Good analysis of the dangers of Intelligent Design
This column argues that it's bad economics to water down science when American kids are already lagging behind in science. It reminds one of the big Japanese car factory that was being lured into Alabama or somewhere with all these lavish tax incentives and stuff, but the car company decided to go to Canada instead because their workers are literate and take less money to train. Someday we may figure this out if it keeps happening: education is important. Science is important. Doing these things RIGHT will translate into $. Keep Inteeligent Design in Sunday School, in philosophy, in social studies where it belongs. But it is not science. We ourselves are no fans of the current powers-that-be in biology. But the default option is not Intelligent Design. The default option is better science.
Intelligent Design is vulnerable on the basis that it opens the door to the question of whether or not God is an alien. Since there is nothing in ID that rules this out, a line of attack could be developed whereby one links Intelligent Design to Von Daniken. Aren't they trying to say the same thing? And doesn't it weaken the ID people to take the sheen off their god like that, to reduce Him to an advanced alien species?
Of course, complicating matters, there is SOME reason to SPECULATE about the need for a scientific theory of "what if life as we know it was physically engineered by aliens." But then the question becomes, "Who engineered the engineers?" And there one must say, it was either a.)God, b.)the aliens are the ones who evolved, and then went on to engineer life elsewhere, or c.) time is infinite and life is eternal and HAD no beginning.
"b" and "c" are the ones that can possibly be explored scientifically.
The question, "Was God created by Super-God?" cannot be scientifically resolved.
Because if you are going to insist upon being able to say that God has always existed, and is therefore the explanation for life, then you must grant me the right to say that life has always existed, and therefore needs no god.
The question of life is not resolved yet. Even if the answer IS "a.) God," it certainly hasn't been shown scientifically in the slightest, and displays strong evidence against. So there we might fault God for mismanaging His resources.
Next up in math class: "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?"
Intelligent Design is vulnerable on the basis that it opens the door to the question of whether or not God is an alien. Since there is nothing in ID that rules this out, a line of attack could be developed whereby one links Intelligent Design to Von Daniken. Aren't they trying to say the same thing? And doesn't it weaken the ID people to take the sheen off their god like that, to reduce Him to an advanced alien species?
Of course, complicating matters, there is SOME reason to SPECULATE about the need for a scientific theory of "what if life as we know it was physically engineered by aliens." But then the question becomes, "Who engineered the engineers?" And there one must say, it was either a.)God, b.)the aliens are the ones who evolved, and then went on to engineer life elsewhere, or c.) time is infinite and life is eternal and HAD no beginning.
"b" and "c" are the ones that can possibly be explored scientifically.
The question, "Was God created by Super-God?" cannot be scientifically resolved.
Because if you are going to insist upon being able to say that God has always existed, and is therefore the explanation for life, then you must grant me the right to say that life has always existed, and therefore needs no god.
The question of life is not resolved yet. Even if the answer IS "a.) God," it certainly hasn't been shown scientifically in the slightest, and displays strong evidence against. So there we might fault God for mismanaging His resources.
Next up in math class: "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?"
posted by Jim Richardson at 2:57 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home