intelligent design and irreducible complexity william d. barrick

Intelligent Designand

Irreducible Complexity

William D. Barrick

Introduction

• “I fear that I will be laughed at by those who have scientific knowledge of these matters and by those who recognize the facts of the case.” — Augustine (A.D. 387–430), Literal

Commentary on Genesis

Intelligent Design

• Design consists of the purposeful arrangement of parts in any system by an intelligent designer.

• According to the adherents to Intelligent Design, man is capable of detecting design in the natural world.

Intelligent Design

• William Paley’s Natural Theology (1802) proposed a pocket watch as the illustration demonstrating that human beings intuitively recognize design and attribute it to a designer.

Intelligent Design

• An archaeologist examines potential artifacts for design to determine whether they are natural or man-made objects.

• A cryptographer looks for design (or, complex patterns) in order to identify and break coded messages.

• A forensic pathologist utilizes design to distinguish between accidental deaths and homicides.

Irreducible Complexity

• Irreducible complexity requires all factors to be present for a pathway to function properly.

• Evolution operates on the basis of partial pathways resulting from gradual steps in which only the immediately functional elements are retained.

Intelligent Design

Three Filtering Questions• Necessity: Is the object in question an

automatic result of some natural process? In other words, did it have to happen?

• If it is, then it is a necessary outcome, not the result of design.

Snowflakes

A complex structure that results from natural phenomena rather than intelligent design.

Intelligent Design

• Chance: Is the object simple enough that its production is not highly unlikely? In other words, did it happen by accident?

• It is probably a chance occurrence.

Random Roll of Dice

A complex structure that results from chance occurrence.

Intelligent Design

• Design: Does the object exhibit some type of specific pattern or function that is independent of the object itself? In other words, did an intelligent agent cause it to happen?

• If so, the object is the product of design.

Mousetrap

A complex structure that results from intelligent design.

Vision

A complex structure that results from intelligent design.

Intelligent Design

• Intelligent Design does not establish the methodology for bringing things into existence, just that there is an Intelligent Designer.

• That Designer could choose, for example, to utilize evolutionary processes.

• Intelligent Design proponents often claim neutrality on the “God issue.” This is where they fall short of Scripture.

Forms of Spiritual Authority

1. Authority of the Lord and His written revelation.

2. Authority of the church and its “infallible pope(s).”

3. Authority of human reason with its self-styled sovereignty.

Which will you follow?

Nehemiah 9:6 (NASU)

You alone are the LORD.

You have made the heavens,

The heaven of heavens with all their host,

The earth and all that is on it,

The seas and all that is in them.

You give life to all of them

And the heavenly host bows down before You.

Romans 1 (NASU)

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Conclusion

• The alternative, secular historical science, changes—Scripture does not change.

• Modern science mocks the science by which Augustine felt threatened—what will the science be 200 years from now?

• Intelligent design without an intelligent Designer is like an automobile without an engine—just a shell without its intended function.

• Biblical creation requires the Creator.

Conclusion

When we affirm biblical creationism,• We propose the plain sense of the rest of

Scripture,• We provide foundational truths for basic

Christian doctrine, and• We preserve the salvific focus of the Christian

faith—only the Creator can ultimately save and restore.