| The futile, but never-ending debate over | | | | Owen, not from ecclesiastical authorities |
| which account of human origins may or may not | | | | (though much of that came later). Are we |
| be taught in public schools, drones on yet | | | | really to believe the implicate of the claim |
| again. Most American Christians continue to | | | | above, namely, that no real science occured |
| fight the less-than-good fight, oblivious to | | | | until after 1830 because most of the guys |
| the fairly obvious point that the Bible | | | | doing "science" at the time were really just |
| commands God's people, "Do not be yoked | | | | doing "religion disguised as science?" Isaac |
| together with unbelievers." This clearly | | | | Newton even wrote a book on Bible prophecy. |
| requires Christians to avoid having their | | | | Does that make him a "non-scientific quack?" |
| children taught by pagans -- meaning that God | | | | Of course not.Fourth, if such persons as the |
| requires them to avoid sending their children | | | | claimant who says, "Intelligent design is |
| to public schools. This is a sinful, but | | | | religion," fail to offer a cogent defintion |
| common, practice among baptized households.So | | | | of what religion is, then his claim falters |
| then, having said our mind on the subject, we | | | | as an entirely arbitrary indictment. On the |
| move onto the questions of logic as they pop | | | | other hand, if any of these yokels ever |
| up in the debate. Several of the proponents | | | | actually get around to offering a definition |
| of Mr. Darwin's views have recently alleged | | | | of "religion," it will inherently entangle |
| that the doctrine of intelligent design ought | | | | them in real problems, since many features of |
| not be taught in public schools because it | | | | "religion" also show up in evolutionary |
| presents an inherently "religious" view. | | | | views.For instance,1. Evolutionary biology |
| Several ways to nullify the intended | | | | depends on the grand miracles of the "Big |
| effectiveness of this claim come to | | | | Bang" and "abiogenesis," and other miraculous |
| mind.First, we should like to note that no | | | | leaps from one kind of thing to another -- |
| consensus exists among philosophers as to how | | | | which have not been observed.2. Evolutionary |
| one might distinguish a religion from a | | | | cosmology (as taught in astronomy courses |
| philosophy. Some would accept the claim that | | | | everywhere) forms an entire worldview, a |
| religions come with rituals or ceremonies, | | | | required way of looking at the world through |
| while philosophies do not. But variants of | | | | the lenses of naturalistic, subtle change as |
| ancient Orphism, Pythagoreanism and | | | | the ultimate cause of everything.3. |
| Neo-Platonism come with mystical symbols and | | | | Evolutionary biology has major tenets -- |
| opaque rituals -- some of which symbols were | | | | adaptation, natural selection, micromutation, |
| taken up by later forms of Kabbala -- and | | | | survival of the fittest, etc.4. Evolutionary |
| these ancient views are usually construed as | | | | biology requires beliefs in what cannot and |
| philosophies, not religions. And, quite | | | | have not been observed - the unseen. This is |
| curiously, one of the more interesting | | | | why evolutionary literature contains the |
| philosophies of the ancient world, taught by | | | | ubiquitous refrain -- "we cannot observe |
| one "Anaximander" (ca. 550 B.C.), contained | | | | evolution happening today because it occurs |
| most of the central postulates native to the | | | | so slowly."5. Those communities which regard |
| views of a certain -- you guessed it -- | | | | it as true employ a unique vocabulary to |
| "Charlie Darwin."Second, "religions" are | | | | express those beliefs.6. Evolutionary biology |
| person-relative. This means that no | | | | and cosmology imply certain answers -- and |
| particular view (by itself) may properly | | | | logically forbid others -- to the grand |
| count as "religion," since what one does or | | | | questions of life, "What kind of world is |
| does not DO WITH THE BELIEFS in question has | | | | this?" (metaphysics), "How do we know what we |
| an important bearing on the point at hand. If | | | | know?" (epistemology), "What is the nature of |
| no ceremony or ritual of any kind attends the | | | | humanity?" (philosophical or religious |
| view in question, this makes it hard to | | | | anthropology), "What is proper human |
| justify the "religion" claim. For [counter-] | | | | behavior?" (ethics), etc., etc. Thus, by any |
| instance, Aristotle believed in "intelligent | | | | defintion of religion I can imagine, if |
| design," but very few would call his | | | | "intelligent design" counts as religion, how |
| worldview "religious," though his ideas do | | | | much more will evolutionary views be painted |
| tend to show up in university philosophy | | | | with the same brush?So it seems appropriate |
| courses quite a bit. Also, many of the French | | | | here to finish our answer to the original |
| "Enlightment" Deists were quite arguably | | | | question with a phrase from a game |
| nonreligious -- if not irreligious -- | | | | traditionally beloved by |
| persons, even though they affirmed | | | | mathematicians:"Check mate."Carson Day has |
| "intelligent design."Third -- and we need to | | | | written some 1.3 gazillion articles and |
| keep beating this drum -- almost every | | | | essays on all manner of topics. These aim to |
| scientist prior to 1830 believed in | | | | glorify God and offer people real help to |
| intelligent design. And the majority of | | | | live wisely and well. You can visit Carson's |
| scientists kept believing in it until around | | | | websites at (The Omniblog, where Carson |
| 1870 or so. When Darwin published his "Origin | | | | blogs everything) or (Carson's Day Trading |
| of Species" (1859), he met with his hottest | | | | Outpost). Thanks for stopping by. |
| disputes from other scientists like Robert | | | | |