Re: [asa] YEC and ID arguments

"Perhaps one significant problem with standard YEC/ID science arguments is that they insist on attacking evolution." - David Campbell

  Perhaps with YEC, but many of the ID arguments I've read do not insist upon attacking evolution at all. On the contrary, most IDists accept evolution in one way or another. Behe accepts common descent and 'old' earth, Dembski accepts 'technological evolution' (probably among other forms of evolution). There are even persons who call themselves ID-evolutionists!
   
  The fact is that 'evolution,' in the Darwinian sense of understanding it, is obviously, positively outdated. To most people, it doesn't seem there is either an alternative scientific concept than evolution that has appeared (i.e. Popper's argument) or that an evolutionary consensus has built around another thinker (i.e. other than Darwin) - Gouldian evolution, Dobzhanskian evolution, Dawkinsian evolution, Parsonian evolution or Runcimannian evolution (to alert you naturalist folks to social scientific attempts at an evolutionary consensus).
   
  Thus it is the 'modern synthesis' which holds the greatest sway, and yet it seems not to be so modern anymore!! IDists are looking (trying their darndest to look) beyond old moulds, even if they haven't quite hit the mark to 'revolve' past evolution entirely. The cries of 'revolution' have made inroads mainly in evangelical Christian networks, in America and elsewhere.
   
  This is one reason my views cause so many problems for TE's. Most TE's defend evolution 'too far.' Of course, the discussion of 'how far is too far' is a valid one. But it appears to be one that TE's are reluctant to have.
   
  E.g. I just typed these letters that you folks are reading *now*. They really 'changed over time' (e.g I briefly edited them). Should it be said that the message you are reading 'evolved' onto the screen in front of you (into being or having become)? Doesn't this belong with philosophical or agent-oriented language and not natural scientific language?
   
  Arago

                                 
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Received on Tue Oct 24 09:13:38 2006