RE: [asa] Theological Naturalism - 'The Nature of God' = Naturalism

Yes I'm under deadline but apparently I'm procrastinating. Just out of
curiosity how do you differentiate TE vs EC? I am loathe to use the word
creationist anything, yes because of the horrible name they have. You might
as well call me a Nazi. I want no part in that word. Are you not from the
US? Maybe you don't understand the extent of the problem to the scientific
community. Evolutionism is promoted by only a very very minute fraction of
scientists, and all of them (even Dawkins I'm pretty sure) clearly
differentiate their philosophical ideas from the science of evolution -
maybe that is not clear to the public, who receives failing grades on
science anyway - but that is the state of our education system - however
this is something important we need to focus on clarifying to the public.
The difference with IDers is that they do not differentiate their scientific
ideas from their political and cultural aspirations (the Wedge strategy) -
they mix them, and purposefully IMO.

Wendee

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From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
Behalf Of Gregory Arago
Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 11:22 PM
To: Rich Blinne
Cc: George Murphy; David Campbell; asa@calvin.edu
Subject: Re: [asa] Theological Naturalism - 'The Nature of God' = Naturalism

The IDM is not just about apologetics. It certainly doesn't even provide
much in terms of Christian apologetics other than an appeal to natural
theology - 'it looks designed, therefore it must be designed.' For those who
think 'the world is not designed, it is just a mindless product of chance,'
that is not a bad apologetic tool for one's kit. However, I agree with your
last sentence to the effect that it is wrong to make Christians look
dishonest and stupid, which the IDM sometimes does when it makes simple
arguments to sophistiated people.

Second, I'm glad to see you use the label EC (evolutionary creationist)
because I think it is the braver alternative between TE and EC. TEs seem
quick to avoid the label 'creationist' because of politics in the USA, not
because they don't believe in Creation. A 'creationist' doesn't have to
proscribe to 'creation science,' but can be a person who gives priority to
creation and even to creativity that a mere evolutionist would likely not
give. The qualifying priority should be given to creation and not to
evolution, which others at ASA (how many is not clear) seem to support.

Third, the problem is not with being an anti-Darwinist, when Darwinism is
viewed as an ideology and not as simply synonymous with evolutionary
biology. Darwinism as an ideology twists Darwin's original theory into a
tool for atheistic or anti-theistic science, often in the hidden name of
scientism. If one wants to support certain features of Darwin's evolutionary
theory, though likely not all of them, not in the 21st century, then one
should say Darwinian evolution and call oneself a Darwinian or neo-Darwinian
evolutionary biologist; not a Darwinist. Here I would take issue with Ruse's
selective definition of Darwinism and also with TE's who would universalize
evolutionary theory into something that is much larger than a limited
scientific theory and method must inevitably be.

Arago

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Received on Wed Jul 25 00:33:42 2007