Does Intelligent Design Have Merit?
With about 70 billion stars and as many as 100 million life forms (at least here on Earth), the universe is a stunningly complex place. Did all of this matter evolve independently, or was it guided by a larger force – as proponents of intelligent design believe? With the debate raging in living rooms, classrooms and courtrooms, the stakes are high when it comes to determining intelligent design’s merit.








It's Peddled as Science
- From Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights
By Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights - Advancing Objectivism
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Catholic Church rejects Intelligent Design
As a final blow to the Discovery Institute's attempts to get Intelligent Design into the Catholic 'door', the church announced an evolution congress which failed to invited creationists, and intelligent design
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0804713.htm
The Congress, titled "Biological Evolution: Facts and Theories. A Critical Appraisal 150 years after 'The Origin of Species'" is scheduled for March 3-7, 2009 in Rome and is organized by "[t]he Pontifical Council for Culture, Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University and the University of Notre Dame in Indiana [who] are organizing an international conference in Rome March 3-7 as one of a series of events marking the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's "The Origin of Species."
The reason for rejection?
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He said arguments "that cannot be critically defined as being science, or philosophy or theology did not seem feasible to include in a dialogue at this level and, therefore, for this reason we did not think to invite" supporters of creationism and intelligent design.
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It seems to me that the Catholic church has come to understand that intelligent design fails to contribute either to science or to theology in a manner fruitful to be discussed.
- PvM
September 17, 2008 11:33AM
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The relevance
For years now the Intelligent Design proponents and the Discovery Institute have been working the 'catholic angle', getting some of its cardinals into trouble. Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna Christoph Schönborn was the first noticable victim of the bait and switch and it took a while before the Catholic church could restore order and continue in its position that good theology requires good science and that ID creationism provides neither.
Although I am not a fan of some of the Catholic Church's position, I am encouraged by its ability to shake of its past dealings with Intelligent Design.
In similar news, noted scientists and Jesuit astronomer George Coyne is on a mission to expose the scientific and theological vacuity of Intelligent Design.
"Intelligent Design belittles God, Vatican director says"
http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=18503
"Priest doubts accuracy of creationism: God should stay out of classroom"
http://media.www.signal-online.net/media/storage/paper771/news/2008/09/10/News/Priest.Doubts .Accuracy.Of.Creationism-3421726.shtml
--George Coyne:
"I am going to, for better or worse, take on the intelligent design movement in this country," Coyne began the lecture. "I'm not going to apologize on the statements I make."
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and
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He personally encourages evolution to be taught in school, not intelligent design. "You shouldn't talk about God in a science classroom," he said.
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Well said and it should inspire other Christians to critically review their position on science and theology.
"Teach the controversy" so to speak
- PvM
September 18, 2008 9:36AM
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If the Catholic Church says it, it has just gotta be true!
If the Catholic Church says it, it has just gotta be true!
- ufcarazy
February 12, 2009 2:53PM
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And let's not forget
The fact that the evolution lobby is trying to cite statements by UCC ministers to bolster support against ID shows just how out of touch they really are. ;D
- F2XL
February 17, 2009 3:56PM
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Galileo
The problem with the Catholic Church is that it has been unable to disagree with any scientific theory ever since they got burned condemning Galileo. The problem over ID is more semantic than real. In science God is the Unified Force, ID is Chaos Theory. You can teach Creationism or ID in the public schools you just have to call it Chaos Theory.
- mike1948
July 24, 2009 2:19PM
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Quite true
Funny how being completely wrong about the Earth revolving around the sun can make the Catholic Church a bit 'gun shy' about claiming that science is incorrect (without evidence to back it up).
- MrBook
July 24, 2009 6:19PM
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But science was incorrect.
In the 19th Century fundamentalist supported the idea that new species appear abruptly, Catastrophism. Then Charles Darwin came along with his theory of Natural Selection and "proved" that new species evolve gradually. But it wasn't true. The fossil record shows no change for a long periods of time, then abruptly new species appeared. In 1972 scientist began calling this Punctuated Equilibrium. But Punctuated Equilibrium was nothing but a 20th Century version of Catastrophism. The fundamentalist had been right and Darwin had been wrong!
- mike1948
July 25, 2009 12:36AM
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changing itdeas
Like all theories Evolution has changed over the years because of new evidence was discovered. The most current theory (modern synthesis) does not support long periods of no change then the sudden appearance of species, rather it describes long periods of slow change punctuated by occasion bursts revolving around sudden environmental shifts.
Which is what science is about... changing theories when presented with new information that either reveals observations that the theory does not cover or is contradictory to that theory. Contrast that to religion which, when presented with evidence contrary or outside of its beliefs, acts to suppress or ignore that evidence.
- MrBook
July 25, 2009 6:22AM
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Darwin wrong.
You are ignoring my main point that Catastrophism was closer to the truth then Darwin. Are fundamentalist stubborn? Yes! Are scientist any less stubborn? No! The history of science is full of examples of scientists ignoring evidence contrary to established theory. The point is that in this case the fundamentalist were right and the scientists were wrong.
- mike1948
July 25, 2009 9:58AM
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Catastrophism?
