Intelligent Design - Douglas Groothuis, David Eller, and Earl Staelin.
On Sunday 13 May 2007, at 7:00 PM, Earl Staelin and David Eller and Doug Groothuis will discuss Intelligent Design and Darwinism at the First Universalist Church of Denver: 4101 E. Hampden Ave., Denver CO 80222-7262.
Does a proper understanding of some aspects of biology require a designing intelligence?
Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary and the author of ten books, will argue the affirmative. He has written editorials and book reviews on intelligent design in The Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post, as well as giving lectures on intelligent design at Colorado State University and Colorado School of Mines.
David Eller is a professor of anthropology at Metro State College and Community College of Denver. He received his Ph.D. in anthropology from Boston University, and conducted field research in Australia on Aboriginal religions. He’s published two books in anthropology, plus a forthcoming book on anthropology of religion; also Natural Atheism, and numerous articles on religion, culture, and science. Debated Stephen Meyer of the Discovery Institute on the subject of intelligent design for an episode of Lee Strobel's TV show, "Faith under Fire". He is the former Colorado Director of American Atheists. He will argue the negative of intelligent design.
Earl Staelin is a trial attorney who has handled many cases involving medical, chemical, and scientific issues. He has a background in nutrition. He has published articles and/or given professional presentations on “Calcium and Osteoporosis”, “A Nutritional Solution to AIDS”, nutrition and other health disorders, “Health and Light”, “The Amazing Role of Microbes in Biology”, “Observational Evidence against the Big Bang”, and “Resistance to Scientific Innovation”. He will present a position recognizing intelligence in the rapid development of new species, but as something intrinsic in nature.
I didn't realise Lee had a TV show. That's scary.
ReplyDeleteIs the debate going to be recorded & available for download anywhere?
Doug:
ReplyDeleteHave you had a chance to read the transcript of his debate with Meyer? If not, I could try to locate it somehow.
I know you need exactly ZERO coaching from feeble me, but one thing I would ask him is this: If scientism is a complete worldview, can it account for the world around us in its' entirety (like Christian theism can)? If he responds to the affirmative, I would press him on whether or not there are truths outside of the scientific method that are untestable and yet universally true; demonstrating that scientism is a flawed system if claiming to be comprehensive.
My point is, although I am a big proponent of science in genereal, scientism as a worldview is limited. The definition of science is a man-made construct, outside of which there is truth. Knowing this then (if you can get him to admit this), is it OK with him to teach the arguments for ID in another class, like philosophy? Although he might say "sure", I suspect that this would very much bother ID opponents. It's not just that they don't want the arguments taught as science in science class, they don't want them to be taught at all, in any classroom. I have recently had the "probability" discussion with some "science only" folks and they said "why look at the probability of an intelligent designer... the fact is, we are here! So the probability of us being here is 100%, get over it!" They are missing the whole point of course. Why are we here? How did we get here?
Am I on to something here, or should I crawl back into my hole and be quiet?