Monday, January 10, 2005

Intelligent Design and PBS Video Angst

In the continuing debate about Intelligent Design in schools, the latest brouhaha has arisen as a result of PBS pulling a video it was selling and had aired which described the science of ID.

When I get a chance, I will post some of Francis Beckwith’s thoughts on ID passing what is known as the Edwards test for teaching religion in public schools. In short Beckwith points out that though the Edwards ruling by the Supreme Court bans teaching a science which appeals directly to Genesis for its arguments, the science of ID can accurately be described in such a way that no such appeal is made. On a fundamental level, ID argues from analogy: we consider contingent items in this universe to have been designed by a mind (e.g. watches and automobiles), and the universe portrays the same characteristics, so it is reasonable to conclude that there is an intelligent designer behind the universe.

For some more info, head over to the ID Update blog.


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