Intelligent Design, and Other Dumb Ideas

Oops, someone pointed out to me that this publication preceded the DI’s press tour.

Poor Discovery Institute, after spending much time and effort on trying, unsuccessfully, to generate some media interest on the Gonzalez tenure case, all they got was a cynical response from Mac Johnson at the conservative site Human Events.com.

So in light of the issue’s new prominence and with a desire to improve the mental hygiene of others, I would just like to say that Intelligent Design is a really, really bad idea –scientifically, politically, and theologically. I say this as a dedicated conservative, who has on many occasions defended and espoused religion and religious conservatism. I also say it as a professional molecular biologist, who has worked daily (or at least week-daily) for years with biological problems to which the theory of evolution has contributed significant understanding – and to which Intelligent Design is incapable of contributing any understanding at all.

So far Mac Johnson has remained silent on the topic, largely because he shares some common beliefs with many of ID’s supporters but he cannot longer remain silent

So in light of the issue’s new prominence and with a desire to improve the mental hygiene of others, I would just like to say that Intelligent Design is a really, really bad idea –scientifically, politically, and theologically. I say this as a dedicated conservative, who has on many occasions defended and espoused religion and religious conservatism. I also say it as a professional molecular biologist, who has worked daily (or at least week-daily) for years with biological problems to which the theory of evolution has contributed significant understanding – and to which Intelligent Design is incapable of contributing any understanding at all.

On the scientific front, ID has little to contribute

Scientifically, attributing every aspect of biology to the arbitrary design of a divine tinkerer explains as much about biology as attributing the eruption of volcanoes to the anger of the Lava God would explain geology. A theory, by definition, makes predictions that can be tested. Intelligent Design predicts nothing, since it essentially states that every thing is the way it is because God wanted it that way.

Not only does ID fail scientifically to be a relevant paradigm, it also is offensive to many because of the theological impact of its arguments.

And as a matter of religion, ID is offensive to me in the lack of faith it demonstrates on the part of its proponents. I believe in God. My belief in Him is not dependent upon his being the motive force in developing shorter dandelion varieties for lawns and longer varieties for roadsides. I am not sure what God is. I am not sure what His role in this world is. But I am sure He is. I don’t need to have that belief enshrined in “theory” and validated by the approval of a county school board.

Seems that even those who should be the Discovery Institute’s closest allies are distancing themselves from the scientifically vacuous and theologically risky concept of ‘Intelligent Design’.

I cannot blame them