Re: [asa] Apologetics Conference

Margaret wrote:

> I can see two "extremes" of explanations:
> "Pure" intelligent design, where a genius evil mastermind with
> extensive
> knowledge of the
> terrain, the laws of physics and the layout of the unfortunate boy's
> house intentionally sets
> the boulder rolling with the express purpose of killing the child.
>
> "Random and unguided" Boulder, loosened by natural and
> non-human-related events
> (soil erosion, etc) rolls down hill and kills child.
>
> I don't see how Dembski's process is especially useful in
> distinguishing
> those two
> explantions (which clearly are both incorrect) or in leading to
> what is
> considered the
> correct explanation: intelligent human activity (strip mining)
> increased
> the liklihood a
> boulder would roll down the mountain: once the boulder was moving, the
> child's death was
> a random and unplanned consequence.

The problem in all of this is that the ID advocates create a false
dichotomy between "Intelligent agency" and "natural cause" (to which
they attach the labels of chance and natural regularity). They thus
remove humans as natural agents. But humans are natural intelligent
agents. There are other natural purposive agents as well -- we can
identify the products of animal behavior in the fossil record and
distinguish it from features produced by natural physical processes.
Science can identify the actions of natural intelligent agents.

The real dichotomy is between natural and supernatural agents. The
latter are not subject to scientific study simply because
supernatural agents are unconstrained and not limited to natural
"law." Human actions are constrained and we understand those
constraints quite well. To point to the recognition of human action
(which is often trivial) does in no way provide an argument for the
scientific detection of supernatural cause.

Keith

Keith B. Miller
Research Assistant Professor
Dept of Geology, Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506-3201
785-532-2250
http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~kbmill/

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Received on Fri Nov 17 17:27:31 2006