In “How TEs Are Like YECs or the Explanation of the Illusion is Itself an Illusion” (Uncommon Descent, May 9), Barry Arrington offers, for the sake of argument, an example of evidence for design in nature that would convince those who otherwise doubt:
Nor, by definition, can one rule Barr’s position out empirically short of finding the proverbial “made by YHWH” inscription on a cell.
I’m just not sure.
A Darwinist would say that the accidental tag explains why the illusion of design is so persistent in people’s minds … it is embedded in our cells, and it even creates delusions about God.
A theistic evolutionist would say that we can be sure the tag is an illusion because God would never do something so obvious as that. It would remove the need for faith!
From a Christian perspective, that’s a poser because there are a number of instances in the Scriptures of God doing things that remove the need for faith (by removing all legitimate doubt). One may or may not accept the witness of the Scriptures, but that is their witness, and a traditional Christian (or Jew) is expected to accept it.
When Darwinists and theistic Darwinists explain away something as obvious as design in nature, there is probably no line of evidence that would convince them.
It is not the content of the evidence that they attack but the idea of evidence – what it amounts to, what role it should play.
See also: Thoughts on Stephen Barr’s theistic Darwinism: If God can load the dice so cleverly that no evidence would reveal it …
Note: Don’t forget to sign the petition in favour of star neurosurgeon Ben Carson, dissed at Emory U for doubting Darwin. (Believing Darwin is far more important to some people than saving kids’ lives, and they sure have found a great way to demonstrate it. Help show the world that most Americans aren’t like that.)