Sunday, November 08, 2009
William Lane Craig defends the viability of Intelligent Design Theory in Biology
Christian philosopher, theologian and apologist William Lane Craig has participated in his first ever public debate on the topic of Intelligent Design Theory (cf. the official debate website here). Craig's noted debating partner was theistic evolutionist Francisco J. Ayala. The topic of debate was: Is Intelligent Design Viable?
You can watch Craig's opening speech on video @ http://winteryknight.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/video-of-william-lane-craigs-opening-speech-from-his-debate-on-id-with-ayala/
Listen to the full Ayala/Craig debate and Q&A time on MP3 Audio here
Craig (who endorses big bang cosmology and who says he is genuinely open to evidence for macro-evolution) stated that he is agnostic about the truth of a design inference from biology, but that he thinks such an inference is at least a viable hypothesis that should be given a place at the table, and that the attacks being made on the theory aren't sound.
Craig offers his view of how the debate went here
Interestingly, the debate and Q&A time was moderated by Bradley Monton, an atheist philosopher of science and the author of Seeking God in Science: An Atheist Defends Intelligent Design. In essence, Craig was arguing the same general thesis as Monton (although he is more positive than Monton about biology-based ID arguments), whilst being a theist rather than an atheist.
Monton has blogged on the debate here.
It's well worth reading Monton's book, and listening to his lecture defending ID:
Bradley Monton, 'An Atheist Philosopher Defends Intelligent Design - Lecture'
You can watch Craig's opening speech on video @ http://winteryknight.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/video-of-william-lane-craigs-opening-speech-from-his-debate-on-id-with-ayala/
Listen to the full Ayala/Craig debate and Q&A time on MP3 Audio here
Craig (who endorses big bang cosmology and who says he is genuinely open to evidence for macro-evolution) stated that he is agnostic about the truth of a design inference from biology, but that he thinks such an inference is at least a viable hypothesis that should be given a place at the table, and that the attacks being made on the theory aren't sound.
Craig offers his view of how the debate went here
Interestingly, the debate and Q&A time was moderated by Bradley Monton, an atheist philosopher of science and the author of Seeking God in Science: An Atheist Defends Intelligent Design. In essence, Craig was arguing the same general thesis as Monton (although he is more positive than Monton about biology-based ID arguments), whilst being a theist rather than an atheist.
Monton has blogged on the debate here.
It's well worth reading Monton's book, and listening to his lecture defending ID:
Bradley Monton, 'An Atheist Philosopher Defends Intelligent Design - Lecture'
