[Vision2020] Mandating Religion In Science Class

[John D]

--- Chasuk <chasuk at gmail.com> wrote:

> First, to dispel a few misconceptions:  Behe _is_ an
> evolutionist, in that he does believe than man and
ape 
> have a common ancestor, and that we diverged into
separate 
> species based on evolutionary principles. 

Yes, but by trade he is a biochemist and his academic
research is not about evolution. Also, arguably, he
has a limited understanding of what evolution is and
how it works.

> He also believes that the earth is billions of years
> old, which is atypical of most ID proponents. 
However, Behe
> differs from the majority of his peers in the
scientific community in
> his concept of "irreducible complexity," which
states (and I am
> probably grossly simplifying) that evolution at the
molecular level
> fails; only Intelligent Design (or guided evolution)
can account
> for the existence of certain biochemical systems,
because it is
> impossible to divide those systems into smaller
units which are still
> capable of functioning.

I don't think there is any discussion in the
scientific community irreducibly complex systems
actually exist. The mistake Behe makes is that he
doesn't recognize the evolutionary mechanisms by which
such systems can take shape.

> Behe's opponents accuse him of argumentum ad
> ignorantiam, which I think is usually stated as the
"absence of evidence
> is not evidence of absence." In others words, his
opponents rephrase
> his argument as: "I can't conceive of it, so it
can't be true."

True. He will point out a biological system and claim
it can't be explained by evolutionary mechanisms. Then
some time later an evolutionary explanation is found
and he will just move on to the next unexplained
system. Not good science.


	
		
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