As a Christian, I believe that the universe and its living creatures are the products of intelligent design. This belief is not merely derived from theology but is also supported by rational considerations. There is enormous intelligence embedded in the laws of nature. The greatest scientists over the past few centuries have worked to decode the intelligence mysteriously imprinted in the workings of nature. Scientific laws, as spelled out by Keppler, Newton, Einstein and others, reveal nature as exquisitely orderly. So who encoded this intelligence in nature?
Since the universe had a beginning, how did it get here? There is no natural explanation, since the universe includes all of nature. It is more than absurd to posit that the universe caused itself. The most reasonable explanation is that our rational universe is the product of some super-rational or omniscient intelligence. An intelligent designer is not the only explanation, but it certainly is the best explanation.
How the creator went about His business of making the universe and its life forms is another question, and this is a question for science to answer to the degree that it can be answered. Darwin's theory of evolution posits that chance, mutation and natural selection largely account for the transitions between one life form and another. Man, as an animal, is also the product of evolution, having descended from the same evolutionary "tree" that produced gorillas and chimpanzees.
Did God order things this way? Certainly if you read the Bible you would never predict Darwin's theory of evolution. But neither from the Scriptural accounts could one predict that the earth goes around the sun. The Bible is not and does not purport to be a science textbook. It takes no position, for example, on the heliocentric theory. Unfortunately, in past centuries, many Christians interpreted a few casual references to the sun "rising" to mean that the earth must be stationary and the sun must revolve around the earth. These interpretations were hasty, to say the least: the Bible is describing sunrise from a human or experiential perspective. Still, these narrow-minded Christians opposed Copernicus and Galileo until they were forced to admit that they were wrong. It wasn't the Bible that was mistaken; it was the foolish certainty of its interpreters that was exposed and discredited.
Today some Christians may be heading down the same path with their embrace of "intelligent design" or ID. This movement is based on the idea that Darwinian evolution is not only flawed but basically fraudulent. ID should not, however, be confused with bible-thumping six-day creationism. It does not regard the earth as 6,000 years old. Its leading advocates are legal scholar Phillip Johnson, biochemist Michael Behe, mathematician David Berlinski, and science journalist Jonathan Wells. Berlinski has a new book out The Devil's Advocate that makes the remarkable claim that "Darwin's theory of evolution has little to contribute to the content of the sciences." Ben Stein's movie "Expelled" provides horror stories to show that the case for ID as well as critiques of evolution from an ID perspective are routinely excluded or censored in the halls of academe.
ID advocates have sought to convince courts to require that their work be taught alongside Darwinian evolution, yet such efforts have been resoundingly defeated. Why has the ID legal strategy proven to be such a failure, even at the hands of conservative judges? Imagine that a group of advocates challenged Einstein's theories of general and special relativity. Let's say that this group, made up of a law professor, a couple of physicists, several journalists, as well as some divinity school graduates, flatly denies Einstein's proposition that e=mc2.
How would a judge, who is not a physicist, resolve the group's demand for inclusion in the physics classroom? He would summon a wide cross-section of leading physicists. They would inform him that despite unresolved debates about relativity--for example, its unexplained relationship to quantum theory--Einstein's theories are supported by a wide body of data. They enjoy near-unanimous support in the physics community worldwide. There is no alternative scientific theory that comes close to explaining the facts at hand. In such a situation any judge would promptly show the dissenters the door and deny their demand for equal time in the classroom. This is precisely the predicament of the ID movement.
The problem with evolution is not that it is unscientific but that it is routinely taught in textbooks and in the classroom in an atheist way. Textbooks frequently go beyond the scientific evidence to make metaphysical claims about how evolution renders the idea of a Creator superfluous. If I wanted to promote my book What's So Great About Christianity I'd direct you there to find examples. (But I don't, so I won't.)
Most Christians don't care whether the eye evolved by natural selection or whether Darwin's theories can account for macroevolution or only microevolution. What they care about is that evolution is being used to deny God as the creator. For those who are concerned about this atheism masquerading as science, there is a better way. Instead of trying to get unscientific ID theories included in the classroom, a better strategy would be to get the unscientific atheist propaganda out. In future blogs I'll show such a strategy can be successfully implemented.
Reader Comments ( Page 62 of 63)
916. I find that mankind in it's nature is not to sin as the bible says but to survive.
I find, that overall, humanity has found that by living in a harmony with one another increases this chance for survival and makes life itself more enriching and fulfilling than any thing else. There are some that do others harm, that is true, but for the majority of us - we have realized what is in our best interests; that is to live a life fulfilled - not a selfish life.
I teach these lessons to my children so that they can be good humanitarians, all without the help of a big book, written about a society that lived before our time and in a world far away.
This works for me.
