MetaCatholic

Both Jim West and Claude Mariottini link to the same review of Expelled. Both seem persuaded by the fundamental fallacy of the film, that there is a politically correct liberal conspiracy at the heart of a politico-media-scientific America, which is pro-gay, pro-abortion and anti-God. They seem to think that when the reviewer says “Evolution is another one of those one-sided debates” where “Christian” voices are stifled, he does, in Jim’s words “have a point”.

Er no, guys, he doesn’t. People’s stands on abortion, gay rights and God (funny how those get so regularly lumped together) are about doing theology, philosophy and ethics. Evolution is about science. They may not (and should not) exist in separate intellectual boxes, but they are separate things. The problem with “Intelligent design”  (ID) is that it is (bad) theology masquerading as science.

At the heart of the scientific methodology is the idea of exploring and testing possible mechanistic explanations of observable physical reality in the light of all the available evidence. The most astonishing current example of this is the building of the large hadron collider just coming on line. Fundamentally, millions of pounds have been poured into this project so that experiments can be carried out to see if current physical theories are wrong. That is how science proceeds, and one can hardly call it arrogant, or see what on earth it has to do with some atheist gay agenda. By contrast, ID sets out to prove that there is no explanation, and then say “see, that means God exists”.

Poor theology and apologetics has had a long history of looking for things that can’t be explained as proof of God. Unfortunately, science has had an uncanny knack of coming up with explanations. The current poster-child of the ID movement seems to be the bacterial flagellum and its “irreducible complexity”. There is good reason to think that this fence too is falling to an evolutionary explanation. The “God of the gaps” is scientifically and theologically unsustainable. Buying into ID is to buy into a pseudo-science that is being continuously discredited.

There are legitimate questions to be raised about the practice of science. Is it limited by ideas of “acceptable” areas of research? (There’s no doubt that the makers of this film would like to so limit it.) Is it limited by the economics and politics of funding bids and providers? I would judge that it is. But so is every human endeavour likewise limited, and theology has been no exception, especially when it comes to acceptable areas of research.

Siding with people who defend God by bad arguments means that you are always in danger of seeing your faith fail when the bad arguments are exposed for the fallacies they are. ID and its friends pose very little danger to science. They are, however, a profound threat to sustainable and reasonable faith. I do not see liberalism as some big bad wolf out there waiting to devour little red riding believer. But for those who do, I strongly advise against getting into bed with a roaring lion. Your enemy’s enemy is not necessarily your friend.