|
|
On December 5th, 1997, there was a debate that took place on a show called Firing Line. The episode was entitled The Evidence of God, and the participants were quite impressive:
For Intelligent Design: William F. Buckley Jr. David Berlinski (interestingly, he is critical of both Evolution and Intelligent Design) Phillip E. Johnson Michael J. Behe For Evolution: Barry W. Lynn Eugenie C. Scott Michael Ruse Kenneth R. Miller As of the writing of this blog entry, you can view the entire debate yourself in eight parts here: Intelligent Design vs Evolution What struck me the most about the excellent affair, which is well worth a view in its entirety, was something Berlinski (a secular Jew, not a fundamentalist Christian) said at the end of his opening statement: "If it should come to pass in the fullness of time that we discover that there is no explanation for life, we will have to accept it. If it should come to pass that we discover in the fullness of time that the only explanation for life is that it is a process designed for transcendental purposes by a transcendental figure, we will have to accept that too. And if that should come to pass, I would like to ask, who among us will genuinely feel diminished?" I keep looking at that statement, and I keep wondering: What reasonable, rational person, regardless of worldview, could honestly answer "Me"? And if that is the case, what is all the hubbub and fracas about? Why so much aggression from the militant atheist quarter? Why so much anger, indignation and venom? I mean truly? |