Intelligent design: an unintelligent idea

[Chris OConnor]

Intelligent design: an unintelligent idea
By: Taylor Kessinger
Issue date: 10/26/07 Section: Opinions

Ben Stein, best known as the economics teacher in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," the host of his own game show and the mascot for Clear Eyes, has somehow managed to procure an even more humorous role - as the poster boy for intelligent design, the laughingstock of the scientific community.

Stein appeared Monday on "The O'Reilly Factor" to trump the values of his upcoming movie, "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed," which argues that secular science has unfairly ousted discourse regarding intelligent design. Stein believes the theory deserves fair treatment in schools and in science.

Read the entire article here
http://wildcat.arizona.edu/home/index.c ... 507e2616b0

[Chris OConnor]

On the other hand, does science discriminate against proponents of intelligent design? Well, sure, but only in the same sense that a university discriminates against bad students or the stock market discriminates against people who make poor financial decisions.

I'm loving this columnist, Taylor Kessinger. What a way with words.

[Randy Kadish]

I don't know if this reply fits here, but as someone who struggles with believing in Intelligent Design, I often read the writings of scientists who believe in God - a God, for example, works his will through evolution.

Two interesting books by scientists are, Finding Darwin's God by Kenneth R. Miller, and God & The New Physics, by Paul Davies.

Randy

[Chris OConnor]

Randy

as someone who struggles with believing in Intelligent Design, I often read the writings of scientists who believe in God - a God, for example, works his will through evolution.

I hear you saying that you struggle with believing in Intelligent Design. I can't name a single thing that I struggle to believe in. If things don't add up and the evidence isn't loud and clear I don't believe. It is foreign to me to believe without evidence.

You say you read the writings of scientists who believe in God, but do you read the writings of scientists who don't believe in God? Doing so might help you with this struggle you're having. It sounds like you're struggling because you're getting half of the necessary information and that half doesn't fit with what you observe in the real world. Check out the other half and you might see that reality makes perfect sense.

Then again I might have misunderstood you!

[Randy Kadish]

Yes, I read scientists who don't believe. The God concept is not black and white for me. I can say I don't believe in a Judeo/Christian God. How, I often wonder, could such a God have allowed the killing fields of World War One and Two? But I believe in absolutes - morality, ideals, yes, the techniques of a perfect fly cast, etc.. (This is what I explored in my book.) To me absolutes are a higher power.

If I could believe in a loving God - and I've tried and tried - my life would be a easier. Because I don't believe, I tend to see the world though a dark glass, and often wonder if life is a tale told by a idiot, signifying nothing. I don't, therefore, look down on people who have what I call a healthy - non-radical - belief in God. In fact I'm jealous when I hear them say feel God's love.

I certainly wouldn't mind a little more love in my life.

Finally, the Dostoyevksy idea of believing in God that might nott exist is very powerful for me. I just can't take the leap of faith. ...

Randy