Re: [asa] Re: On the Barr-West exchange and ID/TE

Gregory Arago wrote:
> O.k. Ted, since Rich is not answering me because doing so would be
> putting the lie to his assertation about ID and YEC being so closely
> connected,

Hi Greg,

I've been reflecting upon reports of a recent presentation given by Behe at a recent Catholic conference on ID and creationism;

http://www.metanexus.net/magazine/tabid/68/id/10930/Default.aspx
http://thebulletin.us/articles/2009/10/10/news/local_state/doc4ad0dfa039f9b539463662.txt

Even acknowledging the possibility of, and so allowing for, distortion in these reports and the fact that I haven't any access to the proceedings, I'd offer the suggestion that no reasonable person would deny that Behe's presence at the conference indicates that there is, indeed, some sort of connection between at least one prominent ID leader and YEC.

So the question becomes "what sort of connection"?

Personally, it seems to me that Behe suffers from naivete, optimism, and uncertainty in equal measure. Uncertainty in that he seems to sense some sort of tension between the ideas of Irreducible Complexity and evolution - he certainly can't hold BOTH with assurance and his writings seem to me quite clear that he considers this far from a closed book. Optimism in that he hopes his work might lead YEC's generally to acknowledge that evolution is, by and large, a scientifically well grounded theory. Naivety in that he thinks that - in the absence of any strong comment by himself one way or the other - people will refrain from drawing their own conclusions.

I'm not saying that Behe is a YEC - but as you yourself routinely point out in respect of TE's unguarded advocacy of "evolution" - if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, and waddles like a duck, it's probably going to give the broader public the perception that it is, indeed, a duck.

Blessings,
Murray

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Received on Tue Nov 17 15:33:17 2009