>At 6:34 PM 2/18/97, Stephen Jones wrote:
>>>SJ>No. The "Intelligent Design model" does specifiy a "mechanism", the
>>>word of command of the "Intelligent Designer':
>>>
>>>"And God said, `Let there be...,' and there was..." (Gn 1:3,6,9,
>>>11,14,20,24,26); "By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,
>>>their starry host by the breath of his mouth" (Ps 33:6); In the
>>>beginning was the Word...Through him all things were made; without
>>>him nothing was made that has been made." (Jn 1:1-3).
>>
>>BH>OK, fine, but it is not necessary for ID to appeal to God.
>>
>>First, Brian now acknowledges that the "Intelligent Design model"
>>does specifiy a "mechanism". This is in contradistinction to
>>naturalistic evolution which has no specified mechanism, eg. for
>>"prebiotic evolution."
>
>Is anyone else wondering whether the term "mechanism" is being used
>consistently here? Evolutionary biologists, biochemists, geneticists, etc.
>have identified a number of mechanisms -- crossover, mutation, selection,
>etc. that in principle could account for the diversity of life we see
>today. As a Christian I don't believe the mechanisms are the whole story.
>Steve has rightly pointed out what is missing: the initiating and
>sustaining word of God. I think though that God's actions are not properly
>called mechanisms. Rather they are initiation and direction.
>
>
I agree with Bill here and would add that use of the word mechanism
in the context of how God works leaves me with a funny taste in my
mouth. This may be due to the metaphysical baggage attached to the
word, as I discussed previously. For example, Leibnitz accused Newton
of introducing occult practices into science because he could not
identify any mechanism for gravity. Leibnitz apparently had a different
theological view of mechanism than I.
Anyway, I didn't object to Steve on this point because I assumed
that the quoatation marks about mechanism was an indication that
the word was not being used with its usual meaning, i.e. that
"mechanism" was not to be taken as a physical mechanism. Thus,
I wrote "OK, fine, but it is not necessary for ID to appeal to God."
Perhaps I was reading too much into the " " as Steve put both
"Intelligent Design model" and "prebiotic evolution" in quotes
in his reply. But then he uses "mechanism" with "Intelligent Design
model" and mechanism with "prebiotic evolution", so I'm confused
again.
Brian Harper
Associate Professor
Applied Mechanics
Ohio State University
"Aw, Wilbur" -- Mr. Ed