Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Jesus Creed

Home
Evangelical
Signature in the Cell 8 (RJS)

Signature in the Cell 8 (RJS)

Last updated on: May 6, 2012 at 6:28 am by RJS

Signature in the Cell 8 (RJS) 2012-05-06T06:28:10-05:00 RJS

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Stephen C. Meyer has published a (very long, but readable) book, Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design, outlining his argument in favor of intelligent design. We will wrap up this series today looking at Ch. 17 “But does it explain” and move on to new topics next week.

In this chapter Meyer answers his critics – those who say claim among other things that ID is an argument from ignorance, and uses failed analogies. I will put forth some of his argument, a critique, and open the floor for comment.

Is Meyer’s argument for ID an argument from ignorance?

Meyer claims that it is not an argument from ignorance (pp. 378-379):

In short critics claim that ID proponents argue as follows:

Premise One: Material causes cannot produce or explain specified information.

Conclusion: Therefore an intelligent cause produced specified biological information.

If proponents of intelligent design were arguing in the preceding manner, they would be guilty of arguing from ignorance. But the argument made in this book does not assume this form. Instead it takes the following form:

Premise One: Despite a thorough search, no material causes have been discovered that demonstrate the power to produce large amounts of specified information.

Premise Two: Intelligent causes have demonstrated the power to produce large amounts of specified information.

Conclusion: Intelligent design constitutes the best, most causally adequate, explanation for the information in the cell.

According to Meyer, ID is not an argument from ignorance because it includes a premise providing a positive reason for preferring design (premise two). (added later – and it takes the form of inference to best explanation because of the way premise one and the conclusion are reworded.)

Meyer sidesteps the problem with his argument for ID. The problem isn’t with the logical structure or form of the argument. None of us doubt that intelligence can produce “specified information.” We write books and computer programs, and design combination locks. Some – such as Dawkins – will argue against the presence of a supernatural designer, against the existence of God. But Meyer and I stand on the same side in that argument. Meyer’s case fails because premise one is not correct. Meyer’s case for ID is fundamentally an argument from ignorance because of premise one not because of the presence or absence of premise two.

Premise one has two major problems:

First, the concept of “specified information” is ill defined in the context of DNA in the cell. Meyer uses analogies to make comparisons with texts and computer programs. But these analogies are of limited value, there are similarities and dissimilarities. Meyer realizes that arguments by analogy are weak – and goes on:

Although a computer program may be similar to DNA in many respects and dissimilar in others, it exhibits a precise identity to DNA insofar as both contain specified complexity or specified information.

…The argument does not depend upon the similarity of DNA to a computer program or a human language, but upon the presence of an identical feature in both DNA and intelligently designed codes, languages, and artifacts. (p. 386)

Meyer’s argument fails in part because the “identity” he asserts does not exist in any meaningful way.

Second, Meyer’s argument for ID fails because he has not demonstrated that purely physical and chemical processes cannot generate the kind of “specified information” found in the cell performed a thorough search to discover material causes having the power to produce large amounts of specified information and he has ignored evidence that contradicts his premise. We can divide this into two parts – the growth of “specified information” and the origin of the “specified information” in the first cell.

Meyer did not look explicitly at the growth of “specified information” in this book – but the case for evolution is overwhelming. There is no reasonable doubt but that natural chemical and physical processes can result in an increase in the amount of “specified information” in a cell. This alone breaks the identity relationship with human languages, and artifacts. It leaves only an analogy with certain kinds of computer programs.

On the question of the origin of the first cell, Meyer has not carried out a thorough search evaluating the evidence – he has presented a cursory search and he has not done justice to the current state of knowledge and understanding. His book contains more loosely related analogies and anecdotes than detailed consideration of the data and the ideas. But more importantly the field is not at a dead end – or anything near a dead end. For this reason the negative assertion inherent in the argument for intelligent design, that purely physical and chemical processes cannot generate the kind of “specified information” found in the first cell, is unfounded. Now I don’t think Meyer is looking for a gap and then inserting God into the gap – I think he is trying to construct a positive argument for design but has failed to do so.

