George, you're kinder to Dembski than I would be. I haven't finished
_Intelligent Design_ yet, but find some grave problems. For example, in
Ch. 2 he critiques the definitions by Spinoza and Schleiermacher that
exclude miracles. But in Ch. 4 he does essentially the same with TE.
About p. 111 he produces a caricature of theistic evolutionists which is
unrecognizable from within. In connection with information, he does not
mention that the mammalian genome has more information than that of
insects, some of which could be derived by duplication and modification:
1 homeobox vs. 4, if I recall correctly, all clearly homologous. Note
also the red and green visual pigments on the X chromosome. The types of
alteration involved are well documented as occurring.
One must grant that two copies of the same information produces no
increase. But one copy may be modified by point mutation, inversion,
deletion or insertion to produce new information while the original
maintains the data necessary for the development or well-being of the
creature. However, this does not solve the problem of the ultimate origin
of information. However, he _knows_ that the Almighty is not competent to
include it in either the original creation of the universe, or even the
creation of the first life. But how does one restrict the power of
omnipotence?
Dave
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