How was Catastrophism closer then the original Darwinian theory? Catastrophism offered no mechanism for the changes that we see, was completely wrong as to what catastrophes occurred, how severe they were, and when they took place.
Darwin's original theory, as put forth in "Origin of Species", has long since been supplanted by modern theories of Evolution... it was wrong with regards to many things, but Catastrophism was wrong to a greater extent then Evolution ever was.
It should also be noted that once the evidence had accumulated showing that earlier theories had been wrong the Scientists changed their theories and agreed that the new interpretation was correct... when have the fundamentalists ever done so?
- MrBook
July 25, 2009 5:40PM
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Atheist scientists promote God as scientifically testable
Richard Dawkins and Victor Stenger argue that the existence of a creative super-intelligence or God are scientific questions.
"the presence or absence of a creative super-intelligence is unequivocally a scientific question." - The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, p. 58-59.
"The process I will follow is the scientific method of hypothesis testing. The existence of God will be taken as a scientific hypothesis and the consequences of that hypothesis searched for in objective observations of the world around us. Various models will be assumed in which God has specific attributes that can be tested empirically. That is, if a God with such attributes exists, certain phenomena should be observable." - God: The Failed Hypothesis by Victor Stenger, p. 17-18.
Do these scientists not understand the difference between science and non-science?
- ufcarazy
February 12, 2009 2:51PM
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Does Ayn Rand have merit?
(read in the computer voice of the Starship Enterprise)
Science is logic. God is not logic even though He created logic. He cannot be part of logic that would
be illogical.
Whats really illogical is when the study of science excludes God because you don't want him to exist. We sit in the middle and look both ways into infinity at a most wondrous universe and argue
about what is or is not science. If your science has no room for God then your science is too small.
Evolution and billions and billions of years of hit or miss chance to get a finger that flexes and contracts to pick up a penny. The evolution of music, why?
You guys deserve to have some maniacal communist take over our country and force you stop all experiments and study only what he says you can. (Oh my)
- The Almighty God
September 23, 2009 12:41AM
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elves and unicorns
"Whats really illogical is when the study of science excludes God because you don't want him to exist."
It is also illogical to include God in the study of Science just because you want him to exist. Before any deity can be included evidence for the existence of that deity needs to be found.
"If your science has no room for God then your science is too small."
How so, and why God as described in the Bible... not say the pantheon described by the Vikings or the Egyptians.
"Evolution and billions and billions of years of hit or miss chance to get a finger that flexes and contracts to pick up a penny."
We are not quite at the 'billions and billions' of years point... just as 'hit or miss chance' is not an accurate description of evolution .
- MrBook
September 23, 2009 6:22AM
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The very fact that public schools resist creationism is why
you have such books written as, THE CONSIPIRACY OF IGNORANCE, by Martin Gross. Because the school system only teaches evolution the children attending that school will always be dumber and less intelligent than any other school that promotes spiritual growth and truth. Truth is probably the best factor in determining intelligence and one cannot have it with Gd! So that is why, in many peoples opinions, including my own, that we have this:
1. A statement by Dr. James Conant in 1960's,a quote in reference to the Education establishment ( public school) he called it a "CLOSED ALLIANCE" and little did he know just how much of a corrupt alliance it would become in the years ahead.
2. Apparently one of the sad consequences of such a corrupted alliance is that our kids are dumber and we have to have as much as 45% of PHD's are given to non- Americans each year in our country, which our governement calls, NON-RESIDENT ALIENS, according to the book, Conspiracy of Ignorance.
3.June 1999,the chairman of the Federal Reserve board, Alan Greenspan, warned that the poor state of public school education would endanger its constitution , that being a people capable of maintaining its prosperity.
4.In Massachusetts, April 1998 teachers where tested, all of whom had received bachelors of education, and 3 out of every 5 flunked! And that was being able to write a gramatically correct sentence.
5. And sadest of all the book exposes a national crisis when it showed that at a national math test, 60% of American students could not show how to get an average number from 5 numbers provided.
AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE TEACHERS AND THEIR ASSOCIATIONS AND UNIONS ARE IN GREAT NEED OF HIGHER EDUCATION THEMSELVES. PS INCLUDING CREATIONISM AS A N OPTION AND STOPPING HYPNOSIS ON STUDENTS WOULD BRING UP THEIR IQ'S IMMEDIATELY! My opinion.
- angelmama
September 29, 2009 7:17PM
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I think someone changes my responses.
IT SHOULD READ:
Truth is probably the best factor in determining intelligence and one cannot have it withOUT Gd!
- angelmama
September 29, 2009 8:44PM
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Why do you recommend your own posts?
Hmm?
- SolarSanitizer
September 29, 2009 11:22PM
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Freud?
I think that is what is called a Freudian slip...
- MrBook
September 30, 2009 8:02AM
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hypnosis?
"PS INCLUDING CREATIONISM AS A N OPTION AND STOPPING HYPNOSIS ON STUDENTS WOULD BRING UP THEIR IQ'S IMMEDIATELY! "
If we include creationism we should include all the creationist stories... the proof is about equal for all of them.
And really... the hypnosis bit again???
- MrBook
September 30, 2009 8:04AM
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