ID the Future Intelligent Design, Evolution, and Science Podcast
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Eric Hedin

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Eric Hedin on Suffering in a Designed World

Is natural evil an argument against intelligent design? And is human evil more consistent with naturalism or theism? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid speaks with Dr. Eric Hedin about his recent article "Thoughts of Evil in a Designed World." First, Dr. Hedin discusses the problem of natural evils like earthquakes, hurricanes, droughts, and other natural disasters. He reports that in the last century, the human death toll from such tragedies has dropped as we have learned to mitigate the effects of these natural forces in our lives. Hedin also discusses the impact of sickness on our bodies. "Any complex system can break down," Hedin reminds us, "because we do live in a world where the second law of thermodynamics applies not just to stars and mountainsides and physical systems but also to our own bodies." But suffering, tragic as it can be for all of us to endure, is not inconsistent with design. Then there's the other major cause of suffering in life: human evil. If humans are products of an evolutionary process, we'd expect human evil to more or less match what we see in the animal world. But as recent attacks on the people of Israel starkly demonstrate, that is not the case. We are capable of much worse, as well as much better. Dr. Hedin explains that humans have the gift of rational override, something determinists tend to forget. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Read More ›
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Emily Reeves Previews Dallas Science/Faith Conference 2022

On this ID the Future, host Andrew McDiarmid sits down with Emily Reeves, one of the speakers for the January 22, 2022, Dallas Science and Faith Conference. The two walk through the lineup of speakers for the conference (Stephen Meyer, Brian Miller, Casey Luskin, Ray Bohlin, and others), tease some of the talks, and discuss how to join the one-day event live, either in person in the Dallas area or online. For more about the conference, slated for this Saturday, and to sign up, go here.

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Ball State University Class Teaches that “Science Must Destroy Religion”

On this episode of ID the Future, attorney Joshua Youngkin, Discovery Institute Program Officer in Public Policy and Legal Affairs, gives some background on Ball State University’s violation of academic freedom — an issue that has escalated with BSU President Jo Ann Gora’s recent edict forbidding all faculty from expressing support for intelligent design in the classroom. Youngkin reveal’s BSU’s targeted application of speech restrictions, discussing how BSU allows faculty to teach that “Science Must Destroy Religion,” and calls for BSU lift its ban on discussions of intelligent design. If you support academic freedom on intelligent design, please contact Ball State University’s Board of Trustees right away and ask them to overturn President Gora’s ban on faculty discussions of intelligent design. Take action now.

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The Michael Medved Show Weekly Science & Culture Update: Stephen Meyer on Ball State University, Intelligent Design & Academic Freedom

On this episode of ID the Future, Dr. Stephen C. Meyer explains the latest developments in the academic freedom case with professor Eric Hedin at Ball State University. The president of Ball State University has issued a gag order on teachers, prohibiting them from discussing intelligent design in their classrooms. Dr. Meyer explains how intelligent design falls under the same scientific category as Darwin’s own theory of evolution: inference to the best explanation.

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The Michael Medved Show Weekly Science & Culture Update: Featuring Jay Richards on Academic Freedom

On this episode of ID the Future, Dr. Jay Richards appears on the Michael Medved Show to discuss the meaning of academic freedom and the importance of teaching both sides of debated issues. Listen in as Richards and Medved look at intimidation in academia and the current efforts to censor Professor Eric Hedin at Ball State University.

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The Michael Medved Show Weekly Science & Culture Update: Featuring Casey Luskin

On this episode of ID the Future, the CSC’s Casey Luskin and atheist Dan Barker of the Freedom From Religion Foundation debate academic freedom and free speech on the Medved Show. This debate was inspired by the ongoing case of Professor Eric Hedin, a physicist at Ball State University who is being threatened by the Freedom From Religion Foundation for favorably portraying intelligent design in the classroom.