Category: theistic evolution

Poll: Atheists 15% – God involved 78%

Gallup has updated their origins survey: Which of the following statements comes closest to your views on the origin and development of human beings? 1) Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process, 2) Human beings have developed over millions of years from less… more

Science and Religion at the Portsmouth Institute

Some months back I was invited to speak at this summer’s Portsmouth Institute, which took place last weekend (June 22-24). The title of this summer’s symposium was “Modern Science/Ancient Faith.” See here for the schedule of talks. The speakers included Michael Ruse of Florida State University (keynote), Kenneth Miller of Brown University, John Haught of… more

Even IF the Genome is Full of “Junk”

I particularly enjoyed Denyse’s comment here about how, according to some evolutionary theorists — who should be more accurately depicted as evolutionary storytellers — Darwinian evolution programmed us to find Darwinian evolution difficult to believe. This is called science? A much more reasonable explanation is that our minds were programmed to invent computer programs, and… more

Has the American Scientific Affiliation Forgotten Their Stated Identity?

Our vision is to promote good science, based on impartial evaluation of evidence, not mere consensus. more

He said it: Prof Lewontin’s strawman “justification” for imposing a priori materialist censorship on origins science

Yesterday, in the P Z Myers quote-mining and distortion thread, I happened to cite Lewontin’s infamous 1997 remark in his NYRB article, “Billions and Billions of Demons,” on a priori imposition of materialist censorship on origins science, which reads in the crucial part: It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel… more

A Solution To A Problem That No Longer Exists

I give UD’s Denyse credit for having come up with this insightful observation. In another UD thread I came across this link. It represents the Episcopal church’s views on ID, and it is full of misinformation and misrepresentations. The proponents of the Intelligent Design Movement assert that it is possible to discern scientifically the actions… more

Theistic Evolutionists – How Do You See (Intelligent) Design?

Recently, I made a post regarding what I thought was an encouraging moment at Biologos, where a guest writer frankly speculated about how God could work through evolution. In the comments section, some discussion was had about just how rare or common such views are among  TEs. Since I’ve already made the call for non-theists… more

Why God can’t be outside nature. …

In case you wondered, anthropologist Gregory Bateson explains, If you put God outside and set him vis-a-vis his creation, and if you have the idea that you are created in his image, you will logically and naturally see yourself as outside and against the things around you. And as you arrogate all mind to yourself,… more

He said it: Steve Fuller on theistic evolution and the Darwinian challenge – Francis Collins edition

Warwick U’s Steve Fuller, author of Dissent over Descent (2008): Our first witness is the poster boy Francis Collins, the born-again Christian who led the US National Institutes of Health’s drive to map the human genome. His recent bestseller, The Language of God, recounts how his bohemian upbringing resulted in a spiritual emptiness that only… more

Good Friday Thoughts: Intelligent Design and Christian Creationism

“What is the difference between Creationism and Intelligent Design” I asked Stephen Meyer in 2009. He answered that what distinguished Creationism from Intelligent Design is that Creationism outlined a chronology whereas ID did not. I will add my own thoughts on the matter. What I say in this post is my answer to the same… more

Christian Darwinism: “Catholic Thing” reviewer loves David Brooks’s “Social Animal” and sees it as the Catholic view of man

When David Brooks’ Man: The Social Animal appeared, it was reviled by people as far apart otherwise as O’Leary and P.Z. Myers, for its Gadarene (and utterly tone deaf) slide into the fever swamps of evolutionary psychology. These fetid bogs are usually inhabited by the Evolutionary Agony Aunt, the Darwinian brand marketer and the advocates… more

Convergence, ID Critics, and Public Theatre

The Map of Life is a new website, funded in part by the Templeton Organization, devoted to highlighting and discussing the role of convergence in evolution. Simon Conway Morris, whose thoughts on evolution I’m actually very interested in, has a role in the site – and it promises to be a place of interest for… more

Al Mohler weighs in against BioLogos

Al Mohler, my former boss at Southern Seminary in Louisville, has excellent theological instincts. On his blog today, he put his finger on what’s driving the theistic evolutionists at BioLogos: The BioLogos approach to the issue is now clear. They want to discredit evangelical objections to evolution and to convince the evangelical public that an… more

Very Weak Anthropic Principle: Is the Principle going, going gone?

Friends tell me that British theistic evolutionist Denis Alexander of the Faraday Institute spoke at Baylor University recently on the “Very Weak Anthropic Principle.” I’ve heard of the Anthropic Principle, which essentially means that the universe appears fine-tuned for intelligent life. I’ve also heard of the Weak Anthropic Principle, namely, The weak anthropic principle states… more

“The Vibrant Dance of Faith and Science” — Conference in Austin TX, Oct 26-28, 2010

An interesting conference bringing together ID proponents and theistic evolutionists is coming up in Austin this October:  The Vibrant Dance of Faith and Science (http://vibrantdance.org). The organizers are hoping to bring unity to the science-faith debate: Our Mission is to inspire, educate, and unify pastors, scientists, Christian leaders, and concerned lay people, as well as seekers and skeptics, with the… more

Marvin Olasky on theistic atheism – oops, I meant theistic evolution

Journalism dean Marvin Olasky notes, Today’s three great cultural flashpoints are abortion, same-sex marriage, and evolution. We can hedge on them and justify our hedging: Playing it cool here will help me gain for Christ people who would otherwise walk away. I’m not knocking such considerations. Nor am I assuming that anyone who tries to… more

“[The Discovery Institute] needs to be destroyed”

After Darwinist Steve Matheson debated Stephen Meyer at Biola, various essays appeared on the internet pointing out Matheson’s numerous errors and oversights. In the face of having his assertions publicly discredited (see a summary in Fact Free Science of Matheson), he wrote an open letter to Stephen Meyer. Your Discovery Institute is a horrific mistake,… more

Correction re Veritas Forum

I reported here that, since 2005, the Veritas Forum seems to have gone exclusively theistic evolutionist. I’ve been reliably informed that this is not so. Names of people who have done Veritas events since 2005 include: Michael Behe Alvin Plantinga Fritz Schaefer Walter Bradley Guillermo Gonzalez Jay Richards Scott Minnich Fazale Rana more

Francis Collins at Veritas Forum

It’s now five years since I used to get invited to speak at these Veritas forums. My debate with Niall Shanks, sponsored by Veritas and moderated by Dallas Willard, took place at UCLA in 2004 and was recorded by CSPAN. I also did Veritas forums at NYU and Columbia in 2005. All that has changed.… more

‘Should Creationism Be Taught in British Classrooms?’

This is the title of an opinion piece that appears in the latest issue of the liberal-left weekly UK magazine, New Statesman. It is written by Michael Reiss, who 18 months ago was forced out of his position as director of communications at the Royal Society because he said that creationist and ID views should… more

Next Page »