Why are christian believers so excited about intelligent design?

Question

If intelligent design is correct, it does not mean that Christians are right!

Neither does it mean that god is watching over us.

Any comments?

None of the religious folk addressed the point:

Intelligent Design does not equal Christianity

See also my question:

Why do all faiths believe they are right and all the other faiths are wrong?

I envy believers in some ways, I really do, but I cant pretend to believe, and God keeps to Himself alot.

Answer 1

Intelligent Design is not equivalent to Christianity, although it meshes with it.

The premise is that certain things logically could not have evolved on their own and would have needed intervention and/or influence of some sort from an outside force in order to exist in their current state. There must be some sort of active creative force that exists in the universe, controlling the way the universe develops.

So ID provides the first "viable" alternative to evolution, in many people's minds.

But it's an intuitive argument and thus unverifiable, unfortunately. (That's the reason many hardcore scientists bust on it.)

I think it's an interesting idea and I'm glad it was brought into public view, but again there is no way to prove anything. It's just an idea.

It also seems to be a "dead-end" argument. People who already do not believe in God and aren't open to God are using evolution and the flaws of ID to dismiss it. People who already believe in God are trying to use ID as a "silver bullet" to justify their beliefs and convince others to their cause.

Meanwhile, who people are, what motivates them, what they value, etc. (the "spiritual condition" of their "hearts") is being ignored and/or not taken into consideration. And it's in the heart where someone either meets or does not meet God.

Answer 2

It is the closest thing for a scientific counter argument to the theory of evolution. Also, it may allow a circumventing of the severely anti-religious trend of public school policy. Intelligent design may allow this because it does not specifically state that God is the intelligent designer. Many liberal(uhm just cannot think of a better word, not trying to make this a political argument) judges have taken the separation of church and state amendment far farther than it was intended. As support for this the most famous line of the Declaration of Independence: "We hold the truths to be self-evident: That all men are CREATED equal, and that they are endowed by their CREATOR with certain inalienable rights...". Later Thomas Jefferson used the words "Divine Providence". Clearly he felt that religion was not a problem in government.

Oh and BTW, intelligent design does indicate that the "intelligent designer" is still watching over us and making changes.

Answer 3

Many Christians are blinded by false faith. They do not realize that the Bible and evolution can coexist. Some priest believe that evolution is part of God's plan. Intelligent design simply states a very realistic albeit obvious fact that the universe is a very complex place. The truth is no one really knows the true origins of the universe except God and everyone else is just guessing.

Answer 4

Read this... I wrote it for you. :)

Billions of years ago, a big bang produced a large rock. As the rock cooled, sweet brown liquid formed on it's surface. As time passed, aluminum formed itself into a can, a lid, and a tab. Millions of years later, red and white paint fell from the sky and formed itself into the words "Coca Cola... 12 fluid ounces."

Of course my theory is an insult to your intellect, because you know that if the Coca Cola can is made, there must be a maker. If it is designed, there must be a designer. The alternative, that it happened by chance or accident is to move from the intellectual free zone.



Here is another:

"The Banana: The Atheist Nightmare"

Note that the banana...

1. is shaped for the human hand.

2. has a non-slip surface.

3. Has outward indicators of it's inward contents. Green - too early, yellow - just right, black - too late.

4. Has a tab for removal of it's wrapper.

5. Is perforated on wrapper.

6. Has a bio-degradable wrapper.

7. Is shaped for the human mouth.

8. Has a point at the top for ease of entry.

9. Is pleasing to the taste buds.

10. Is curved towards the face to make the eating process easy.

To write that the banana happened by accident is even more unintelligent than to write that no one designed the Coca Cola can.

Test 1.

The person who thinks the Coca Cola can has no designer is:

A. Intelligent

B. A fool

C. Has an ulterior motive for denying the obvious

Now the document that I am referring from states that the eye has 40,000,000 nerve endings and focuses it's muscles approximately 100,000 times a day. and that the eye has a retina that contains approximately 137,000,000 light sensitive cells.

The document continues and states that Charles Darwin stated:

"To suppose that the eye could have been formed by natural selection, seems I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree" Agreed... it does not have the reference recorded so I do not know if this statement is true or false. But let me get to the point at hand.

If man can not create the human eye then how can anyone in their right mind believe that it was created by chance? In fact... man can't create anything from nothing... we just do not know how to do it. We can re-create, reform, develop... but we can not create one grain of sand from nothing. Yet the human eye... is a mere tiny part of the most sophisticated part of creation - the human body.

