Wednesday, May 24, 2006
4th Post on Lawrence M. Krauss
Larence M. Krauss complains about the Discovery Institute's "Wedge Stratergy" document, which is still available online @ www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/index.php?command=view&id=2101
'The "Wedge Stratergy" criticizes evolution as being scientifically suspect, but moves quickly to a deeper preconception: "The proposition that human beings are created in the image of God is one of the bedrock principles on which Western civilization was built. This cardinal idea came under wholseale attack, drawing on the discoveries of modern science." So, science is the villain." (p. 37.)
Two points. First, the statment quoted about a belief in the doctrine of creation (not 'creationism') being a cardinal principle of western civilization is in fact true. This is just a statement of fact. Secondly, Krauss fails to notice the words 'drawing on' in the second statement. According to the statement quoted, the villain of the piece is not science - as Krauss interprets it - but the denial of the doctrine of creation implied by the assumption that materialism is true. The villain of the piece is not science at all, but naturalism 'drawing on' the discoveries of modern science.
The trouble, as ID theists see it, is that many scholars assume the truth of naturalism and then define science in such a way that it ceases being a quest for truth impelled by empirical evidence and becomes narrow minded, applied materialist philosophy that cannot even consider the possibility that anything it studies could be the product of any type of intelligence (see previous post!).
'The "Wedge Stratergy" criticizes evolution as being scientifically suspect, but moves quickly to a deeper preconception: "The proposition that human beings are created in the image of God is one of the bedrock principles on which Western civilization was built. This cardinal idea came under wholseale attack, drawing on the discoveries of modern science." So, science is the villain." (p. 37.)
Two points. First, the statment quoted about a belief in the doctrine of creation (not 'creationism') being a cardinal principle of western civilization is in fact true. This is just a statement of fact. Secondly, Krauss fails to notice the words 'drawing on' in the second statement. According to the statement quoted, the villain of the piece is not science - as Krauss interprets it - but the denial of the doctrine of creation implied by the assumption that materialism is true. The villain of the piece is not science at all, but naturalism 'drawing on' the discoveries of modern science.
The trouble, as ID theists see it, is that many scholars assume the truth of naturalism and then define science in such a way that it ceases being a quest for truth impelled by empirical evidence and becomes narrow minded, applied materialist philosophy that cannot even consider the possibility that anything it studies could be the product of any type of intelligence (see previous post!).
