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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2010
The concept of an atheist providing an objective evaluation of the arguments for and against Intelligent Design is certainly intriguing. Monton, however, fails to deliver. Whether through naïveté or deliberate obtuseness, he gives ID the benefit of the doubt in every case, accepting it at face value. Even so, he finds the overall argument for ID ultimately to be unconvincing.
The following excerpt from Monton's argument (that "Intelligent Design is NOT Inherently Theistic") illustrates the depth of his credulity: "...the Discovery Institute definition simply says that : `The theory of intelligent design holds that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection,' without specifying whether that intelligent cause is natural or supernatural."(p 57) So, the intelligent agent who is responsible for elements of our cosmos and for origin of life on earth isn't necessarily God, or even supernatural? Gimme a break!
Monton quotes Barbara Forrest as follows: "ID creationists continue their campaign to de-secularize public education and, ultimately, American culture and government, thereby undermining foundational elements of secular, constitutional democracy." He then says: "My personal opinion is that Forrest is making this into too much of a culture war," and that her evidence and that of people like her is tenuous (p 12). Either he didn't actually read Forrest's book, which he references, or he didn't grasp its import. Forrest is a philosopher who has followed ID as a cultural phenomenon for years: she knows whereof she speaks.
Additionally in footnote 4, he quotes from the Wedge document: "The proposition that human beings are created in the image of God is one of the bedrock principles on which Western civilization was built. Its influence can be detected in most, if not all, of the West's greatest achievements, including representative democracy, human rights, free enterprise, and progress in the arts and sciences." He again displays either ignorance or naïveté by saying: "...it doesn't sound like the Discovery Institute is on the level of the Taliban."
Here's what the Discovery Institute actually means: Human beings were created in the image of God by special creation in accordance with the literal Genesis creation account. The United States is the only real Western civilization. Our founding fathers were Christians who founded the US as a Christian nation with laws based on biblical moral values. Separation of church and state in the US is fraudulent. Everything positive in the West is the result of Fundamentalist religious influence. The Wedge goes on to say that a little over a century ago materialism set in and eventually took over, and "The cultural consequences of this triumph of materialism were devastating." "Discovery Institute's Center for the Renewal of Science and Culture seeks nothing less than the overthrow of materialism and its cultural legacies." That is, subsequently, all cultural practices, including science, must be based on Fundamentalist religious principles. Sounds Taliban-ish to me.
Monton says: "Even if the intelligent design movement is now focused on getting intelligent design taught in public schools, this isn't an essential component of the intelligent design movement" (p 15) He couldn't be more wrong. It's not the only element, but it is essential to the Wedge, and the Wedge IS doctrine for the intelligent design movement. Just Google "Jesus prayer opens Texas textbook meeting" to see that the Wedge is still active.
I could continue on with many more examples, but I'll close with two observations:
1) Monton's theistic arguments against atheism, such as fine tuning, are not, per se, arguments for Intelligent Design: they support theistic evolution as well
2) Those who still don't understand why Intelligent Design is not science should read Forrest's "Methodological Naturalism and Philosophical Naturalism: Clarifying the Connection (2000)
The following excerpt from Monton's argument (that "Intelligent Design is NOT Inherently Theistic") illustrates the depth of his credulity: "...the Discovery Institute definition simply says that : `The theory of intelligent design holds that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection,' without specifying whether that intelligent cause is natural or supernatural."(p 57) So, the intelligent agent who is responsible for elements of our cosmos and for origin of life on earth isn't necessarily God, or even supernatural? Gimme a break!
Monton quotes Barbara Forrest as follows: "ID creationists continue their campaign to de-secularize public education and, ultimately, American culture and government, thereby undermining foundational elements of secular, constitutional democracy." He then says: "My personal opinion is that Forrest is making this into too much of a culture war," and that her evidence and that of people like her is tenuous (p 12). Either he didn't actually read Forrest's book, which he references, or he didn't grasp its import. Forrest is a philosopher who has followed ID as a cultural phenomenon for years: she knows whereof she speaks.
Additionally in footnote 4, he quotes from the Wedge document: "The proposition that human beings are created in the image of God is one of the bedrock principles on which Western civilization was built. Its influence can be detected in most, if not all, of the West's greatest achievements, including representative democracy, human rights, free enterprise, and progress in the arts and sciences." He again displays either ignorance or naïveté by saying: "...it doesn't sound like the Discovery Institute is on the level of the Taliban."
Here's what the Discovery Institute actually means: Human beings were created in the image of God by special creation in accordance with the literal Genesis creation account. The United States is the only real Western civilization. Our founding fathers were Christians who founded the US as a Christian nation with laws based on biblical moral values. Separation of church and state in the US is fraudulent. Everything positive in the West is the result of Fundamentalist religious influence. The Wedge goes on to say that a little over a century ago materialism set in and eventually took over, and "The cultural consequences of this triumph of materialism were devastating." "Discovery Institute's Center for the Renewal of Science and Culture seeks nothing less than the overthrow of materialism and its cultural legacies." That is, subsequently, all cultural practices, including science, must be based on Fundamentalist religious principles. Sounds Taliban-ish to me.
Monton says: "Even if the intelligent design movement is now focused on getting intelligent design taught in public schools, this isn't an essential component of the intelligent design movement" (p 15) He couldn't be more wrong. It's not the only element, but it is essential to the Wedge, and the Wedge IS doctrine for the intelligent design movement. Just Google "Jesus prayer opens Texas textbook meeting" to see that the Wedge is still active.
I could continue on with many more examples, but I'll close with two observations:
1) Monton's theistic arguments against atheism, such as fine tuning, are not, per se, arguments for Intelligent Design: they support theistic evolution as well
2) Those who still don't understand why Intelligent Design is not science should read Forrest's "Methodological Naturalism and Philosophical Naturalism: Clarifying the Connection (2000)
