Sunday, February 05, 2006
In Search Of Truth
Over the past few weeks, I have been exposed directly to the elements in this fierce battle that is raging between intelligent design (ID) and the theory evolution in order to establsh truth. Because of a recent Richard Dawkins documentary, I have now discovered the ID movement and have been on a wonderful journey of (re)discovering science.
Here, I have noted some common misconceptions (both spoken and unspoken), which I stumbled upon in my readings and interactions with various people...
In the realm of evolution, the "meme", which Richard Dawkins defines as "words, ideas, faiths, mannerisms and fashions" that can be reproduced, transmitted, and disseminated, almost in epidemic fashion across cultures and between generation (presumably to ensure survival), is an intriguing concept which brings up a thought in me.
Does the formation of the theory of evolution itself constitute a meme? In my understanding, it does. In addition to using this concept as a tool against religion and its origins in general, evolution needs to play fair and apply this concept to itself. In doing so, it raises interesting questions in my mind: Why was the theory of evolution, a meme of sorts, created and propagated by groups of people?
Don't have conclusive answers yet. Perhaps it is to fulfil an intellectual need. Or perhaps it is to avoid needing to face the reality of a Creator God: to run away and hide; to live apart from Him; to be self-sufficient in our own wisdom and reasoning; and to avoid responsibility / accountability for personal sin. Maybe the ultimate reason is not intellectual, but rather moral and spiritual.
Sound familiar? Cause it is not that different from the SELFISH survival instinct (read: ME, ME, ME) of the first man in the Garden of Eden. In this respect, the human race has not evolved very far. As for this meme that is the theory of evolution, it will itself need to evolve to ensure survival, otherwise it may just have passed its time.
[Related post: Richard Dawkins' New Religion]
Here, I have noted some common misconceptions (both spoken and unspoken), which I stumbled upon in my readings and interactions with various people...
- Science is pure fact and religion is pure faith. I am not a scientist, but have studied sciences all my life, and to make that black and white separation is nonsensical. In debates, evolutionists often portray themselves as the purveyor of objective fact and religion as mythical faith. That is as far away from the truth as some may want it to be.
- Richard Dawkins wrote in The Devil's Chaplain, a recent collection of essays, "What matters is not the facts, but how you discover and think about them."
And here lies the difference in how one thinks about the facts: Atheists in the evolution science world may take the approach that "God does not exist until proven that he does, and therefore I can live my life without Him". This is their arbitrary starting point. Conversely, there is another starting point if we look at the glass half-full. We can take the approach that "God does exist until proven otherwise", and this can be done in conjunction with the facts of science, not against it.
Yes, what matters is not just the facts, but how you discover and think about them. Nicely worded, Mr. Dawkins - I like it. Too bad about the application of that principle.
- Evolution is the only "scientific way" to think about the natural world. In many ways, especially in developed nations, evolution-based thinking has absorbed itself into our way of seeing the world, so much so that it even operates below the line of conscious thought of an intelligent person. The theory of evolution often portrays itself as the only "fact-based" framework to interpret the data and see the world, whereas in reality, this is not the case.
- As I read more about the facts which the proponents of ID present, I find that ID more scientifically substantiates what I have intuitively discerned: that there are things of nature and there are things of man, but there seems to be a beautiful coherence in the interplay of physical, chemical and biological forces that is tied together by the intelligent expression of information (e.g. DNA). This raises "strong suspicions" that a Hand has architected the poetry of life and nature that we experience in motion around and within us.
I have only been introduced to ID, and my readings so far have not convinced me that it is anything less rigorous in terms of science. I reject the notion that just because one cannot measure the Creator (who is apart from His creation), therefore He is not relevant to the study of nature in science - a notion that evolution science implicitly adopts.
- Intelligent design is equal to biblical creationism. Again, untrue – as someone quoted, ID is a systematic evaluation of observed biological phenomena resulting in the logical conclusion that design is inherent in living systems. And it stands apart from biblical creationism as a non-religious approach to origins. ID does not align itself to any scriptures or holy books. So, let's not make it a religion vs. science debate. Rather, let's look at the merits and worthiness of ID within a scientific framework - one that is open to the possibility of nature being designed by an intelligent agent.
At the very least, the so-called 'debates' will drive more attention to substantiating the claims of evolution based on evidence (and not conjecture) esp. macro-evolutionary type claims. At the same time, the scientific community who have the "evolution turf" to defend, have to move beyond their misconceptions, and give ID a fair hearing instead of the mud slinging clichés that debates often deteriorate into (e.g. ID being a religious idea based on faith, a conspiracy agenda to get religion back into schools, etc).
What are evolution scientists so afraid of? Losing their reputations? Losing face? Losing their jobs? Perhaps all these are at stake, but I suspect that most have a noble desire towards the pursuit of truth, so these hurdles need to be overcome. I personally have been awakened in my interest in exploring some of these avenues towards truth.
In the realm of evolution, the "meme", which Richard Dawkins defines as "words, ideas, faiths, mannerisms and fashions" that can be reproduced, transmitted, and disseminated, almost in epidemic fashion across cultures and between generation (presumably to ensure survival), is an intriguing concept which brings up a thought in me.
Does the formation of the theory of evolution itself constitute a meme? In my understanding, it does. In addition to using this concept as a tool against religion and its origins in general, evolution needs to play fair and apply this concept to itself. In doing so, it raises interesting questions in my mind: Why was the theory of evolution, a meme of sorts, created and propagated by groups of people?
Don't have conclusive answers yet. Perhaps it is to fulfil an intellectual need. Or perhaps it is to avoid needing to face the reality of a Creator God: to run away and hide; to live apart from Him; to be self-sufficient in our own wisdom and reasoning; and to avoid responsibility / accountability for personal sin. Maybe the ultimate reason is not intellectual, but rather moral and spiritual.
Sound familiar? Cause it is not that different from the SELFISH survival instinct (read: ME, ME, ME) of the first man in the Garden of Eden. In this respect, the human race has not evolved very far. As for this meme that is the theory of evolution, it will itself need to evolve to ensure survival, otherwise it may just have passed its time.
[Related post: Richard Dawkins' New Religion]
Labels: Current Affairs, Other Religions, Philosophies, Truth
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Looks like there is another article on the Guardian about this:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,,1714169,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,,1714169,00.html
# posted by 
: February 21, 2006 4:43 p.m.
: February 21, 2006 4:43 p.m.Post a Comment
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