- Introduction
- Truth
- Evidence
- Science
- The Laws of Science
- The Doctrine of Uniformitarianism
- The 1st Law of Thermodynamics
- The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics
- The Four Fundamental Forces
- The Big Bang
- The Age of the Universe
- The Age of the Earth
- Star and Planet Formation
- The Origin of Life
- Evolution
- Macro and micro evolution
- Darwinism
- Darwins Evidence
- Neo-Darwinsim
- Punctuated Equilibrium
- Isn't Evolution "Just a Theory?"
- Is It Really That Important to Teach Evolution?
- Intelligent Design
- Conclusions from Science
- Environmental Change and Species Extinction
- Racism
- Religion
- The Bible
- Objections to Christianity
- Suggested Reading
- Citations
- Conclusion
Intelligent Design
Facts Concerning Intelligent Design
Currently in the news is the idea of Intelligent Design. Some people assume that life is so complicated that it could never have arisen naturally. These people insist that living things had to have been created by some "intelligent designer". A current proponent of this idea is Michael Behe the author of Darwin's Black Box. In his book Behe describes a mouse-trap as being unable to be come about by small incremental steps. A mouse-trap either works as a complete design or it doesn't work at all. In his book Behe uses the term "irreducible complexity" to describe something that cannot be broken down into individual working parts.In nature Behe uses the bacterial flagellum and blood clotting as two examples of this idea of irreducible complexity. The bacterial flagellum either functions as a complete unit or it does not function at all. Blood clotting is an extremely complex process that needs every step in order to properly function. He makes the claim that these structures could not have developed by a slow step by step process such as required by evolution. Another major player in the intelligent design movement is Stephen Meyer and the Discovery Institute located in Seattle, Washington.
The intelligent design movement is not really new. Many people believe that the Intelligent Design movement had it beginnings with a man named William Paley who lived in the 1700's. Paley developed the idea of a watchmaker. He though that if you were walking through the woods and you found a watch lying on the ground you could infer that it must have been made by a watchmaker. He thought that a watch was a complex structure that could not have arisen on its own. Paley thought that to have a watch you must have a watchmaker or as they say today - an intelligent designer.
Most scientists scoff at the idea of "Intelligent Design" because it is not considered science. There is no way to identify the designer or to determine how it functions. Scientists claim that the Intelligent Design movement is only another attempt get God into the public schools. Other scientists state that if life was designed by an intelligent designer than that designer must not have been very intelligent after all. They will cite the the human eye or the heart as examples of imperfect design.
Observation on Intelligent Design
The intelligent design movement did not begin with William Paley. It began with God. In the Bible it very clearly states that the heavens declare the glory of God and that men are without excuse. The idea that we were designed did not begin with Paley and it will not end with Michael Behe or the Discovery Institute. David declares in the Psalms that he was fearfully and wonderfully made in his mother's womb.I believe that the Intelligent Design movement is for the most part an attempt to get God back into the public schools. Its claims cannot be tested or repeated as required by modern science. Therefore I do not believe that Intelligent Design should be included in the science curriculum. Science has recently been defined to include only natural and testable ideas. An Intelligent Designer is not natural and it is not testable. It is therefore not science.
Conclusions From Science