Reddit reviews Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design
We found 7 Reddit comments about Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
That's a great question! I believe in Christianity for reasons including personal experience, the lack of cogent arguments against it (an area I commend anyone to avail themselves of the resources here and here on), the historicity of the Biblical documents (archeologically, especially those of the New Testament and the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Nazareth),
the remarkable ability of theism to best explain a wide range of the data in human experience, such as
the possibility of our having reliable cognitive faculties and their deliverances,
the beginning of the universe,
the existence of moral truths,
the contingency of the universe,
the "fine tuning" of the initial conditions of the universe for the development of intelligent life and our exorbitant means of observing the world around us,
the fact of widespread religious experience,
the implausibility of the purported development of conscious agents from inorganic matter,
the irreducibly of certain instantiations of biological complexity to any naturalistic incremental evolutionary mechanism,
the existence of regularity and a bias in nature towards simplicity and aesthetic features (which I am happy to elaborate on),
the possibility of change (the actualization of potentials and the nature of hierarchical causal series), and a great deal more that space does not permit me to detail).
I assume the evangelist in question interviewed leading evo-biologists for their views on the subject?
I gather that philosopher Stephen Meyer's Signature in the Cell is the most advanced case to come from the "intelligent design" crowd (it certainly has caught Thomas Nagel's attention), and I also gather that the evo-bio crowd thinks he just gets a lot of the science mistaken, perhaps subtly, perhaps glaringly. What I think is needed for this debate are proponents/opponents who specialize in both philosophy and biology, so as to sift the noise from the signals. Unfortunately, tons and tons of noise is being fed into the mainstream public debate. It's like people debating political philosophy with no one reading Rawls and Nozick; i.e., the pitiful state of political "dialogue" in mainstream America today. :-(
How about the Bible?
Signature in the Cell: DNA and the evidence for intelligent design
What would make you believe in God?
God or Atheism - Which is more rational?
If Good and Evil Exist, God Exists
In the first place, I don't need to demonstrate design of the hands of a deity, all I need to do is demonstrate that there is a rebuttable presumption of design, and at that point, there would be hard evidence for the notion that the existence of a designer is possible, which may or may not be a deity. Goodbye atheism, hello agnosticism. If the design hypothesis is not refuted, that is the only explanation we are left with, through a process of elimination. Once the design hypothesis is shown to be plausible, we can then go into scientific evidence extant for further confirmation that would exclude any other hypothesis (some of which is in the PDF; see Challenge 16), and once that is done, the identity of that designer. But first things first!!
Yes, it is easy to conclude the appearance of design, Richard Dawkins himself has done that, which is the entire point of my video. The whole idea of the "blind watchmaker" thesis is that biology is constantly providing the appearance of design, which of course leads to a design inference. This is a rebuttable presumption of course, and that is the point of Dawkins' book, that he is able to rebut the presumption. Unfortunately, he confines himself to one level of the argument, evolution, and even though he fails there, he barely attempts to address the origin of life problem, which is in fact the sole locus of the problem, if you accept the notion of the universal common ancestor.
There are even more peer-reviewed articles, and if you want them put together, check out the Meyers book:
http://www.amazon.com/Signature-Cell-Evidence-Intelligent-Design/dp/0061472794/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421927648&sr=8-1&keywords=signature+cell
Here is the bibliography from the book, you'll find lots of peer-reviewed articles there!!
https://www.scribd.com/doc/253395869/Signature-Bibliography
The problem with atheists is that they spend so much time reading the works of other atheists and only conversing with other atheists, that they don't spend the time they need to get the facts of the matter that have been developed in the last decade.
It's pretty much all around you. Whether or not you choose to except that or don't is up to you. If you like science and are not really biased to the point of willful ignorance, read some of these:
Etc...
