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Harvard Crimson on ID

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FAVORITE QUOTE: “Edwards says conservative evangelicals are responsible for the framing of the intelligent design debate. ‘Evangelicals thrive on being embattled­—their identity is tied up into being attacked and their defending principles,’ Edwards says. ‘Being attacked by science only validates their position.'”

Let me just add that being attacked by theologians like Edwards further validates my identity and position.

INTELLECTUAL CURRENTS: Intelligent Design Finds Few Sympathizers at HDS
Published On Tuesday, November 29, 2005 2:16 AM
By SARAH E. F. MILOV
Crimson Staff Writer

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=510153

When Harvard was founded in 1636, the University was charged with educating ministers in creationism and other central tenets of Christianity.

Three hundred and sixty-nine years later, in the midst of a national debate about God’s place in the classroom, even the University’s divinity faculty—the heirs to that theological mission—reject the latest argument for God’s role in creation: “intelligent design.”

The national debate about intelligent design marks the latest front in the battle between proponents of teaching creationism and evolution in public schools. The century-old debate, which reached a pinnacle in the media with the 1925 Scopes “Monkey Trial”, has surfaced anew with the emergence of intelligent design.

Intelligent design refers to the theory that while evolution can explain some natural phenomena, other aspects of life are too complex to be a result of randomized natural selection, and thus must have come from an “intelligent designer.”

And while scientists—who have long been outspoken critics of alternatives to evolution—find themselves again embroiled in a defense of evolution, they have found an unlikely ally in this battle: divinity faculty.

Leading scholars on the issue at Harvard Divinity School (HDS) and other divinity schools say their faculties have almost no proponents of intelligent design.

Mark U. Edwards Jr., professor of the history of Christianity and associate HDS dean for academic affairs, says intelligent design is bad science and bad theology.

And Richard A. Rosengarten, who is dean of the University of Chicago’s divinity school, says that “it would be the rare divinity school that would be sympathetic” to intelligent design.

Even though opposition to intelligent design can be found in classrooms of prestigious institutions, supporters of the theory are by no means uneducated.

The leaders of the intelligent design camp hold Ph.D.’s in biochemistry, philosophy, and mathematics and can be found on college and university faculties.

As a result, their rhetoric has taken on an academic tone that previous arguments for God’s role in creation lacked.

The intelligent design debate most recently came to a head when the Kansas Education Board voted earlier this month to teach theories that challenge evolution in that state’s high schools.

And the theory’s champions continue to fight for curriculums nationwide and the opinion of the broader American public.

For now, Americans remain divided: according to an May 2005 poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, 57 percent of respondents said they favored teaching creationism along with evolution in public schools.

‘GOD OF THE GAPS’

Edwards, who has just finished writing a book about religion on campuses, says he sees intelligent design as a “sad” theological argument.

“It only invokes god when there is no natural explanation,” Edwards says. “But science keeps coming up with explanations.”

The tradition of invoking a “God of the gaps” has its roots in the creationism debates that predate even the 1925 trial of Tennessee teacher John T. Scopes.

“Intelligent design had its heyday in the 19th century when natural science was first introduced into colleges in the pre-Civil War era,” Edwards says. “The intelligent design movement now is just a variant on the creationism debates.”

Edwards says a bizarre twist of fate caused an alliance between science and religion.

He adds that when the natural sciences weren’t taught in American colleges, some scientists justified their discipline by saying it provided evidence of the existence of God.

“The irony is now that the tables are turned,” Edwards says.

‘IRREDUCIBLY COMPLEX’

Many leading advocates of intelligent design debates are far from uneducated. Michael J. Behe, one of the most vocal and prolific advocates of intelligent design, received a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in biochemistry.

He is currently a professor of biology at Lehigh University.

Consequently, the language of articles advocating intelligent design is often sophisticated, academic, even scientific.

Behe used language such as “irreducibly complex,” “subcellular compartments,” and “ultrasophisticated molecular machines” in an article in Natural History magazine.

Edwards attributes the academic bent of intelligent design’s verbiage to the fact that scientific arguments are seen as more credible.

“They’re paying homage to science,” Edwards says. “They’ve got to have their own science and they’re trading in that language.”

But Behe says that the intelligent design argument is purely scientific and is in no way related to the creationism debates of the early twentieth century.

“Its an inductive argument. It uses logic which is normally used in science,” Behe says. “It does not come form any scriptures or revelations from anybody.”

However, Diane L. Moore, director of the program in religion and secondary education at HDS, insists that the arguments of intelligent design should not be given credence as an alternative to evolution.

“The proponents of intelligent design want to promote it as a theory, but it doesn’t follow the basic claims of science,” Moore says. “It’s not something you can prove.”

As a result, both Moore and Edwards agree that intelligent design should not be taught in a science classroom as an alternative to evolution.

“If you teach it in a science class you give it credence as an alternative scientific theory,” Moore says. “Intelligent design is not an intelligent scientific theory.”

But Moore says that intelligent design raises questions that could be answered in a social science classroom where issues of culture and philosophy could be thoughtfully addressed.

“Why are people so anxious about it? Why are there incredible debates in local school communities?” Moore says.

A POLITICAL DEBATE

Behind the theological and scientific questions raised by intelligent design is a political issue. Moore says that a very specific branch of Christianity is shaping the relationship between science and theology.

“It’s not about science or religion,” Moore says.

Edwards says conservative evangelicals are responsible for the framing of the intelligent design debate.

“Evangelicals thrive on being embattled­—their identity is tied up into being attacked and their defending principles,” Edwards says. “Being attacked by science only validates their position.”

