Creationists argue that the idea that such organized complexity could arise by natural means — without the intercession of a designer mind — is absurd. In particular, they argue that the probability that life could assemble itself spontaneously is extremely close to zero. To dramatize this, they suggest that thinking life could arise by natural means is like thinking a tornado could tear through a junkyard and assemble a Boeing 747. (H. Allen Orr writing in the New York Review of Books: review of "The God Illusion," "Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast: The Evolutionary Origins of Belief" and "Evolution and Christian Faith: Reflections of an Evolutionary Biologist").
2 comments:
Thought you might enjoy this poem re creationists and intelligent design etc.
A Theory's Evolution
The Theory of Flawed Design is not a scientifically proven
Alternative to evolution. It is based on the everyday life
Experience that natural selection could not have produced
Such a catastrophic outcome. Optimists and the religiously
Inclined will naturally prefer evolution as an explanation,
Since ascribing Design to the state of humanity is almost
Unbearable. For the rest of us, we must continue to insist
That the theory of Flawed Design be taught cheek and jowl,
Neck and neck, mano a mano, with Mr. Darwin's
Speculations. The Theory postulates a creator who is Mentally
Impaired, either through some genetic defect or because of
Substance abuse, and is predisposed to behave in a sociopathic
Manner; although some Benign Flawed Design theorists, as
They call themselves, posit the radical alternative that the
Creator was distracted or inattentive and the flaws are not the Result of Malevolent Will but incompetence or incapacity.
The poem by Charles Bernstein ran on the op-ed page of Philadelphia Inquirer recently. Line breaks as above are messed up.
Hey, thanks for the poetry.
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