Friday, September 23, 2005

Intelligent Design - Another View

I make it a practice to read blogs that mention Intelligent Design (ID). Most frequently, the writers preface all comments with profanities, expletives, and a general round of questioning one's intelligence for even considering an alternative to the origins of our world.

Why must the opponents of ID always revert to name calling instead of dialoguing the points. Proponents of the BIG BANG theory, believe in ID. Philosophers reason that the BIG BANG theory required a starting point. It had to have something to start it. I wonder what this was?

I believe the reason many people think that ID is bogus is that they are just too hung up on themselves. They have this faulty selfish view that they are all that exists and everything exists to please them. This reasoning is easily seen at times of crisis; i.e.; Hurricane Katrina. Individuals became the epitome of selfish thinking. Thinking like "this hurricane has given me the right to break down store doors and steal 16 pairs of blue jeans" or "I really need this computer" because of Katrina".

Individuals just can't believe or choose not to because to do so would acknowledge that they are finite. What a sad world we live in.

Thursday, September 01, 2005

A Liberal View of Diversity - Intelligent Design

Intelligent Design Proponent Says Peers' Intolerant Petition Targets Him
By Jim Brown
AgapePress
September 1, 2005

(AgapePress) -- An astronomy professor at Iowa State University who is nationally known for his research on intelligent design says the school has a phony view of diversity when it comes to the subject of the origin of life.

More than 120 ISU faculty members -- about seven percent of the faculty -- have signed a petition opposing the teaching of intelligent design as a scientific fact. "Whether one believes in a creator or not," reads the petition, "views regarding a supernatural creator are, by their very nature, claims of religious faith, and not within the scope or abilities of science." The petition continues, urging all faculty members to "uphold the integrity of our university of science and technology, and convey to students and the general public the importance of methodological naturalism in science and reject efforts to portray Intelligent Design as science."

The petition is being circulated by Hector Avalos, who is an associate professor of religious studies at the Ames, Iowa, school. Astronomy prof Guillermo Gonzalez says because he is the only intelligent design proponent on campus, the petition is a "thinly veiled attack" on him -- and he claims it has resulted in a hostile work environment for him.

"At the very least, it's non-collegial," Gonzalez adds, "and they also try to take their case to the local media. So they've written stories in local papers, letters to the editor, and done interviews spreading lies and rumors about me and about intelligent design."

Gonzalez, author of the book The Privileged Planet, says he and Avalos have a history when it comes to the subject of intelligent design. And the petition, he says, is just the latest attempt by Avalos to try to silence him and his intelligent design research.

"It's very interesting that this professor of religious studies, who's by the way the most prominent atheist in all of Iowa ... has been very intolerant of my ideas and my research into intelligent design," the astronomy professor explains. "I just view it as rather ironic -- and if the tables were turned, I'm sure things would be quite different."

Gonzalez admits to seeing a bit of a double standard in the debate. "If a professor were doing this against another professor in any other discipline, they would probably be reprimanded for it."

But in an interview with the Des Moines Register, Avalos said he is concerned about the university's reputation. "We don't want to be known as the 'Intelligent Design University,'" he said. "We don't think this is science."

And Avalos claims to have invited Gonzalez more than once to participate in a public forum on the topic. But Gonzalez says he does not approve of Avalos' tactics, and therefore is unlikely to attend an upcoming forum on intelligent design at ISU if Avalos is involved because Avalos, he says, is "intellectually dishonest."

Copyright © 2005 AgapePress -- All rights reserved.