But Philip D. Powell ’06, an Orthodox Christian, says he believes the intelligent design debate points to a larger desire to leave open the possibility for God in the universe.

However, like Edwards and Moore, Powell says evolution and belief in God are not mutually exclusive.

“In general I would allow for the possibility that God chose to use evolution for his main means of developing the world,” Powell says.

“One should read the Genesis creation accounts in a largely figurative manner.”

Edwards has a simpler explanation for the persistence of a contentious dialogue between science and religion.

“One quarter of the population is evangelical,” Edwards says. “They aren’t very sophisticated.”

But Behe sees the issue as one of democratic representation.

“As a democratic country, even evangelical, unsophisticated people have a right to voice their opinions on how governmental institutions should be run,” Behe says. “I find it distasteful to people look down their noses on people who want to participate in government.”

—Staff writer Sarah E.F. Milov can be reached at milov@fas.harvard.edu.

Comments
ID-ists responsible for framing the intelligent design debate? I doubt it. But framing the Constitution? Absolutely.pmob1
December 1, 2005
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Red "They want God out of the classroom, God out of the Pledge, God off of the money." If you really want to annoy the self-proclaimed separationist warriors ask them when they're going to stop U.S. tax dollars from being spent to build/maintain military chapels and to pay the salaries of religious clerics in the military.DaveScot
December 1, 2005
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I found the comments relating to A POLITICAL DEBATE interesting. .... Behind the theological and scientific questions raised by intelligent design is a political issue. .... “Evangelicals thrive on being embattled­—their identity is tied up into being attacked and their defending principles,” .... I think the attacks on ID are PRIMARILY political and have been since the Scopes trial. In general, with respect to certain issues people who believe in Darwinism tend to vote a certain way. For example, education funding. Darwinists want all tax money to support public education; vouchers are bad. I believe it would be possible to go right down a list of political issues current in America today and find Darwinists as a whole on one side of almost every issue and people who see Intelligent Design in nature on the other side. I'm say "generally". There are exceptions. Talk about a "cultural divide". It is right there. In general (not always) those on the political left are vociferous advocates for Darwinism. These see the Constitution, for example, as a "living" (or evolving) document. On the right, you have people who have a great deal of respect for the founding documents and the faith of the founding fathers. Edwards says "Evangelicals thrive...." Edwards would like us to believe it is the Evangelicals who have turned science into politics. But, there's no more evangelical movement in the Western world than Darwinism. These people are "on a mission". Their politics are "power politics", dictatorial, heavy handed. Like Carl Sagan, many of these people believe the answer to the world's problems is to get rid of God. They fight to rid the public square of every possible reference to God. They point to the Crucades, the Inquisition, the "intollerence" and "exclusion" of the Ten commandments. They want God out of the classroom, God out of the Pledge, God off of the money. The attacks often come from *political* commentators like Gene Lyons, Charles Krauthammer, George Will. ID is a threat to their political dominance.Red Reader
November 30, 2005
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The only Edwards I wouldn't want opposing me is Jonathan Edwards.geoffrobinson
November 30, 2005
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Sarah here needs to learn how to write an article. Why on earth would you write a science article and attack ID (science) by using quotes from two religion professors?! That's not journalism, it's propaganda. She says this:
And while scientists—who have long been outspoken critics of alternatives to evolution—find themselves again embroiled in a defense of evolution, they have found an unlikely ally in this battle: divinity faculty.
So, Behe and others aren't scientists themselves? There are thousands, tens of thousands of scientists out there who are IDers, and probably more who are creationists. "Scientists" have been critics? That's just ignorance on her part to portray IDers and others as not being true scientists. She also claims that ID calls for a divine designer, which is just bogus. She quotes the religion professor as saying:
“The proponents of intelligent design want to promote it as a theory, but it doesn’t follow the basic claims of science,” Moore says. “It’s not something you can prove.”
This is probably why you don't get religion professors to speak on science...he says that basic claims of science are to prove things. That's obviously not the case at all. Science doesn't work to prove anything, it works to DISprove theories. So, she's using quotes from a guy who doesn't even understand what science does on a basic level to attack ID. Genius! Finally, she says:
Many leading advocates of intelligent design debates are far from uneducated. Michael J. Behe, one of the most vocal and prolific advocates of intelligent design, received a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in biochemistry. He is currently a professor of biology at Lehigh University. Consequently, the language of articles advocating intelligent design is often sophisticated, academic, even scientific.
You'll notice her bias all through this paragraph. Again proving that this piece is propaganda, not journalism. She says that Behe is well educated, but she never calls him a scientist...she even goes out of her way to say that the language used by Behe is often "scientific." Well, hello! I'd hope that Behe's language of his work if scientific considering the fact that HE'S A SCIENTIST!! She wants to paint Behe is NOT being sophisticated, academic and scientific...which is why she says the language often SOUNDS this way. She shows her true colors throughout this article, and it just goes to show you, you can attend Harvard and write news stories and still have no idea what you're doing. A shame.Josh Bozeman
November 30, 2005
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"'The proponents of intelligent design want to promote it as a theory, but it doesn’t follow the basic claims of science,' Moore says. 'It’s not something you can prove.'" An instructor at Harvard said that?! It's both interesting and telling to read what some of the world's "brightest" people have to say about ID. Rembmber the Wiesel 38? Davidcrandaddy
November 30, 2005
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It's sad to hear intellectual people make judgements like these. Just sad!Benjii
November 30, 2005
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