I find myself absolutely fascinated by the discourse of intelligent design (ID) proponents. Mostly I find myself drawn to the debates like one is drawn to a car crash. It’s been a constant source of confusion and frustration since converting to Christianity. I have never been able to reconcile a necessity that I suddenly cease to believe all of the science that is available. I came to know Christ because of the facts as they presented themselves in my life. It would be intellectually dishonest of me to suddenly change my opinion without examining the evidence. It would be equally so if I were to suddenly deny scientific fact and replace it with a “God of the gaps.” I simply cannot believe that faith in God renders evolution false any more so than evolution renders God false.
Evolutionary biology has proven time and time again to be solid and good science (meaning it subjects itself to testing and scrutiny and incorporates new findings accordingly). Unfortunately, ID just doesn’t seem to hold up under scientific investigation. At least, in my opinion, it doesn’t hold up outside of “God spoke it so” and works accordingly through natural processes. If you want invoke an intelligent designer that created the rules by which all things are governed, I’ll agree. If you want to invoke constant tinkering and manipulation l then we’ll part company.
Furthermore, I think ID is single handedly driving people FURTHER away from Christianity and it puts God into a tiny little box. I think it’s a dangerous idea, not because it challenges the status quo, but because it requires people to embrace a degree of ignorance. The “God of the gaps” is simply too small. It’s tantamount to a child sticking their fingers in their ears and chiming “I can’t hear you.” Rather than promoting an open dialogue that brings people closer to Christ it drives a wedge into the very body by perpetuating a “with us or against us” dichotomy. How many people are missing out on God’s love and grace simply because they’ve been told to embrace Genesis as science when it’s clearly not??
However, I only hold a degree in English. So while I feel I’m qualified to examine Biblical texts from a literary standpoint, I’m afraid I must stand on other people’s shoulders when it comes to the science. That being so, I must take a moment to profess that I’m a serious BioLogos fanboy. Recently there’s been a back and forth between Dr. Stephen Meyer and Darrel Falk. Falk is a biology professor and author of Coming to Peace with Science (which I intend to read soon). Meyer is a philosopher and staunch ID advocate. I’ve heard quite a few debates in which he was involved and there is no denying his rhetorical ability. However, even with my passing interest and limited knowledge of science, I cannot help but notice the faulty logic in his “God of the gaps” arguments. Apparently, after reading the most recent response from Falk, I’m not alone:
Dr. Meyer and his colleagues are smart, they are sincere, and we are all bound together within the love of God.
[However you] can be smart, sincere, and loved, but you can also be very wrong about the interpretation of scientific data.
If you are even remotely interested in this debate then I suggest you read the entire series of responses. They truly are fascinating. I think the work done by Dr. Falk and others at the BioLogos foundation do a great service to both the scientific and Christian communities. Although I doubt the issue will be settled by a series of blog posts, I am hopeful that we can eventually find some sort of common ground upon which we can welcome people into the family of God without requiring them to deny one truth in order to embrace another. Afterall, as Falk says, “we are all bound together within the love of God.”
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You know, whenever this comes up my stock response is "science is science and faith is faith and a attempts to combine the two cheapens both."
I believe in intelligent design, but I don't want that taught in school as "science," because it's not. It's religion. It's not even good religion, it's religion that desperately seeks to justify God as if faith in Him isn't enough. The whole debate tends to shake my faith in humanity
(PS, you should update your link, "Mysticnegro.com/blog" is where I'm trying to figure out what to do with my most awesome domain name…)
@George – Link updated accordingly. Please tell me you'll continue blogging in some form or fashion. It's not right that the world should have to suffer my return with your exit.
With regards to the substance of your post, I don't think I could have said it better myself. Your statement about "desperately seeking to justify God" was BANG.ON.
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