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Designer Universe: Intelligent Design and the Existence of God
Scientific discoveries of the twentieth century have opened the door for a renewed look at Intelligent Design evidences concerning the existence of God. Authors Davis and Poe explore the different approaches to the Intelligent Design argument, review why Intelligent Design theories fell into disfavor, assess the criticism of Intelligent Design theories with a view to answering those criticisms, and propose how Intelligent Design evidences can be most effectively presented. Includes 60 graphic illustrations supporting Intelligent Design theory.
252 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2002
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October 23, 2024
TWO COLLEGE PROFESSORS LOOK FOR EVIDENCE OF "DESIGN" IN THE UNIVERSE
At the time this book was published in 2002, Jimmy Davis was professor of Chemistry, and Harry Poe was professor of Faith and Culture at Union University in Tennessee. They wrote in the Preface, "This book does not propose to break new ground so much as it hopes to make some established pathways clear. We expect our audience will be drawn primarily from Christians who take an interest in the relationship of modern science to their biblical faith... We write from the perspective of faith. Not only do we believe that the universe was designed, but we also know the Designer.
"How compelling is the evidence, however, for someone who does not know the Designer? Can someone come to know the Designer by observing the Design? How does the evidence compel only one conclusion about the origin of the design? The book explores why the notion of the design of the universe should suddenly reappear at the end of the twentieth century after its supposed demise at the hands of Darwinian naturalism." (Pg. xv-xvi)
They point out, "we do well to recognize that different groups in the conversation mean different things when they say `design.' ... This is not merely a matter of different religious perspectives. An engineer will understand design in a different way from a biologist. Design may have a more mechanical quality or a more artistic quality. It may mean a sense of order or purpose. It may mean a recognizable pattern. As we explore the question, we will begin to see that design itself may be as elusive as God." (Pg. 10)
They also observe, "the design argument has developed over the centuries from a general statement about what the casual observer might notice about the universe and its structure to what the trained specialist in precise fields of science might investigate under the most rigorous of circumstances. As we shall see, the new explanation of design focuses on scientific research and its implications." (Pg. 78)
They state, "Working within a materialistic worldview, many scientists were very surprised to discover that the existence of life requires a fine tuning of the universe. Everywhere scientists looked, they found very little leeway in how the universe was put together... The size of the Big Bang and the current strength of gravity are needed for there to be enough time for life to appear. Also, all the billions and billions of stars and galaxies are needed to provide enough matter and space for a stable universe to exist long enough for life to exist." (Pg. 91-92)
They note, "Rather than being one planet among billions, Earth now appears to be the uncommon Earth, the rare Earth... by placing the sun far from the center of a spiral galaxy; locating Earth in a habitable zone of a typical star; ... providing Earth with the moon to stabilize its tilt angle and the climate of the Earth; providing Earth with the `right' amount of carbon, oxygen, heavier elements, and water; and providing plate tectonics to rebuild and replenish the earth. The data implies that Earth may be the only planet `in the right place at the right time.'" (Pg. 107)
They argue, "What about the argument that science is guided by the principle of uniformity, or that existing processes can explain past processes?... the principle of uniformity should be neutral in regard to the kind of cause. In our everyday experience, the only sources of information are intelligence. Around us, we see intelligent agents creating newspapers, books, musical scores, computer programs, plans for buildings, and so forth. The principle of uniformity suggests that intelligence was involved in the origin of DNA. Currently this seems like the strongest evidence for design." (Pg. 205)
They suggest, "the problem of pain and suffering is the problem of incompletion. The presence of pain and suffering does not preclude design. It is the design of the artist, however, rather than the design of the engineer. It is the artist painting on a great canvas. It is the sculptor chipping away at an enormous block of marble until all of the roughness is gone and only the design in the artist's mind remains. It is the play in progress. It is the song being sung. The Hindu might say that it is the dance of the dancer that only exists as the body of the dancer moves." (Pg. 224)
This book will be of keen interest to those interested in Christian apologetics (particular of the "scientific" sort), Intelligent Design, or religion and science issues. (It is likely to prove much more convincing to, say, Christians, than to skeptics or atheists, however.)
At the time this book was published in 2002, Jimmy Davis was professor of Chemistry, and Harry Poe was professor of Faith and Culture at Union University in Tennessee. They wrote in the Preface, "This book does not propose to break new ground so much as it hopes to make some established pathways clear. We expect our audience will be drawn primarily from Christians who take an interest in the relationship of modern science to their biblical faith... We write from the perspective of faith. Not only do we believe that the universe was designed, but we also know the Designer.
"How compelling is the evidence, however, for someone who does not know the Designer? Can someone come to know the Designer by observing the Design? How does the evidence compel only one conclusion about the origin of the design? The book explores why the notion of the design of the universe should suddenly reappear at the end of the twentieth century after its supposed demise at the hands of Darwinian naturalism." (Pg. xv-xvi)
They point out, "we do well to recognize that different groups in the conversation mean different things when they say `design.' ... This is not merely a matter of different religious perspectives. An engineer will understand design in a different way from a biologist. Design may have a more mechanical quality or a more artistic quality. It may mean a sense of order or purpose. It may mean a recognizable pattern. As we explore the question, we will begin to see that design itself may be as elusive as God." (Pg. 10)
They also observe, "the design argument has developed over the centuries from a general statement about what the casual observer might notice about the universe and its structure to what the trained specialist in precise fields of science might investigate under the most rigorous of circumstances. As we shall see, the new explanation of design focuses on scientific research and its implications." (Pg. 78)
They state, "Working within a materialistic worldview, many scientists were very surprised to discover that the existence of life requires a fine tuning of the universe. Everywhere scientists looked, they found very little leeway in how the universe was put together... The size of the Big Bang and the current strength of gravity are needed for there to be enough time for life to appear. Also, all the billions and billions of stars and galaxies are needed to provide enough matter and space for a stable universe to exist long enough for life to exist." (Pg. 91-92)
They note, "Rather than being one planet among billions, Earth now appears to be the uncommon Earth, the rare Earth... by placing the sun far from the center of a spiral galaxy; locating Earth in a habitable zone of a typical star; ... providing Earth with the moon to stabilize its tilt angle and the climate of the Earth; providing Earth with the `right' amount of carbon, oxygen, heavier elements, and water; and providing plate tectonics to rebuild and replenish the earth. The data implies that Earth may be the only planet `in the right place at the right time.'" (Pg. 107)
They argue, "What about the argument that science is guided by the principle of uniformity, or that existing processes can explain past processes?... the principle of uniformity should be neutral in regard to the kind of cause. In our everyday experience, the only sources of information are intelligence. Around us, we see intelligent agents creating newspapers, books, musical scores, computer programs, plans for buildings, and so forth. The principle of uniformity suggests that intelligence was involved in the origin of DNA. Currently this seems like the strongest evidence for design." (Pg. 205)
They suggest, "the problem of pain and suffering is the problem of incompletion. The presence of pain and suffering does not preclude design. It is the design of the artist, however, rather than the design of the engineer. It is the artist painting on a great canvas. It is the sculptor chipping away at an enormous block of marble until all of the roughness is gone and only the design in the artist's mind remains. It is the play in progress. It is the song being sung. The Hindu might say that it is the dance of the dancer that only exists as the body of the dancer moves." (Pg. 224)
This book will be of keen interest to those interested in Christian apologetics (particular of the "scientific" sort), Intelligent Design, or religion and science issues. (It is likely to prove much more convincing to, say, Christians, than to skeptics or atheists, however.)
June 3, 2017
I don't remember this being the best treatment of the intelligent design approach to science.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews