Comments on: Top Ten books to read on the intelligent design controversy, 2009 #3

By: Mung

Mung — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 03:39:25 +0000

None of this changes the fact that Monton’s book is a “godddidit” version of ID and hardly qualifies as a top 3 book on ID.

By: Barb

Barb — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:05:12 +0000

When being taught evolution in biology class, the teachers would always drag out the old chestnut about how all scientists agree on evolution occurring in the past and in the present. Reading Denton’s and Behe’s books made me realize that not all scientists were a part of this consensus.

By: kairos

kairos — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:30:13 +0000

#4 Very good point Sal. Even more, I would say that you have just stated a very convincing argument about the fact that darwinism will be finally defated by its own main weapon: natural selection after a more prolific generation

By: scordova

scordova — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:39:14 +0000

By “Top 10 books to read on ID,” you mean “Top 10 pro-ID books,” right? Or is it just that the only books worth considering happen to be pro-ID

Fair point. Myself, I recommend to people interested in hearing both sides visit Pharyngula. It’s free and it’s fun. Although I must admit, not one ID sympathetic person I’ve met has ever changed his mind in favor of Darwinism after reading PZ Myers. Myers usually has the effect of persuading visitors that Darwinists are on the wrong track. I wonder why.

There are former non-ID people persuaded by ID literature:

1. Michael Behe (after reading Denton)
2. Phil Johnson (after reading Denton)
3. Dean Kenyon (after reading AE Wilder-Smith)
4. Stephen Meyer (after hearing Dean Kenyon)
5. John Sanford (after reading Behe)
6. Caroline Crocker (after reading Behe and Dembski)
7. Donald Johnson (after reading various)

Most of the above listed were converted after they had successful careers in the sciences.

What book changed my mind?

1. Denton’s Evolution a Theory in Crisis
2. Mystery of Life’s Origin by Thaxton, Bradley, Olsen.

The best non-exclusive-ID book? Debating Design. Edited by Michael Ruse and Bill Dembski.

By: Mung

Mung — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:41:15 +0000

Or is it just that the only books worth considering happen to be pro-ID?

I’ve yet to come across an anti-ID book worth reading. You have one you’d like to recommend?

By: David Kellogg

David Kellogg — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:27:15 +0000

By “Top 10 books to read on ID,” you mean “Top 10 pro-ID books,” right? Or is it just that the only books worth considering happen to be pro-ID?

By: Mung

Mung — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:40:25 +0000

Wow. I certainly wouldn’t have put Monton’s book at #3. He’s off-base on a number of points, doesn’t really address the modern argument as we all know it through Behe, Dembski, et al, and he makes it clear that his designer is God.

Here’s a quote from his book:

In this section I will grant that intelligent design does postulate supernatural causation.

Basically, his entire book is written based upon this view of ID.