Nov

17

Intelligent Design Made Mankind?

November 17, 2005 |

Intelligent Design Made Mankind? by Marshall Brain

When I was in Yeshiva, one of the arguments put forth to support the believe in the existence of God was the very watchmaker parable that Marshall Brain discusses. I always thought it sounded a bit sketchy, but I couldn’t articulate my objections nearly as well as Marshall does.

Now, I personally hope that there is a Creator. I personally hope that a personal God exists and that there is some guiding force to our existence or at the very least some purpose. But it disturbs me greatly when people attempt, through logic and reason, to “prove” the existence of a Creator. Because, at the end of the day, there is NO fact-based evidence to support the belief in God. There may be experiential, anecdotal, circumstantial, intensional, subjective evidence to reassure those who do believe. But anyone who insists that God is a fact is deluding themselves.

We believe in God and thus God exists for us. But God is an abstract noun of the highest order. No singular definition exists to accurately describe the phenomenon that the verbal symbol G-O-D describes. None can, because no extensional definition is possible for something that has no objective properties. Everyone’s definition of God is different which makes every definition simultaneously completely accurate and completely inaccurate. Those who attempt to prove that their definition of God is the singular factual or, incredibly, scientific definition are delusional.

I hope for God. And my hope provides me comfort. But knowing that my hope is merely a manifestation of personal desire for comfort provides me satisfaction. That knowledge allows me the flexibility to learn and redefine as new facts are revealed to me and as I grow older and, hopefully, wiser.

As I’m writing this, my wife, the philosopher, points out a very sound counter-argument to the philosophical question, “Why would an intelligent Creator, create an imperfect being?” The answer, she says, and I’m tempted to agree, is very Jewish. She asks, “If we were born perfect, what would be the point of our existence? Is not striving for perfection the entire foundation of Jewish thought? If our starting point was our end point - i.e., there is no destination, no process of growth or self-improvement, why have a universe at all? Why did God create us with flaws? For one thing, toilet paper manufacturers and dentists would be unemployed!” To the list, I would add philosophers, scientists, doctors, pharmacists, opticians, perfumers, cosmeticians and beauticians, barbers, cosmetic surgeons, research biologists, theologians, x-ray technicians, nurses…

Share This


Comments

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Speak your mind

Close
E-mail It