Re: supernatural observation & faith def.

lhaarsma@OPAL.TUFTS.EDU
Tue, 17 Sep 1996 10:44:54 -0400 (EDT)

Stephen Gooch wrote:

> > These are the basis of evolution - they can be observed by anyone at any
> > time.
> > 1. Rudimentary organs
> > 2. Rudimentary characters
> > 3. The Bodily Structure of humans shares the same general structure as
> > other mammals
> > 4. Humans can get diseases from other animals
> > 5. Human embryonic development is not that much different that other
> > higher vertebrate.
> > 6. Variability in humans.
> > 7. Those with the best traits for adapting to their environment or more
> > likely to have offspring.
> > 8. Comparison of basic mental traits with other animals, like the ability
> > to learn.

Dennis Durst replied:

> None of the above is NECESSARILY incompatible with intelligent design.

"Intelligent design," like "creation" and "evolution," are broad terms.
In the interest of advancing the discussion, it's probably worth narrowing
the definitions.

The observations above are incompatible with certain kinds of design
theory (which are still occasionally advocated today) which try to
emphasize how "optimized" biological systems are. These observations are
not incompatible with, but rather _unexpected_ by, other kinds of design
theory which de-emphasize common ancestry. Finally, these observations
are compatible with, and somewhat expected by, intelligent design theory
with common-ancestry-and-intervention-at-the-genomic-level, and by
designed-for-self-assembly theory.

Sometimes I think we need subscripts on our terms :-)

Loren Haarsma