Why the conflict between evolution and intelligent design?

Question

I mean what's the problem? Why could it not be that evolution is simply part of god's design? Tell me, what's the problem?

Answer 1

I am a flat out agnostic. I do not claim to KNOW that there are no gods, but I certainly do not believe in any.

It could be that evolution is part of god's design. Nobody in the WORLD can disprove that possibility.

However, it is extremely hard to prove many things at all, so we must go on something else. The only other option we have is to decide how strongly to believe in things based on how much good reason we have been given to believe them. How much evidence we have seen for something, how likely it is that this thing is true. Could the evidence you see actually be evidence towards something else being true other than your idea?. There are always different theories to explain something. You could take evidence as supporting one, or perhaps another theory! Just because you have one theory and it has evidence that appears to support it does not mean it is true!

We have to learn about what it means to know something, what it means to understand something, what it means to know a truth.

Once we learn about these things, then we can go around feeling confident that we know things to be true or untrue.

The problem is that very few people know much at all about things like theory(in a broad sense of the word, as in religion and science are both theories), logic, truth, argument.

I challenge all those with religious beliefs to learn carefully about these things, then challenge their own religious beliefs. If you feel that your beliefs are so watertight, then try this. Perhaps you will come out of it feeling strong in them than ever, just make sure you have not fooled yourself.

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"Evolution teaches us that there is no meaning in life, that you're existence is a result by billions and billions and billions of unbelievable accident."

Naughtypants are you crazy? This is absolutely untrue. There is MUCH meaning in life! There are beautiful, meaningful, fantastic truths BEYOND your religions ones. It is obvious to me that you do not know anything about them because you say that evolution teaches us there is no meaning in life!

They are not all billions of "unbelievable accidents". Do you know why? because there have been trillions and trillions and trillions of organisms TRYING to live! That is what they are MADE for. It's not just an accident that cells or dogs or fish do things like eat and reproduce and avoid getting killed! why would you think that?
evolution doesn't say it's all an endless string of random accidents! You need to learn about science and evolution!

"Intelligent design shows that the simplest cell is more complicated than an F1 race car or the City of Los Angeles"
Yeah, sure! Science shows this too! FAR BETTER than ID does! What real information did ID theory ever tell you about genetics, biology, chemistry, zoology? NOTHING! Science understands the world astoundingly better than religion and in great detail.

Answer 2

Just as there's no conflict between my computer turning on when I push the power button and God making that happen. He could indeed be responsible for it. However, so could Allah, Zeus, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, an elf... or the very well documented and understood principles which we know can and would make it happen. There's no reason to doubt them and no reason to add a 'god' figure. Besides, ID and evolution are a contradiction in terms. One says we were designed, the other says that we adapted to the environment. ID as you present it is neither evolution nor ID; you're saying that God created a life form then kept editing its offspring. That's certainly not evolution and we'd be generous to call it design. So, we've established that it's at least possible that God or any other figure could have done it even though we know perfectly well that he needn't have done. Do you have any evidence to suggest that that is the case? "That fact that things have such complexity and order we infer that there was a cause that made it. in the same that we infer that there is a force of gravity from the fact that thing fall even though there is no "evidence" for such a force." No evidence for gravity? Nonsense, it's a directly experiential logical necessity. It not only has evidence, it has proof beyond all reasonable doubt. There is no justification to infer that God exists from complexity in the slightest. Complexity is explained using very well known and understood principles (that is, evolution), and since we know these exist an increase in complexity is also a logical necessity. "Well I'll be glad to here the explanation." Then I suggest doing your own research. It's not a matter of opinion that the explanation is just about complete to such an extent that the addition of a magical figure making it happen is pointless and contrary to the evidence, but if you think anyone's going to give you a history of everything right here then you're sorely mistaken. If nothing else, the character limit wouldn't allow it.

Answer 3

Understand this core thing about Evolution: Complication arises FROM simplicity.

God is a complicated being that's supposed to have always just been there. That is the opposite of Evolution.

And just because we don't know everything doesn't mean a god has to fill in the gaps.

We don't need to say a god CREATED Evolution which pretty much destroys the whole concept of Evolution in the first place.

Evolution is science. Creationism is not. They should remain separate. That's the problem - mingling them together. The nerve.

BTW: Intelligent Design says the Earth is young. Evolution proves that it is indeed MUCH older than that. Huge conflict there in and of itself.

Answer 4

The problem is that evolution is science and Intelligent Design is religion. Some people get all pissy when Intelligent Design isn't treated like a valid scientific theory. Of course, these same people wouldn't want Wiccan beliefs taught as scientific theory, either. Go figure!

Answer 5

Evolution has evidence. Intelligent Design is a politically motivated doctrine that has no evidence and feeble rhetoric in support of it. I have no problems if people believe ID. As soon as they call it an alternate theory (which it cannot be since there is no evidence and no way to test it), I know they're politicoreligious ignoramuses, who want to waste more tax dollars spent on public education.

Answer 6

The problem is that evolution is a scientific theory and tacking the concept of God on to that is unscientific. Science doesn't deal with the supernatural, but instead is based on the idea that every observable event in nature is explainable by natural causes.

Answer 7

because intelligent design says that the theory of evolution could not have happened without the intervention of some creator. also, it is not science and is not a theory. it is idle, inane speculation with no factual rational basis that attempts to mask creationism and religious dogma enough so that it can be forced into public schools

Answer 8

The conflict comes from the fact that those who believe in ID also tend to be young earthers, and so to them, the two are mutually exclusive. The fact that many christians do accept evolution as fact, and justify that acceptance by saying it's all gods work, doesn't matter to many.

Answer 9

It is a part of God's design, in that animals have evolved since the time of the great flood, and men has de-evolved since then. New variations of species of animals have developed, while man, who lived hundreds of years and had much high IQs, some 5000 years ago, now lives only about a hundred years, and uses less then 10% of our intellect.

Being raised in the JWs, we were taught to respect theory of evolution, in that we gain a better understanding of creation.

Answer 10

Evolution teaches us that there is no meaning in life, that you're existence is a result by billions and billions and billions of unbelievable accident. Intelligent design shows that the simplest cell is more complicated than an F1 race car or the City of Los Angeles.