From The Author Of SC&A, On Evolution And ID

Mango has weighed in on Intelligent Design and evolution. He talks about it here and here.

In a short correspondence with Mango, I agreed to put forth my position on evolution and Intelligent Design (ID). Because it is such an important question in today's political climate, I decided to address the issue without the SC&A padding.

It is clear that ID is not science, per se. It is also clear that evolution remains a theory and does not address many realties in the physical world. That does not nullify evolution as a theory, nor does it elevate ID into 'filling the gaps' in evolution.

Science does it's best to present truths as clearly and cogently as possible, with as little bias as possible. Sometimes it succeeds in it's pursuit and sometimes it doesn't.

Some argue that God is Authoritarian in nature, that every blade of grass and every leaf spinning on a tree branch are under direct 'orders' from God. Others argue that God is Rational, and that God put Laws of Nature into effect, and that whatever happens is the result of nature taking it's course. God only interferes in the affairs of men. Sometimes, those arguments are clearly understood- other times, they are in direct conflict with irrefutable evidence.

The argument about ID and Evolution isn't about science. It is about God.

The scientific evidence of God's existence is precisely equal to that of His non existence. Scientists will tell you, 'Well, if we can't prove God's existence..' and the scientists of faith will tell you 'Evidence of God's existence is everywhere..' Science, so sure of Einstein and Hawking, have had to take a step back and take a deep breath in the wake of new discoveries and interpretations.

Believers, confronted with DNA, have had to come to terms with evolution on an unprecedented scale. We're not only related to apes, but fish and and cows, too can now pull up a chair at the Thanksgiving table.

The argument are about perceptions, beliefs and faith.

Rather than engage in that debate, I'd like to discuss ID and evolution, rationally.

The Big Bang and Creation, ex Nihlo (lit, 'from nothing') are the same. It is from this point on that things diverge. Was the event an accident or was the event part of design?

Any engineer will tell you that 'form follows function' is an elegant expression not just of design, but of the engineering as well. Cows endowed with the ability to breathe under water would not be as efficient in that environment as even the smallest of fish. In other words, evolution has produced some very efficient forms. If the debate stopped here, there would be no argument.

There is ample scientific evidence that evolution is a fact of life. There is also ample evidence that there is much more. That evidence can be seen in the behavior of man. That behavior defies evolutionary ideals and principles.

To the believer, the issue isn't one of if or how man evolved or how he has changed over time. Those definitions miss the point. For the believer, it is the soul that makes a man. The question really is, do we believe in the soul? Is belief in the soul, that which makes us human, tied to rejection of evolution?

Nowhere in the tenets of faith that I am aware is such a connection made. In fact, the evidence is clearly to the contrary. The soul is never given physical or animate properties. The biblical references to the soul are those of 'breath.' God, gives life or death to the soul with a 'kiss,' or with a breath. Does that give credence to evolution? No- however, it does not deny it, either.

We build hospitals. Why? What is it about humans that drives us to do that? Clearly, selflessness can be described as one of the most anti evolutionary of traits. Hospitals clearly are a drain on resources and progress.

From an evolutionary standpoint, Mother Teresa was a crackpot. Why help the terminally ill? From that same place, Art is of no importance. The same can be said about music and other forms of entertainment. Nevertheless, we need those useless and costly pursuits, almost as much as we need air to breathe. In fact, if and when we are reduced to living primal, basic lives, we resemble humans less and animals more.

Does this prove the existence of the soul? No, it does not. What it does prove is the existence of a wider sphere of rational thought- that there are beliefs, described as faith, that are as rational as any other. Scientific criteria are not the only standards by which men proclaim the truth. In fact, the only sure thing about science is that whatever has been 'proved,' will be disproved. There is more than enough scientific data to prove that science is one of the least likely places to find absolute truths. Still, none of that proves the existence of God.

It is at this point, choices become evident. That said, one choice does not trump the other. In fact, evolution and ID are not mutually exclusive, no matter how much we may want them to be- or even need them to be.

As I wrote earlier, there is no doubt that the theories of evolution will be reworked and rewritten a thousand times, each time with more clarity and proofs.

There is also no doubt that for those of faith, our better understanding of the physical world, will only serve to strenghen our beliefs. I for one take great pleasure in knowing that my DNA is shared and that I am interelated with every other creature in creation. For me, that is a clear indication of Intelligent Design. I am meant to be here. To me it is an indication that I am not an accident.

Along the same lines, the accomplishments of man are further evidence and proof of a Divinely inspired soul- and thus, ID. Everyone who joins the peace corps or works on that new wonder drug or teaches me to be a better person, is even more proof.

Science and evolution are the blueprints of the physical world. God and the Soul are the blueprints of the spiritual world- that world that exists within each of us, a world that demands more from ourselves, so that we may make the world, beyond ourselves a better place. They go hand in hand. With those blueprints and a better undertanding of the physical world, we have the opportunity to extend ourselves even further than we thought possible.