Archive for ‘Evolution’
Seeking God in Science – An Atheist Defends Intelligent Design by Bradley Monton (Book Summary)
Book Summary by Jeff Stauffer
Bradley Monton is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Colorado, where he focuses in areas such as philosophy of physics, time, and religion. A self-pronounced atheist, Monton has taken an interesting position regarding the intelligent design movement: “Even though I’m an atheist, I think that some arguments for intelligent design are worth taking seriously.” In this book, Monton sets out to help define was intelligent design (ID) is, and asks questions such as, it is science, and should it be taught in schools.
Chapter 1: What is Intelligent Design, and Why Might an …
Read MoreExpelled: No Intelligence Allowed!
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed!
Movie Review
Don’t ever doubt that God has a sense of humor. In case you’ve ever doubted, this should settle any lingering uncertainties: God has used Ben Stein to offer what is quite probably the most significant contribution to the evolution/creation debate ever: a documentary entitled Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.
I should probably clarify that a bit. By “most significant,” I don’t mean most exhaustive or well-reasoned or logically rigorous. What I mean is, “most likely to have a far-reaching impact.” Fast-paced, funny and wide-ranging, Expelled is a surprisingly engaging treatment of the current debate about the legitimacy of …
Read MoreTeleological Arguments
Teleological Arguments
Craig A. Smith (from the book, The Search)
These type of arguments are named for the Greek word teleos, which literally means “perfect.” For the ancient Greeks, something was “perfect” only when it fulfilled its intended purpose.
As you might guess then, teleological arguments attempt to show that various features of the universe can only be explained if we accept that they were intended for a particular purpose. In other words, teleological arguments show that various systems in the universe have been designed, with particular goals in mind, rather than springing into existence and evolving randomly.
People who work with teleological …
Read MoreCosmological Arguments
Cosmological Arguments
Craig A. Smith (From the book, The Search)
The term cosmological comes from the Greek word for the universe: cosmos. By universe, we are really referring to everything that exists in the physical realm, from the deepest depths of the earth to the farthest galaxy and everything in between. Basically, the cosmological argument works by attempting to show that the existence of the universe can only be explained by appealing to the actions of an intelligent, personal being (who we call God).
There are actually several different versions of the cosmological argument, but they all have certain basic features in …
Read MoreDe-Evolution
De-Evolution
By Craig A. Smith
I have been continually surprised by the Christian response to the idea contained in this brief article. On the one hand, some Christians seem to find the idea threatening, though I confess I do not understand why: I am a strict1 Creationist and find the theory of macro-evolution to be both theologically impermissible and scientifically incoherent.
On the other hand, many Christians are genuinely surprised by these ideas, having never heard anything quite like them. The very idea that this hypothesis is indeed novel is very perplexing to me. What I will outline in the following few paragraphs …
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