Lesson No. 5c - Introduction to Intelligent Design

Intelligent Design (ID), first coined by Philip Johnson, is an explanation for the origin of species and current day variation found therein. Other notable scientists, see Recommended Reading selection, have since joined Johnson in an Intellectually Honest refute to the long held ‘theory of fact’ touted by many high school and college professors. The basic premise of ID is 2 fold:

1. Life as we understand and as we can observe has been created; a discussion of the creator(s) is reserved for philosophers. Current day life (human, animal, plant, fungus, protozoan) is much too complex to have evolved by undirected, random, happenings of chance regardless of any amount of time allotted for the transformation.

a. Life is intrinsically irreducibly complex (MJ Behe). If it cannot be reduced to a more simple state, it cannot have evolved from such a state to one more complex. It was designed complex.

2. Observation of nature provides all required information for statistical and biological validation of point number one.

No specific examples have been given here as they require detailed discussion to flesh out. The purpose of this posting is to spark interest and offer supplemental reading for individual or live group discussion. For more information about ID please read:

• Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution (MJ Behe)
• Dismantling Evolution: Building the case for Intelligent Design (RO Muncaster)
• Intelligent Design: The Bridge Between Science & Theology (WA Dembski)
• Darwin's God: Evolution and the Problem of Evil (CG Hunter)

For questions about a specific topic please post under the comment section and a the topic will be discussed or a future post will be used for further discussion.

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