TJ at 12:59PM on Apr 3rd 2008
917. I choose not not wrap my children in the supposed guilt of lives lived and lost in another realm.
That is, to me, like torture for something they didn't do and had no hand in. It is not logical, and does nothing to help them become productive people in this day and age.
TJ at 1:02PM on Apr 3rd 2008
918. bump
tay at 1:25PM on Apr 3rd 2008
919. Ha,ha Mokele.... the gospel according to nintendo.. i do like the evolution after the whole Noah's ark incident though... is that built into the game?
Mr. Hays... you are back in all your dimwit spewing glory... have you been busy writing for "The Office"?... I keep waiting for those new episodes.
Shannie at 1:56PM on Apr 3rd 2008
920. TJ - Not sure what you mean - the gospel is a simple message and is relevant for all times, realms, and whatever else....
Man_in_Wilderness at 5:33PM on Apr 3rd 2008
921. So, again, I'm still waiting for hard, documented evidence for all this projected "stepping stone" mutant activity at pre-transitional specie level that your own theory would demand in order for evolution to be authenticated. I don't need anecdotal, canned, transition specie web sites that don't prove anything. I'm just looking for hard, premier evidence of the very heart of evolutionary dynamics at the place where it should be most notably occurring and self-authenticating.
Thank you.
-Depris Hunter
-----------------------------------------------
*SIGH*
I am posting this for the umpteenth time, but here goes again...
A little FYI for those of you still confused about evolution - i.e. the lies, half-truths, logical fallacies, etc. that people - the religious minded and sometimes even proponents of evolution! - make with regards to evolution.
Here is an example of evolution happening right before our very eyes, today, in 2008. This is the story of the horse, the donkey and the mule. When you mate two horses, you get a horse. When you mate two donkeys, you get a donkey. When you mate two mules.... well you CAN'T mate two mules. Mules are sterile. To make a mule, you must mate a horse and a donkey. That's right - you must mate two DIFFERENT animals in order to make a third DIFFERENT animal. And, yes all three are different. A horse has 64 chromosomes. A donkey has 62. A mule has 63. This is very different from say, all the breeds of dogs there are, and how they are able to mate. All breeds of dogs have 78 chromosomes. They can all mate with each other and produce mixed breeds, and their offspring are capable of reproduction. NOT SO with mules.
If the bible is true, that an animal can only produce one of its own kind, then a horse mating with a donkey to create a mule would be impossible, but clearly it is possible. It happens every day.
So you have two creatures that are obviously related - Horses and Donkeys, since they can produce an offspring. Two different species with a common ancestry. They are still in the process of branching off of each other. When they can no longer mate and produce an offspring, as the result of continued mutations, the branches will separate and the branching will be complete, and mules will be no more.
The missing-link/transitions-fossils that creationists & IDers are always asking about is a strawman, a red herring of their own creation. The horse isn't 'becoming' a donkey or a mule. Horses and donkeys and their offsping (mules) all co-exist just fine right here and now.
Oh..... and you're welcome.
fabio at 7:54PM on Apr 3rd 2008
922. 13. ATHEIST:
I am a Scam, a Liar and a Half-wit Atheist and here's why:
_________________________________________________
How does the Big Bang theory support that?
(and, thusly: why Dinesh does NOT bother with me!)_________________________________________________
252.
I think it's time to bust a rhyme,
oh, let's get hurrying the the show.
Mr. Hays isn't replying this time--
dontcha know?
And, since a Christian we don't keep in suspense:
let's settle all of this stupid nonsense....
so keep on a readin'
cause it aint' not lie what I'm a feedin'
'cause I sho 'nuff don't want none o' yas to end
up in Hell,
it's The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing but
the Truth that I'll Tell:
"So Help Me GOD":
----------------------------------------------
1. Humans did not create the Polio virus. In
FACT: there are 125 naturally occurring
strains of the virus.
The Scientist, Mr. Salk simply took parts from
some of those strains and mixed them together
in order to make a Polio VACCINE.
2. The Scientists to whom Mr. Hays most assuredly
refers to essentially found a genetic code for
the Polio virus and then assembled the virus.
Some viruses will spontaneously assemble if
you put all of the correct parts together.
**THEY DID NOT MAKE A NEW SPECIES; they merely
copied the naturally occurring DNA.
3. And, although these scientist do deserve the
credit for a intersting scientific feat:
they have NOT created a new Species yet.
* depending on your views: (un?)-fortunately
Science has not yet added a new species to
this Earth that otherwise did not naturally
occur from the beginning of Time through
nature or through it's evolving in and
of nature.
4. True: DNA is DNA.
True: Some Scientists do work for private
companies. They can claim that they
either they have a break through or
that they are just about to come out
with a breakthrough: that is part of
politics involved with obtaining
the much-coveted grant $$ to further
their research interests.
