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Saturday, July 09, 2005

Intelligent Design: What's the Meaning of Life?

I came across the blog of Denyse O'Leary, a journalist based in Toronto, Canada and I encourage you to give it a look. She covers stories on the current scientific controversy between neo-Darwinists and Intelligent Design theorists.

I first noticed her when I read this article from Christianity Today Online about the film entitled, The Privileged Planet: The Search for Purpose in the Universe based on the book by philosopher Jay Richards and Iowa State University astronomer Guillermo Gonzalez. Apparently, the Smithsonian Institute had agreed to allow an Intelligent Design organization to show the film, but then tried to renege when the Darwinists complained.

The Intelligent Design (ID) movement is simply the attempt to examine evidence of design in nature, which suggests some higher intelligence behind it all. It seems to me that a fair-minded person in the public square is willing to study all the data and theories regarding the origins of life. If the data and theories are scientific in nature, then they belong in the realm of science (as opposed to philosophy, for instance, though the two may certainly overlap). See my earlier post. ID proponents are, as far as I can tell, asking for the opportunity to enter the debate, to not be silenced merely because they fail to toe the line of neo-darwinist orthodoxy.

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6 comments:

JMFjr said...

I have been pondering this a bit lately and I have come up with a thought.
I think ID is great way to build a bridge that was distroyed long ago. Reason distroyed the bridge that faith gives us to see God's work in creation and ID rebuilds that bridge. It is a wonderful starting point that Jesus has build a world to reveal Himself.

Pastor Scott Stiegemeyer said...

Jmfjr,

Yes. ID is not evangelism exactly, though it certainly might spark the question "well, just WHO is this intelligence designer?"

The exact identity of the designer can not be discerned by reason alone. It has to be revealed to us and that has happened through prophets, apostles and especially Jesus.

I am a Christian who believes in biblical inerrancy and the 6 day creation of Genesis. However, I don't see science or reason as the enemies. They can be, but not necessarily.

In matters of faith, reason is a servant, not a master.

When interacting with the public square, there is a role for discourse on the basis of reason, logic, and observation. And ID does that.

As far as bringing people to meet the Savior, you are right that ID, at best, can only be a bridge.

JMFjr said...

Keep it up bro!

Pastor Scott Stiegemeyer said...

Mark wrote:

"Who is silencing whom?"

Publicly funded schools and institutions are different than blogs. You are here as my guest. You do not have the RIGHT to post your comments to her blog, or mine. It is a courtesy extended to you. I am under no obligation, legal or moral, to allow both sides to be represented here, in this forum, for anything. I would think our public schools and institutions, which belong to all the people, would be different.

cwv warrior said...

Recently got into a debate with Christian evolutionist scientists...got all that? I never thought they could all go together in one sentence, let alone one person. Wow, that was difficult because they believe in the Creator but not in the supernatural Creator! (sorry to say, the comments are lost somewhere in cyberspace cause i switched to haloscan)

Pastor Scott Stiegemeyer said...

Mark,
I appreciate your gracious comments about Denyse. It's wise to try to put the best construction on things (as much as possible) and to give people the benefit of the doubt. Nor do I think anyone can ever claim to understand another person's motives. How well do we even understand our own? I don't claim to be an expert at that myself, but I'm trying.

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