I'm an engineer (BS, MS and PHD in Mech. Eng.). I believe that most
biologists have a naive appreciation for engineering design although
they seem to practice a lot of reverse eng. (I also work closely with
biologists). By using reverse engineering principles a group of
pirates can "discover" how a specific computer chip was constructed,
for example.
The fact that reverse engineering is applicable to nature in general
should make everyone comfortable with the idea of a designer of
nature. Atheistic evolutionists fix this problem by calling design an
illusion of design and/or by making Natural Selection the designer. I
can't just swallow that as a matter of conscience.
BTW, Moorad seemed to have been quoting Paley, not Behe. Paley made
some pivotal mistakes as Behe states in his book, DBB. Behe does
touch on the matter of the identity of the designer and on religion
(last chapter ?). I think it was smart of him not to dig to deep in
that particular subject. 1) He is not a theologian, 2) diverts
attention away from the important matter, and 3) would invite
(diverting) criticism on the theology and not on the science.
Behe will be forever criticized, I believe, in either case, whether he
states who he "believes" the creator is or not - isn't that the case
Dr. Van Till? But after a good close and honest look at his
scientific presentation of some simple but very complex biosystems, it
is difficult to walk away without meditating on the potentiality of a
designer with a mind, not mindless. I also have a minor in control
engineering, and I can tell you that the biofeedback/biofeedforward
blood clotting process Behe described is a beauty, and complex enough
for any clever "designer" (I'm talking about human designers here), it
is just too incredible for an engineer to accept that this kind of
control structure just sort of happened in nature. And this marvel,
as we all know, it is just the tip of the iceberg.
May be it is time to require graduate biology students to take a few
eng. courses and vice versa, at least it will instill some
cross-humility.
Ed,
==
EGM
"in ipso enim vivimus et movemur et sumus sicut"
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