The theory of evolution isn't the only "scientific" theory to explain the formation of human beings. The theory of evolution has "flaws" and does not explain everything satisfactorily. Some of these questions have remained unanswered by the theory of evolution since it was initially proposed by Darwin. The scientific community is just as dogmatic as the religious one with regards to the theory of evolution among other things. I would suggest checking the following material and similar material also from the scientific community.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0089LOM5G/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0
https://www.amazon.com/Heretic-Scientists-Journey-Darwin-Design/dp/1936599503/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=heretic&qid=1574584576&s=books&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.com/Darwins-Black-Box-Biochemical-Challenge/dp/0743290313/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3CKSTFGSKWOXW&keywords=darwins+black+box&qid=1574584922&sprefix=Darwins+black+bo%2Caps%2C291&sr=8-1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061472794/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=uslimkeptic-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0061472794&linkId=166be51886e107227843bc81a6f6cf02
Stephen C. Meyer, It's called Darwin's Doubt: The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design.
http://www.amazon.com/Darwins-Doubt-Explosive-Origin-Intelligent/dp/0062071475
From the reviews:
>“It’s hard for us paleontologists to admit that neo-Darwinian explanations for the Cambrian explosion have failed miserably....Meyer describes the dimensions of the problem with clarity and precision. His book is a game changer.” (Dr. Mark McMenamin, paleontologist at Mt. Holyoke College and coauthor of The Emergence of Animals)
>“Darwin’s Doubt represents an opportunity for bridge-building rather than dismissive polarization—bridges across cultural divides in great need of professional, respectful dialogue—and bridges to span evolutionary gaps.” (Dr. George Church, professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and author of Regenesis)
>“Meyer writes beautifully. He marshals complex information as well as any writer I’ve read....a wonderful, most compelling read.” (Dean Koontz, New York Times bestselling author)
>“Darwin’s Doubt is by far the most up-to-date, accurate, and comprehensive review of the evidence from all relevant scientific fields that I have encountered in more than forty years of studying the Cambrian explosion.” (Dr. Wolf-Ekkehard Lonnig, senior scientist emeritus (biologist) at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research)
>“Meyer demonstrates, based on cutting-edge molecular biology, why explaining the origin of animals is now not just a problem of missing fossils, but an even greater engineering problem at the molecular level....An excellent book and a must read.” (Dr. Russell Carlson, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Georgia and technical director of the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center)
>“Darwin’s Doubt is an intriguing exploration of one of the most remarkable periods in the evolutionary history of life.... No matter what convictions one holds about evolution, Darwinism, or intelligent design, Darwin’s Doubt is a book that should be read, engaged and discussed.” (Dr. Scott Turner, professor of biology at the State University of New York and author of The Tinkerer's Accomplice)
>“It is a tour de force…This book is well informed, carefully researched, up–to–date and powerfully argued. It confronts Darwin’s doubt and deals with the assumptions of Neo–Darwinism. This book is much needed and I recommend it to students of all levels, to professionals and to laypeople.” (Dr. Norman C. Nevin OBE, BSc, MD, FRCPath, FFPH, FRCPE, FRCP; Professor Emeritus in Medical Genetics, Queen's University, Belfast)
>“Darwin’s Doubt is another excellent book by Stephen Meyer. Stephen Meyer has clearly listened to the arguments of those who are sceptical about intelligent design and has addressed them thoroughly. It is really important that Darwinists read this book carefully and give a response.” (Dr. Stuart Burgess, Professor of Design and Nature, Head of Mechanical Engineering at Bristol University)
>“I spend my life reading science books. I’ve ready many hundreds of them over the years, and in my judgment Darwin’s Doubt is the best science book ever written. It is a magnificent work, a true masterpiece that will be read for hundreds of years.” (George GilderTechnologist, economist, and New York Times bestselling authorGeorge GilderTechnologist, economist, and New York Times bestselling authorGeorge GilderTechnologist, economist, and New York Times bestselling authorGeorge GilderTec)
