From: Howard J. Van Till (hvantill@chartermi.net)
Date: Mon Sep 22 2003 - 19:43:50 EDT
From: Dick Fischer <dickfischer@earthlink.net>
> Now its in my backyard. What do you guys think about tagging the movement:
> "intelligent design creationism"? Fair or unfair?
I'll say it's not a simple call, but will opt for "mostly fair."
1. As Michael Roberts has often pointed out on this list, the ID leadership
has, for strategic reasons (to attract as many supporters as possible),
chosen not to speak clearly against the YE portion of YEC. That has had the
effect of prolonging the sad state of affairs of Christianity being
associated with a belief about the age of universe that has long been
discredited by responsible scholarship.
2. That strategy may cost the ID movement its credibility in the long run.
Although ID may not itself espouse the young-earth position, young-earth
groups seem to be adopting the "intelligent design" labeling in place of the
older "creation-science" label that was discredited some time ago. ID's
strategically attracted friends may soon become a problem. ID may have to
make a public choice to dump YEC. If it does not, it will have little basis
for rejecting the 'creationist' label.
3. ID is essentially an episodic creationist perspective. It argues that
there are certain biotic structures/systems that could have been actualized
(assembled, formed, fabricated) by natural means alone without being
supplemented by occasional episodes of non-natural, form-imposing
intervention by some unembodied, choice-making agent. This is essentially
the same interventionist concept of divine creative action as is found in
other forms of episodic creationism -- YEC and OEC.
Therefore, given the strategic choices made by the leadership of the ID
movement, and given the similarity in the fundamental theological concept of
divine creative action found in ID and other forms of episodic creationism,
what basis for ID complaint is left?
Howard Van Till
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