Evolution vs Intelligent Design (semi long with cliffs notes)

[black_russian]

I tried searching for a thread on this subject but could not find one. If there is one, please post a link to it.

A coworker and I got into this debate recently and he was telling me that evolution has been proven to be not possible because of the concept of entropy. He was basically saying the something as complex as life cannot occur naturally and science has agreed with this. And so some kind of intelligence must have designed life (GOD). He also thinks it is humorous that anyone would say that humans and apes have any kind of relationship. I had not heard of (or could not remember) the entropy argument and it has been a long time since I really got into a discussion on the subject. I told him that I believe in the scientific process and although not all details of evolution are known there is enough to conclude that life has evolved on earth. I use the analogy of a puzzle. If I opened a 10000 piece puzzle, took a couple handfuls of the pieces out and threw them away and gave the puzzle to someone to put together, they would find the pieces fit in with each other but some are missing. Religion seems to argue that since there are missing pieces, the puzzle does not exist or the pieces are not related since it does not paint a complete picture. What was funny to me is that he was questioning science and the scientific process and he is an engineer. The very things he is engineering all have their roots in science which seems hypocritical to me. I have a number of books on the subject and did some reading. It turns out that intelligent design is just a rehashing of creationism that occurred after the courts no longer permitted schools to teach creationism. And the reference to entropy as applied to life has been rejected by the scientific community. Intelligent design came from the Discovery institute which was tasked with creating an argument for intelligent design to promote a religious agenda.
I believe in Evolution mainly because I believe in science and I have a degree in Zoology where evolution was taught and studied. I also believe that people who believe in intelligent design either do not know the science behind evolution or don’t want to believe them and are basically brainwashed by the church. Sorry if this is too deep a subject for OOT but I wonder what OOT thinks about the subject? Does anyone out there believe in Intelligent Design? What are your arguments for or against?

I believe in evolution which uses science to describe how life has existed/evolved on earth. People who argue for intelligent design do not point to any observable facts or science and are brainwashed by religion. What do you think?

[Peter Harris]

[ QUOTE ]
"I refuse to prove I exist," says God, "for proof denies faith and without faith I am nothing."

"Aah," says Man, "but the babelfish is a dead giveaway. It proves you exist and so therefore you don't. QED."

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that" says God, and promptly disappears in a puff of logic.

"Well, that was easy!" says Man and for an encore proves that black is white and is later killed on a zebra crossing.

[/ QUOTE ]

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[Banks2334]

Try the SMP Forum, plenty of stuff on this in there.

[guids]

Your question is loaded. I believe 100% in science regarding evolution, and tracing humans and animals back to whatever crawled out of the ocean however many millions of years ago. Where I believe there is an intelligent designer is the fact that we dont know what the "1st thing" was, where did the origins for everything come from?

[Johnny Drama]

Wikipedia on Evolution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entropy_and_life

[vhawk01]

And even better, Talk Origins FAQ

[black_russian]

That argument works for me. Until there is any kind of information to prove otherwise this is what I belive myself. I believe in God just not the intelligent design argument.

[Osprey]

These old experiments produced Amino Acids from basic chemicals

Miller Experiments