>“The issue on the table is the mechanism of evolution—is it blind and undirected or is it under the control of an intelligence with a goal in mind? In Darwin’s Doubt, Stephen Meyer has masterfully laid out one of the most compelling lines of evidence for the latter.” (Dr. William S. Harris, Professor, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota)
>“Dr. Meyer has written a comprehensive and up–to–date analysis on the massive scientific evidence revealing the total failure of the neo–Darwinian explanation for life’s history. Darwin’s Doubt is important, clearly written with sound arguments, excellent illustrations and examples that make the topic easily understandable even for non–specialists” (Dr. Matti Leisola, Professor, Bioprocess Engineering, Aalto University, Finland (emeritus); Editor-in-chief, Bio-Complexity)
>“Meyer makes a case for intelligent design as the only viable scientific theory for the origin of biological novelty. Meyer’s challenge to naturalism will no doubt be strongly resisted by those committed to a materialist worldview, but provide food for refection for those who are searching for truth.” (Dr. Donald L. Ewert, Molecular Biologist, Associate Member (retired), Wistar Institute)
>“Stephen C. Meyer’s Darwin’s Doubt is a truly remarkable book. Within its 413 pages of text are four tightly woven interrelated arguments. Using 753 references, he presents evidence associated with the serious weaknesses of materialistic theories of biological evolution, and positive evidence for the theory of intelligent design.” (Dr. Mark C. Biedebach, Professor Emeritus, Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach)
>“A great book on the origin of animal life and crises of Darwin evolution; very clear, factual, comprehensive, logical, and informative. An enjoyable reading for both non–expert and expert.” (Dr. Change Tan, Molecular biologist/developmental biologist, Associate Professor, University of Missouri-Columbia)
>Steven Meyer gives an insightful and thoughtful treatment to the history of life. Justice Louis Brandies taught us that, ‘Sunlight is the best disinfectant,’ and Dr. Meyer lets the sun shine in. (Dr. Stephen A. BatzerP.E., forensic engineerDr. Stephen A. Batzer, P.E., forensic engineer)
>“Steve Meyer’s book is a much–anticipated bombshell that details the swarm of problems of Darwinian evolution and also presents the case for intelligent design. Ask yourself: how often does a book of this kind receive a warm welcome from leading geneticists and paleontologists? Never, until now! ” (Dr. Tom Woodward, Research Professor, Trinity College, Tampa Bay, Author of Darwin Strikes Back: Defending the Science of Intelligent Design)
>“Stephen Meyer’s new book, Darwin’s Doubt, is a fascinating and rigorous study demonstrating not only that biologists and paleontologists do not have an adequate explanation for the Cambrian Explosion, but that there is an alternative view that makes more sense.” (Dr. Richard Weikart, Professor of History at California State University, Stanislaus; Author of From Darwin to Hitler)
>“Meyer is a talented writer with an easygoing voice who has blended interesting history with clear explanations in what may come to be seen as a classic presentation of this most fundamental of all debates.” (Terry Scambray, New Oxford Review)
http://www.amazon.com/Signature-Cell-Evidence-Intelligent-Design/dp/0061472794/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415097955&sr=1-1&keywords=Signature+in+the+Cell%3A+DNA+and+the+Evidence+for+Intelligent+Design
From the reviews:
>“Signature in the Cell is a defining work in the discussion of life’s origins and the question of whether life is a product of unthinking matter or of an intelligent mind. For those who disagree with ID, the powerful case Meyer presents cannot be ignored in any honest debate. For those who may be sympathetic to ID, on the fence, or merely curious, this book is an engaging, eye-opening, and often eye-popping read” — American Spectator
>Named one of the top books of 2009 by the Times Literary Supplement (London), this controversial and compelling book from Dr. Stephen C. Meyer presents a convincing new case for intelligent design (ID), based on revolutionary discoveries in science and DNA. Along the way, Meyer argues that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution as expounded in The Origin of Species did not, in fact, refute ID. If you enjoyed Francis Collins’s The Language of God, you’ll find much to ponder—about evolution, DNA, and intelligent design—in Signature in the Cell.