In response to my critique of apparent "God of the Gaps" theology in a quote
from Steven Meyer, ateo@whitworth.edu writes:
> Allan,
>
> May I suggest that perhaps you have misunderstood Steve. I have had several
> conversations with him, and with regard to that quote, I believe that the
> enterprise of science needs to allow back on the table the possibility of
> God. It was not meant to be a theological claim. He simply wishes to see
> scientists consider God as a possibility.
>
> >>
>> >>> "What we're doing is saying ... what if naturalism isn't true?" Meyer
>>> says.
>>> "We want to go back to that great 19th-century question and say: Maybe
>>> they
>>> were wrong.... If there's evidence of real design, then the God question
>>> may
>>> be back on the table."
>>
>
I hope I have misinterpreted Meyer. But in the context of the article (which
was about whether discoveries about the human genome threatened religion), it
certainly *seems* like Meyer is saying that "evidence of real design" (as
opposed to, say, Jesus) is the key to "the God question." Maybe this
impression is the fault of the reporter and not Meyer.
However, I would bet that most people, both in the church and outside, see
such statements as promoting God-of-the-Gaps ("Christianity isn't false after
all because the ID people are showing evolution isn't true after all")
theology, which is an abomination. I find it frustrating that nobody in the
ID movement ever seems willing to come out and say that such theology is
wrong and is a misuse of their work. Unless they recognize that the church
is taking their work as a sandy foundation on which to build an unsound
semi-deistic theology (with its apologetic basis on gaps instead of Christ)
and make efforts to reverse this, I fear that (even if their work is
worthwhile from a scientific or philosophical standpoint) they are doing more
harm than good.
I also fear that nobody in the ID movement ever speaks against "God of the
Gaps" theology because their most prominent popularizer appears to hold it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Allan H. Harvey, Boulder, Colorado | SteamDoc@aol.com
"Any opinions expressed here are mine, and should not be
attributed to my employer, my wife, or my cats"
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