Sunday, February 9, 2014

Nye vs Ham,Why Intelligent Design is Not Enough.

In reflecting on the debate between Bill Nye and Ken Ham (I listed Nye first merely to avoid the "Ham on Nye" puns circulating on the internet,) several points stand out. Firstly, it is certain that the debate will convince few people on either side. This is no reflection on the debaters but listeners will for the most part will have already decided where they stand on the issue, so only those who have no position on the debate.

This is not to say that the debate had no value. It is not only beneficial to those who have not decided on a view, but pointing out the flaws in the evolutionary theory will hopefully create dissonance in the minds of the materialists who listen to it. In essence the theory of Evolution is a vital element of the secular religion and its advocates hold as axiomatic just as believers hold the truths of the Bible.

One question that arose is the extent to which the argumentation put forward by intelligent design activists, like Behe. Now I read and enjoyed, (apart from the math), Darwin's Black Box, however I believe the ID movement is an inadequate base for defending a Christian understanding of human origins. ID teaches that
something created the universe. In ID it is irrelevant what that something is. It is in essence God-optional.

The various attempts to reconcile Evolution and the doctrines of the current scientific orthodoxy always wind up compromising the integrity of God's revelation to gain credibility with the "scientific" community. This is true of all such efforts by groups ranging from Bio-logos to Dr. Hugh Ross. They will fail because the tenets of Secularism, like the God of the Bible are Jealous. They will demand total obedience. In the eyes of a Nye or a Dawkins the most credentialed and brilliant advocate of ID is just another ignorant fundamentalist.

All one had to do was listen to the patronizing arrogance of Nye in the debate. One is reminded of the debate over evolution alternatives being taught in Texas. One of the witnesses for the Darwinist said that if he saw any textbook even mention the word design he would throw it in the trash. Evolution is the cosmology of Atheism. It provides the basis for the unbeliever rejecting Christianity, and particularly for rejecting Christian teaching of Gods ethical standards for man.

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