Chaos & Complexity in the Evolution vs. Intelligent Design Debate

The 12/20/2005 ruling by Judge John E. Jones 3d in the Kitzmiller vs. Dover Area School District case may be a landmark one. In his far-reaching decision, Jones rules that:

The overwhelming evidence at the trial established that ID is a religious view, a mere re-labeling of creationism, and not a scientific theory.

More to the point about whether ID is really science:

... we find that, while ID arguments may be true, a proposition on which the court takes no position, ID is not science. We find that ID fails on three different levels, any one of which is sufficient to preclude a determination that ID is science. They are: (1) ID violates the centuries-old ground rules of science by invoking and permitting supernatural causation; (2) the argument of irreducible complexity, central to ID, employs the same flawed and illogical contrived dualism that doomed creation science in the 1980's; and (3) ID's negative attacks on evolution have been refuted by the scientific community

(Click here for the complete judicial ruling)

While Jones' ruling is a wonderful relief (which may only be temporary) from the problem of religion driving what can be taught, regardless of facts, I have been disappointed by the lack of explanations in the mainstream media about the contributions of chaos and complexity theory to our current understanding of evolution.

As Judge Jones clearly understood, the ID fight against evolution was based on a "contrived dualism" - i.e. one either believes in evolution, or believes that a Supreme Being

Click to read more ...

God

Originally Posted by Matt Venanzi

It never ceases to amaze me, even before "Chaos & Fractals," how random, yet logical, strange, yet sensible, intricate, yet explicable the world is. Could God just be watching us discover every little intricacy he has made about the world, like a proud parent, or an accomplished inventor, marveling at their "creation"? What, then, is still left to be discovered? And I mean that, not in that we have discovered it all, but in that we have barely touched the tip of the iceberg!

Is it laughable, then, that we think we are so far "advanced"?

But how could God, Him Herself, have done all of this?
It just seems like too much! Then again, is it all relative?
Do we have the capacity to fathom all that there is?
Is that "capacity" expanding ~ with each generation"? "Evolutionarily"?
Do some have more "capacity" than others?

This all seems so esoteric, yet comprehensible-----
I guess its just another one of those woes of God...
I'll keep trying...

Is God a Mathematician???

Originally Posted by Rachel Hensey

Answer: NO.

It is true that God created the universe which is perfect in every way. The universe is without a doubt mathematically correct. Many people would argue that because God is the creator and the universe is mathematically correct then God is a mathematician. However, the definition of a mathematician is someone who studies how things work. Since God is all knowing and already knows how everything works, there is no need for him to study. There is nothing for him to solve. Thus, God is above mathematics. He is NOT a mathematician.