The Case for a Designer (RJS)

Last updated on: January 11, 2018 at 5:32 am by RJS

The Case for a Designer (RJS) 2018-01-01T20:09:58-06:00 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.

The final essay in the new book Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design was written by Stephen C. Meyer, Senior Fellow of the Discovery Institute. In this essay he summarizes a history of the design argument and many of the specific arguments for design discussed in much greater detail in his books Signature in the Cell and Darwin’s Doubt.

First, Meyer’s description of Intelligent Design.

As it applies to biology (the focus of this essay), intelligent design is an evidence-based scientific theory about life’s origin and development that challenges strictly materialistic views of evolution. (p. 179)

The theory of intelligent design holds that there are telltale features of living systems and the universe … that are best explained by an intelligent cause rather than an undirected material process. The theory does not challenge the idea of evolution defined as either change over time or common ancestry, but it does dispute the Darwinian idea that the cause of biological change is wholly blind and undirected. Either life arose as the result of purely undirected material processes or a guiding intelligence played a role. Design theorists affirm the latter option and argue that living organisms look designed because they really were designed. (p. 180)

The specificity of the genetic code, the complexity of the cell, the improbability of random mutation producing beneficial change, and origin of life are all introduced as arguments for the existence of an intelligent designer – something that transcends merely material processes. Intelligent design is not an argument based on biblical interpretation or any specific religious commitment although most proponents do have a religious commitment. This may well be because most people without any religious commitment are by consequence committed to purely materialistic explanations for the origin and complexity of life.

Meyer’s bottom line is that the “specified information” (my quotes not his) in the cell points to intelligent design as the best explanation for the origin of biological information. Much of the reasoning is based on comparison with human language, combination locks, and computer codes. “Since intelligence is the only known cause of specified information, the presence of functional or specified information in even the simplest living system points decisively to the past existence and activity of a designing intelligence.” (p. 201-202) He agrees that the absence of “adequate material cause does provide part of the grounds for inferring design.” (p. 204) However, there is also the positive argument from known cause for information (i.e. human intelligence). This is not only an argument from ignorance.

He also points out that “To be a truth-seeking endeavor, the question origin-of-life researchers must address is not “Which materialistic scenario seems most adequate?” but rather “What actually caused life to arise on Earth?” (p. 206) This is a statement with which most Christians (including me) will agree.

Origami_(made_from_an_American_1-dollar_bill)_of_an_elephant My own observations. I posted at length on Signature in the Cell (here at Musings on Science) when it first came out, and also once on Darwin’s Doubt (Darwin’s Doubt and Intelligent Design). Although I agree with Meyer that the world shows evidence of design and dispute the idea that “the cause of biological change is wholly blind and undirected,” I don’t find the arguments advanced by Meyer as evidence for design convincing. There are several reasons for this.

(1) Meyer’s probablistic arguments only work for specific mechanisms and thus only rule out these mechanisms. Protein folding is an example I like to use here. Levinthal’s paradox notes that if proteins fold via a random search of conformational space it would take forever (longer than the age of the universe for many of them). The solution to this paradox is not an intelligent folder (after all we know that intelligence can produce intricate folds, image credit Wikipedia) but a better understanding of the ‘natural’ mechanisms of protein folding. It seems to me that the same is true of the evolutionary process. If one mechanism is insufficient, this should lead to a search for other ‘natural’ mechanisms not to the conclusion that an intelligence is responsible.

(2) The absence of an adequate material cause is the only proof of a designer. More than one possible cause undermines intelligent design as scientific evidence for an intelligent designer. This is why I think that intelligent design is, at best, an argument that must be held loosely with an open hand. The ‘positive’ argument for a designer by comparison with the known action of an ‘intelligent agent’ alone is inconclusive.

(3) As a chemist, I find the analogy between DNA and language or computer code interesting but limited. DNA doesn’t transmit abstract information between minds – rather it encodes material chemical processes. The cell runs on chemical reactions – complex interrelated reactions – but reactions nonetheless. The analogy with a computer code is a little better, but only a little better. Computer code is the result of an intelligent agent but it operates mechanically rather than by the transfer of abstract ideas between minds. The cell is a more “organic” device than any computer or other human machine.

(4) In his analogy with combination locks (described in detail in Signature in the Cell), Meyer dismisses the parallel development of the code and the cell. The DNA code does have elements that are arbitrary, but intricately specified as it operates today – but this does not necessarily lead us down the path to a designer, not even as inference to best explanation.

(5) God’s action in creation is best seen in both ordinary providence and in signs and wonders (extraordinary providence). See the previous post (Ordinary Presence) for more discussion of this point. While the origin of life may involve some kind of direct action of God – perhaps in the accumulation of a number of improbable events – the search for direct evidence is not likely to be conclusive. But our confidence in the providential action of God in creation is independent of evidence for extraordinary providence. Ordinary providence is an awesome demonstration of God’s power.

(6) The best evidence for a designer is not the science of biology (evolutionary or otherwise) but in the meaning and purpose of life. There is no reason to accept that the cause of biological change is blind and undirected – no reason other than a commitment to certain materialist worldviews. I find that the kind of arguments championed by Meyer distract from more important religious arguments for God and for a designed and purposeful creation.

What do you think? Is the search for an intelligent designer a worthwhile one?

What role does intelligent design play in the Christian doctrine of creation?

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

If interested you can subscribe to a full text feed of my posts at Musings on Science and Theology.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

January 10, 2018

Ministry From (not for) the Blessing

Next Post

January 11, 2018 Why Prophets Go Unrecognized

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

What city did David capture and make his capital?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Hebron Gibeon Bethlehem Jerusalem