Again... another statement which I would have to research and verify if this person actually made this comment:

"George Gallup; "If I could prove God statistically; take the human body alone; the chance that all the functions of the individual would just happen, is a statistical monstrosity."

Now this statement concerning Albert Einstein. This is confusing... why would this man contradict himself? If he stated this... then every other statement that has been quoted at this forum is invalid because the man appears to be speaking from both sides of his mouth. In this statement Einstein is quoted to have said:

"Everyone who is seriously interested in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe - a spirit vastly superior to man, and one in the face of our modest powers must feel humble."

Test 2:

1. Do you know any building that did not have a builder? Yes? No?

2. Do you know any painting that did not have a painter? Yes? No?

3. Do you know any car that did not have a maker? Yes? No?

If you answered "Yes" to any of those statements... please give details:______________________...



Third analogy:

Could I convince you that I dropped 50 oranges onto the ground and then by chance fell into ten rows of five oranges? Logically, anyone with an intelligent mind might conclude that someone put them there. The odds that ten oranges would fall into a straight line is mind boggling. Let alone ten rows of five.

Test 3

Yes or No 1. From the atom to the universe is there order?

Yes or No 2. Did it happen by accident or must there been an intelligent mind?

3. What are the odds of 50 oranges falling by chance into ten rows of five oranges? ______________________________...

To declare that there is no God is to make an absolute statement. And for an absolute statement to be true; one must have absolute knowledge. Here is another such statement: "There is no gold in China."

Test 4 What would I need to have for that statement to be true?

A. No knowledge of China?

B. Partial knowledge of China?

C. Absolute knowledge of China?

"C" is the correct answer. In order for the statement to be true, I must know that there is no gold in China.

Likewise; to state that there is no God and to be correct then you are stating that you are omniscient. You must have absolutely certain knowledge that there isn't one.

Let's say that a circle contains all the knowledge of the universe. And let's say that you have an incredible understanding of one percent of all that knowledge. Is it possible that the knowledge you haven't yet come across, that there might be ample evidence to prove that God does indeed exist?

If you are reasonable, you would have to admit, "Having the limited knowledge I have at present, I believe that there is no God." In other words, you don't know if God exists, so you are not an atheist. You are an "agnostic." You are like a person that looks at a building and doesn't seem to know if there is a builder.

Test 5 The man who sees a building and doesn't know if there is a builder is:

A. Intelligent

B. A fool

C. Has an ulterior motive

In summary: There are plenty of things that we have faith in that we do not fully understand. Most of us do not have a complete understanding that when you turned your computer on as to why it worked. You took a step of faith that turning it on... that somehow that it would work. You accept the unseen electrical waves that appear right in front of your eyes when you type your comments here. We do not see the reason for why the messages appear... because the powers that be are invisible to the naked eye. For them to be manifest, we need a monitor... so we can enjoy the experience of this forum.

God is not flesh and blood; He is an eternal Spirit. Immortal and invisible... like the computer waves. He can can not be experienced unless the monitor is turned on. One should approach the Bible in the same way as the monitor. If it works, enjoy it and if it doesn't, forget it.

Or do you have an ulterior motive? Could it be that the "atheist" can't find God... as a thief can't find the policeman? Could it be that your logic is clouding your good judgment?

Answer 5

Yeah. I'm a Christian and don't believe in Intelligent Design (tm). I beleive in full on creation where God creates the world in 6 days as He says in the Bible. Intelligent Design is attempting to compromise between evolution and creationism, and as you so clearly point out, it doesn't work. However, there is plenty of evidence for creation.

Answer 6

Well, it is because they need to feel like part of something bigger than themselves and everyday life, and has some cosmic signifigance. I am agnostic, but I believe that we and perhaps a few other life-forms on earth are the result of advanced alien experiments thousands of years ago, and possibly still on-going. I have never had a close encounter myself, but have an open mind, and belief in intelligent life out there.

Answer 7

Who is this "designer?"

Where did he (It?) come from?

There is no question that the universe is orderly, but the concept that it was "designed" is an empty assertion unless one can demonstrate where the designer came from and who designed him (it?)

Which leads to an infinite number of designers.

The more logical premise is the universe always existed and was not designed by anyone or anything.

Answer 8

Chaos seeks equilibrium. The universe seeks balance. Therefore, of course things are going to be correct and in their place. There is no designer at work, it's all trial and error.

Answer 9

The smart layout theory become created as a center floor between between Creationism and Evolution. It an attempt to capture the puzzled and uncertain. Christians might want to reject smart layout yet settle for God.

Answer 10

I'm not sure what you mean by excited. Intelligent design is just a theory. Christians don't just live by theories. We have faith.