Christians, can you explain to us the Intelligent Design theory?

Answer 1

Very simply, the Bible says, "In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth".....

That's it in the nutshell!

Answer 2

Your question is related to the cosmological argument for a First Cause of everything:

One needs to have a formalized understanding of logic, something missing in most of what is written in this forum on the topic of God's existence. Here is a starting point:

Premise: Every event has a cause
Premise: The universe has a beginning
Premise: All beginnings involve an event

Inference: This implies that the beginning of the universe involved an event
Inference: Therefore the beginning of the universe had a cause
Conclusion: The universe had a cause

For something to have caused the universe it must have existed outside of the universe and time. That First Cause could only have been an omnipotent supernatural agent, God.

Another argument is one from design:

1. The universe began to exist
2. The universe has complexity, order and fine-tuning
3. Complexity, order and fine-tuning imply design
4. Design that began to exist implies a designer
5. Therefore, the universe has a designer

Premise 1: See Big Bang theorem (Hawking, Penrose) All matter and time itself began at this moment
Premise 2: Universe has complex designs, e.g, cellular DNA, Laws of Physics, fine-tuning for life on earth, etc.
Premise 3: Nothing ordered can come from chaos, an orderer is required. Laws of Nature are often cited as counterexamples, yet these very Laws are themselves ordered.

Premise 4: Self evident. If something did not exist, there is no beginner or designer

Thus, the universe has a designer.

Answer 3

Since some people don't like the word "God" nor the concept of "God", we've tried using "Intelligent Design" to explain that something other than pure luck or coincidence has made things come into existence. If one does not want to believe in God's existence, will they at least try to believe or think that 'something' of a higher intelligence then mankind has caused all of this? If the 'big bang' happened to create the universe, where did the 2 atoms come from and by what remote chance would there be that these two tiny atoms would have met in the vastness of space? Just by luck, by chance? or by a higher being or higher intelligence?

If one believes in the chance that an Intelligent Designer exists, then why can't that Designer be God?

Answer 4

Sure - look around you.
Look at how we have a planet that sustains us, has water and food and alll we need protected by a thin 20 mile layer from the void of space. We are exactly the right distance from the sun to not burn up or freeze, that there are counltess billions of stars (suns) and galaxies, yet our bodies are made up of 75 trillion tiny cells that perform countless functions to sustain life while we reason, love and discover.
The only one who does not rejoice in intelligent design is the one who takes for granted, or refuses to see a great, creative, amazing God.

Answer 5

I would like to answer this question from a purely religious standpoint but I dont think that is what you are asking. I think rather that you are asking for an explanation as to what Intelligent Design is and how the term came about.

As science has delved deeper and deeper into the formation of various cells and their many, many parts, they have discovered that there are parts of the cell that COULD NOT HAVE been a result of evolution. The reason being that the cell would not have functioned in its purpose unless all sections were put into place all at one time. Natural changes that occur in species (mutation that occurs as a result of outside conditions to better suit the circumstances) occur gradually without the requirement that the gradual change produce the final stage of the desired outcome. For example, if the weather is always warm, it is likely that over a period of time various cells in the body may produce a different kind of hair covering that would insulate against heat but not have the hollow characteristics of a cold weather insulator as would the hair from animals who always live in colder climates. This would occur over many generations as temperatures cooled. However in the intelligent design theory now offerred by many scientists, the change to improve the animals lot in life occurs all at one time. The eye is a perfect example. A slight change that occurs with the passing of many generations would serve no purpose because it would not have achieved the desired outcome (being able to see) Via evolutionary methods, you can not go IN ONE GENERATION from not having eyes to havingt eyes. Even if a slight change would occur in nature, it will not be passed from generation to generation UNLESS it actually produces the desired beneficial effect (such as the slight thinning of hair cover) Nature does not operate on a "do it all now" system. Natural changes always occur gradually unless caused by an external factor such as radiation, or mutations caused by chemical factors (example: the frogs with three legs)

Science is now able to prove using scientific methods that at least in some cases, the development of certain types of cells (eye cells for example) must take place all at once because one part of the cell CAN NOT in iteself function without the other parts all doing their job. In otherwords, you can't go from having no eyes in one generation to suddenly having eyes in the next.

Science as a whole is not yet ready to acknowledge the presence of God as the creator of life but many are already saying that at least some of the information contained in the "Origin of Species" writings of Darwin are based on assumptions rather than hard scientific evidence. (And yes, I have read it)

I noticed from the answers from some of the other people, that some Christians seem to be afraid to even discuss the subject. As a Christian myself (main stream), I believe God gave us a mind for a reason. The intelligent design theory (and it is theory just as is evolution) is just one step that brings us closer to finding out "How God Created Everything". It is not because Christians "need" to know as a reason to believe. On the contrary it is the desire to know BECAUSE WE BELIEVE.

Answer 6

When I look at nature and the universe I see order and purpose.
To me the big bang theory won't hold water for this, very simple reason.
If I took ten sticks of dynamite, lit them and threw them into a junkyard, after the smoke cleared what would I have?
I sure wouldn't have a new car, keys in the ignition, ready to go.
I would have a big mess.

Answer 7

ID is Creationism without mentioning the name God or Jesus. It takes Genesis and puts it into an intellectual format. It is sectarian and humanistic, something that some Unitarian probably came up with to counter evolution in a way that would not offend the evolutionists. It is not in the Bible. God and Jesus are. When you take God and Jesus out of the Creation account, then you preach a form of agnosticism.

Answer 8

God's Word says "God created the heavens and the Earth." The theory is that the world is approximatley 6000 yrs. old b/c of the ages of the bible. There is so much that I can say, I don't know where to start.

Answer 9

It would be cool if you could design a 4 legged duck.

Answer 10

I would rather explain salvation to you. This is a cause worthy of pursing.