Science Vs Religion.

Publication of Steve Fuller’s Dissent over Descent has been delayed until Spring 2008. However, in the meanwhile, he has just published another book relating to ID, Science vs Religion? Intelligent Design and the Problem of Evolution (Polity). You can peek inside the book by going to the Amazon website.

Fuller will be speaking at the Leeds University conference, ‘Darwinism after Darwin’, on 3-5 September. This includes an appearance on a panel discussing Richard Weikart’s controversial From Darwin to Hitler (Palgrave), with Weikart as respondent. For more information about this conference, which is open to the public, see the website: http://www.darwinismafterdarwin.com/

Darwin or Design.

Jason Rennie, the young Australian producer of the on-line ‘thesciphishow’, has released ‘Darwin or Design’, 9.5 hours of interviews with various people on either side of this controversy.

The links to these interviews are here.


An overview of Evolution
Chapter 1 : PZ Myers, An overview of Evolution and ID 15:48
Chapter 2 : Sean Carroll, What is Evo Devo ? 20:17
Chapter 3 : Nick Matzke, Can the Flagella Evolve ? 29:27

Design in the ID advocates own words
Chapter 4 : Salvador Cordova, What is ID ? 20:20
Chapter 5 : Mike Behe, What is Irreducible Complexity ? 17:51
Chapter 6 : Angus Menuge, Agency and how to identify it 18:28
Chapter 7 : Guillermo Gonzalez, The Privileged Planet 17:26
Chapter 8 : Joey Campana, Does ID research actually exist ? 26:17
Chapter 9 : James Shapiro, Sentient Cells ? 33:50
Chapter 10 : Mike Gene, What is Front Loading ? 23:37

ID's critics
Chapter 11 : Elliot Sober, ID and the Philosophy of Science 10:46
Chapter 12 : Scott Turner, The problem of Design 24:02
Chapter 13 : Glenn Morton, Can ID work in Biology ? 15:19
Chapter 14 : Ryan Nichols, Are ID and Theology Inseperable ? 14:28
Chapter 15 : Georgia Purdon, Isn't ID just Creationism in Disguise ? 21:44

ID, The Philosophy of Science, History and The Law
Chapter 16 : David Livingstone, Evolution and Christianity, The History 32:37
Chapter 17 : Del Ratzsch, Can ID be Science ? 25:38
Chapter 18 : Massimo Pigliucci, Evolutionary Epistemology and ID 28:34
Chapter 19 : Henry Schaefer, Science and Religion 14:40
Chapter 20 : Donald McConnell, Intelligent Design, Creationism and The Law 34:42
Chapter 21 : Steve Fuller, ID & Social Epistemology 19:11

ID in the Wild
Chapter 22 : John Davison, The Price of Dissent 35:26
Chapter 23 : Denyse O'Leary, ID & The Media 22:51
Chapter 24 : Geoff Simmons, Darwinism, ID & Medicine 27:40
Chapter 25 : Rob Sawyer, Calculating God 25:27

Expelled!

A trailer for this film due to be released on Darwins birthday (February 12th next year) is now available here.

Press release is here.

It looks interesting!

Separation of Science and Religion

The separation of the religious and the scientific means in the end the separation of the religious and the true; and this means that religion dies among true men.

(James Denney - Studies in Theology 1894)

Teaching Intelligent Design is the perfect recipe for mass producing suicide bombers!

This is apparently what Harry Kroto (an otherwise intelligent fellow) seriously believes!

The Education Guardian included this extract from Sir Harry Kroto’s (Francis Eppes professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at Florida State University) “Can the Prizes Still Glitter? The Future of British Universities in a Changing World” published by Agora.

Do I think there is any hope for UK? I am really not sure. It is beyond belief that in the 21st century, our prime minister and the Department for Education and Skills are diverting taxpayers' money to faith-based groups intent on propagating culturally divisive dogma that is antagonistic to the secular, enlightened philosophy that created the modern world.

It is a scandal that the present system is enabling a car salesman to divert significant government funds to propagate dogma such as "intelligent design" in our schools. State funds are also being used to support some schools that abuse impressionable young people by brainwashing them into believing that non-believers will burn for all eternity in the fires of hell. This policy is a perfect recipe for the creation of the next generation of homegrown and state-educated suicide bombers.

I think there is every likelihood that the lack of scientifically educated and aware young people in the UK will result in ever poorer performance on a global scale, and a takeover by the next generation of young Chinese and Indians, ravenous for the scientific knowledge that will free them from the shackles of present poverty levels. They are being actively encouraged by their governments, who understand that the future lies in a scientific education based on doubt and questioning, rather than on belief.

It is truly disturbing that a well-funded cohort of religious groups - aided, abetted and condoned by the Labour government - is undermining our science education. If they achieve any more success in their subversion of the intrinsic secular safeguards embodied in our democratic institutions and our educational system, there can be no doubt there is major trouble ahead. So my final message is: "Do Panic!"

Harry Kroto is a brilliant scientist. However as an example of what he describes as “the enquiring mindset” he leaves a great deal to be desired with regards to the influence of his own materialist mindset on his convictions about those who disagree with his philosophy.

It is scarcely credible that a well educated scientist feels that he can write such patently ridiculous, offensive, ill informed, vitriolic gibberish.

If he feels as strongly about this as he appears to from this extract then at the very least he ought to get his facts straight! Being passionate about something is one thing. Being passionate about and publishing your passionate rhetoric without checking your facts is the quickest way to make yourself and your cause appear ridiculous.

1. What evidence is there that a traditional Christian education produces a higher proportion of suicide bombers than an atheistic, materialistic, relativistic one or any other sort of education? Presumably Kroto lumps all religious education together as being equally destructive. If you are religious then you are a secret member of the Taleban. So much for a carefully nuanced and a meticulously researched piece of prose!
2. What evidence does he have that a particular car salesman is in favour of teaching any intelligent design or creationism in science lessons let alone that he is diverting government funds for this purpose?
3. What right has he got to claim all the improvements in the modern world as the natural children of “secular, enlightened philosophy” (which presumably means materialism)?
4. What evidence does he have that there is “brainwashing” taking place in any UK state school?
5. Since when did the UK become a secular materialist state?

I share Prof Kroto’s concern for improved science education at the university level in the UK. However I do not think that insisting upon an ideological commitment to materialism like the bad old days of the USSR is the way to catch up with the US where there is considerably more creationism and intelligent design than in the UK.