********ie: Medical Science has been promising a cure for Cancer, just for one example --for the past several decades:*********************
The Correct Answer: It's 2008 and there's no cure. People are still dying of Cancer.
*****SO, I'M SAYING THAT MR. HAYS HAS PRE-MATURELY SPOKEN FOR SCIENCE.
And, although I think he's a bright man and I see that he's surely hopeful for the next step:
We're not there yet.
Science has not proven that God does not exist.
It's clear: it's their intention is to PLAY God by working toward creating a new, living species, though. And they work very hard and their work is not to be scoffed at.
But---when they actually get there---rest assured
Mr. Hays will be sending that You-Tube to Mr. Doubting Thomas.
NOW, that is the nicest, non-angry, non-threatening, non-name-calling way that I can put this.
Mr. Hays IS indeed bright.
But, he is putting his own biased opinions out there and then supporting them with what
Science "is gonna" accomplish. Any time now.
BLOGGERS: you're free to share your opinions; it's a blog. however, if you claim to be intelligent, if you claim to be an atheist, if you claim that you have the FACTS, the Proof, the Answers- please: STICK TO THEM AND QUIT THE NAME CALLING AND IDLE, CRASS CHATTER. AND, IF YOU TELL ONLY PART OF THE FACT(S)...it's called a LIE.
And, according to MR. Hays: Atheists HATE LIES.
If you're on this blog to put the Christians and other Believers, you can certainly do that, too.
No one is or ever has put a gun to your heads or imposed Sharia Law upon you.
But, know this: 'By Their Fruits, You Shall Know Them'
BELIEVERS: You should all be applauded for being patient, kind and open and honest with these non-believers. ***Please don't forget ---IF you truly love these people: PRAYER AND FASTING are the most powerful weapons. Love them, converse with them, keep responding with love when they spew you with their arrogance and hate. (It's clear that these non-believers just want to engage you in conversation. Until they prove that they're genuinely open to hearing what you have to say---I, for one, think it'd be PRUDENT to follow this sage advice: "never set your precious pearls before swine".
Just remember, even the Apostles knew when to shake the dust off of their sandals and move on to the next town.
Our first priority is to God, then to spouse, then to children...then to all believers and people with any or no belief system who desire pure, unadulterated TRUTH.
If these atheists, agnostics, etc on this blog are not listed in the above list; it's because THEY made THEIR OWN FREE CHOICE TO DO SO. and, force themselves to be left to their own devices.
But, we'll still be praying and fasting for them.
So, all hope is not lost.
None of us are perfect. Some of us are bigger sinners than others. If we repent, than we can move on. Some of us are filled with presumption and some are scrupulous.
It's a journey.
Don't waste it. Life and Time is short and precious. Enjoy it wisely, responsibly and lovingly: to the best of YOUR OWN God-given ability!
Peace.
Doubting Thomas at 9:48AM on Feb 19th 2008
-------------------------------------------------
Doubting Thomas...you are spot-on: love it!
from,
Devon T.
Devon at 3:23AM on Apr 4th 2008
923. Testing
Mokele Mbembe at 9:15AM on Apr 4th 2008
924. Still no dash, no O' Moke?
TJ at 10:22AM on Apr 4th 2008
925. Life - Death. The dash is your life. I am truly praying for all Saints everywhere to draw closer unto the Lord. And for all unbelievers that the Lord will deal with you and draw you to His saving grace. The Lord does not wish for any to perish, but that all would turn unto Him. Sincerely
Man_in_Wilderness at 11:56AM on Apr 4th 2008
926. Thank you for your patronizing - ego filled words, Man_in_Wilderness.
I can be just as patronizing and condescending as you with this little quip:
May you one day find the fallacy of your thoughts and turn to the truth of logic, so that mankind can be spared from your mindless rhetoric and senseless drivel. May oblivion take you in peace.
TJ at 12:15PM on Apr 4th 2008
927. ID is scientific? Since when and were is your research to show this, I've not actually found any myself and would like to be informed.
Evolution, on the other hand (although the theory is ever evolving) pun intended is at least rooting in scientific fact.
TJ at 12:22PM on Apr 4th 2008
928. TJ there is no scientific fact of evolution. Quite the contrary, the fact that nothing has evolved. No evidence of any change still occuring. Only in your mind.
Man_in_Wilderness at 5:54PM on Apr 4th 2008
929. Testing
Debris Hunter at 3:17AM on Apr 5th 2008
930. Debris Hunter (wrongly aka. Depris Hunter) to Fabio - entry #919
I haven't gone away. I'm just taking my time loading and aiming my next salvo. You'll know it when you get hit.
I've been attempting to address the issues with some original thinking, not trotting out pre-masticated ideas that don't angle with what's being said. My blog entries are 774/799/905. Please excuse the typos.
See you in 48 hours.
Debris Hunter at 2:48PM on Apr 5th 2008