And a final reflection. The post on Tuesday asked why Intelligent Design is an intriguing idea. I didn’t give an opinion there – but I will here. I think ID is popular for several reasons …

It is viewed by some as a way to undermine evolution and leave open the door for old earth progressive creationism or even young earth creationism. If Meyer and Dembski are right – and specified information cannot grow – then evolution cannot account for the diversity of life we see. This is an unfounded hope. The origin of life is an open question. We are still learning more about the mechanisms of evolution. But there is no reasonable doubt but that there is an evolutionary history that connects all organisms in a “tree of life.” Common descent is not an open question, nor is the general scheme of evolution.

It is viewed by some as a way to combat the scientific secular naturalism so pervasive in our educated society. But the way to combat ontological naturalism is not by concocting weak arguments for design or against evolution. These have the opposite effect, and a devastating effect upon many who continue on to study biology and chemistry and the other sciences.

As a Christian there is nothing wrong with approaching the problem of the origin of life with a mind open to the possibility that God may have acted in direct fashion. Because we believe that God exists and acts it must remain a possibility. But I don’t see how it influences the practice of science. The practice of science by necessity approaches the problem assuming that the natural laws of chemistry and physics will hold. The search is not for any natural explanation – no matter how improbable, but for a probable explanation. Personally I think that when the problem is solved (if the problem is solved) our response will be along the lines of “of course, it had to be” and it will leave us marveling at the elegance of the inevitable process that produced life. We are not contingent accidents.

Finally I don’t think that God planted the seed and then stood back and watched it unfold (a deist view). Nor do I think that God is continually intervening to give supernatural nudges to creation. Both of these ideas have serious theological flaws. Rather God created and creates, everything is through Him and in Him. We detect the presence of God through relationship, awe and wonder, not through empirical evidence for design. Miracles, supernatural interventions, when they occur, are for a specific purpose as part of this ongoing interaction of God in relationship with his creatures.

What do you think?

Is Meyer’s argument for intelligent design convincing? Why or why not?

If you wish to contact me, you may do so at rjs4mail[at]att.net.

Science and Faith

Previous Post

February 18, 2010

Ancient-Future Interpretation 2

Next Post

February 18, 2010 Acts and Mission 96

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Acts of the Apostles Adam Advent Anabaptism Angels Anglican Apologetics Atonement Baptism BCP Prayers Bible Biblical Studies Birds Blogging Bloglossary Bonhoeffer Books Calvinism Christianity Church Church History Coffee Colossians Commentary Recs Conversion Creation Creeds Culture Death Ecclesiastes Economics Education Embracing Grace Emergent Emerging Movement Eschatology Essays Ethics Eucharist Evangelicalism Family Fasting Fathers Fellowship of Differents Footsteps Tour Fun and Whimsical Gospel Grace Happiness Heaven Hell Holy Spirit Irenaeus James Jesus Jesus Creed Job Justification Kingdom of God Law Lectures Lent Liberalism Love and Marriage Mabanteneni Manhood Mary Miracles Missio Alliance MissioLife Missional Missional Jesus Movies and Film New Perspective Northern Seminary OneLife Origins Project Orthodox Parables Pastor's Spouse Pastoring and Leading Pastoring and Preaching Patristics Paul Paul-John Tour Pharisees Pietism Political Theology Prayer and Formation Preaching Problems for Faith Psalm 119 Psalms Public Issues Purgatory Religions Resurrection Revelation Romans Rule of JCreed Science and Faith Sermon on the Mount Sports Ten Commandments Theology Third Way Top Ten Lists Translations Uncategorized Universalism University Ministry Way Out Weekly Meanderings Wisdom Women and Ministry Work Worship Writing & Blogging Youth Ministry

Select a Month July 2021 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which short letter warns about false teachers and references Enoch?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Philemon 2 Peter Jude Timothy