Dawkins and the ID movement is that Dawkins rules out
supernatural intelligence a priori, whereas the ID movement does not.  It is
a
battle of religions.  Philosophical materialism on one side, and Christians,
skeptics, and agnostics on the other.

-- 
	      Stuart D. Gathman <stuart at bmsi.com>
    Business Management Systems Inc.  Phone: 703 591-0911 Fax: 703 591-6154
"Confutatis maledictis, flammis acribus addictis" - background song for
a Microsoft sponsored "Where do you want to go from here?" commercial.

_______________________________________________
Apologetics mailing list
Apologetics at gathman.org
http://bmsi.com/mailman/listinfo/apologetics