It might surprise you to learn that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection did not triumph on purely scientific grounds. There are other reasons beyond empirical science that gave it broad acceptance and enduring popularity. On today's ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid unpacks those reasons as he begins a conversation with professor emeritus and author Neil Thomas about his new book False Messiah: Darwinism As the God That Failed. Over two episodes, Thomas discusses the conceptual flaws and historical roots of the theory, the responses of major early dissenters of the theory, and how modern science is undermining the Enlightenment worldview upon which Darwinism relies. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Look for Part 2 in a separate episode. Read More ›
Does God exist…or not? It’s a simple, compelling question. What can science tell us that would help us get an answer? For the last 150 years, many have assumed science has ejected God from the picture, a quaint relic of a less enlightened past. But what if that view has become a relic itself? Scientific discoveries of the last hundred years suggest there is bountiful evidence of intelligent design in nature, from the simplest living cells to distant galaxies.
On today's ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid begins a conversation with computer engineer and businessman Michel-Yves Bolloré, who is co-author with Olivier Bonnassies of the book God: The Science, The Evidence.
In Part 1, Michel explains how this materialistic worldview developed and how it gave the illusion of challenging the foundations of belief in God. Michel also discusses the difference between evidence and proof, and discusses how his book builds a strong case for theistic belief by presenting numerous, converging, and independent lines of evidence.
This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Read More ›
Do we have to choose between science and God? Absolutely not, says philosopher of science Dr. Stephen Meyer. In fact, theistic ideas about nature actually inspired the rise of modern science. On today’s ID the Future from the archive, Return of the God Hypothesis author Stephen Meyer and radio host Michael Medved discuss the arguments presented in a series of short videos featuring Dr. Meyer that explore the increasingly strong scientific case for intelligent design and for the idea that the universe is the product of a transcendent mind. Read More ›
IDTF 1992 Stephen Meyer Did Belief in God Make Modern Science Possible Post Graphic
On this ID The Future, philosopher of science Dr. Stephen Meyer sits down with Praxis Circle’s Doug Monroe to offer insights into the intersection of science, philosophy, and religion. In this section of a multi-part interview, Dr. Meyer begins by discussing the nature of information. He explains the difference between mathematical information, or Shannon information, and specified information, a more meaningful type of information that conveys the quality of the content, not just the quantity of it. Dr. Meyer then turns to the theistic assumptions that fueled the scientific revolution. Why did modern science begin where and when it did? What was the spark that ignited that famous flowering of human scientific thought? Dr. Meyer has answers. Read More ›
In his book Darwin’s Black Box, biochemist Michael Behe writes that in order to understand the barriers to evolution, we have to “bite the bullet of complexity.” On this episode of ID The Future, Dr. Jonathan McLatchie is back to help us do just that! In the latest installment of an ongoing series, Dr. McLatchie talks with host Andrew McDiarmid about the remarkable properties of carbon and other non-metal atoms. Read More ›
peacock feather close up. Peafowl feather background. Mor pankh. Beautiful feather.
At its core, intelligent design is the science of detecting design. It's a broadly accepted method used by scientists of all stripes in a variety of scientific disciplines. But when design hypotheses are applied to biology, cosmology, or physics, some claim it's no longer a scientific pursuit. On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid talks to philosopher and author Peter S. Williams about his recent book An Informed Cosmos: Essays on Intelligent Design Theory. Read More ›
London, England - December 4, 2019: Statue of Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist and biologist in Natural History Museum. London, United Kingdom.
On this ID the Future from the vault, Taking Leave of Darwin author Neil Thomas and host Jonathan Witt continue their conversation about Thomas’s journey from Darwinian materialism to theistic humanism and a thorough skepticism of Darwinian theory. Hear Thomas draw a link between Darwin's theory and the animistic thinking of pagan thought stretching back to the ancient Greeks. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Read More ›
Can one person push back against the strong currents of atheism, materialism, and naturalism so evident in academia and the public square today? On this ID the Future from the vault, philosopher of science Dr. Stephen Meyer begins a three-part conversation with Oxford University mathematician and philosopher Dr. John Lennox about his recent documentary film Against the Tide: Finding God in an Age of Science. Lennox shows that one person can indeed push back when armed with knowledge, wisdom, and respect. This is Part 1 of a three-part conversation. Look for Parts 2 and 3 the next two Fridays! Read More ›
Influenced by a long line of materialist thinkers, Charles Darwin proposed the mechanism of natural selection as a substitute for God. But how does his theory’s explanatory power measure up to recent scientific discoveries? On this ID The Future, physicist Brian Miller discusses the resurgence of natural theology in modern science with Pat Flynn, co-host of the Philosophy for the People podcast. Natural theology advances arguments for God based on reason and the discoveries of science. It’s an ancient pursuit that fell out of favor in the 19th century as a materialist account of life’s origins took center stage. But scientific findings of the last century point to mind, not a mindless process, as the likeliest explanation for a life-friendly universe. As a result, the pendulum is swinging back to teleology, ushering in a new heyday for natural theology.
In addition to giving an historical overview of natural theology, Dr. Miller and Flynn also discuss fundamental problems in origin of life studies that demand a better explanation than materialists can offer. Miller speaks plainly about the problem: “Here’s the fundamental challenge,” he says. “All natural processes tend to create greater disorder (entropy)…The origin of life requires chemicals to go into a state of both high order and high energy. That never happens without help!”
This is Part 1 of a 2-part discussion.
With thanks to Pat Flynn and the Philosophy for the People podcast for permission to share this interview. Read More ›
On this ID The Future, Liberty McArtor, host of the Know Why Podcast, interviews Jonathan Witt on the compatibility of science and faith, both past and present. Witt is Executive Editor at Discovery Institute Press, as well as a Senior Fellow and Senior Project Manager with Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture. His latest book, co-written with Finnish bio-engineer Matti Leisola, is Heretic: One Scientist's Journey from Darwin to Design. In his conversation with McArtor, Witt describes the unique time and place that helped inspire the rise of modern science. "They had the Judeo-Christian worldview," Witt notes, "and that fired the imaginations and ordered the reasoning of those that gave birth to the scientific revolution." Witt also reviews some of the abundant scientific discoveries of the last century that are causing even committed materialists to question or reject the neo-Darwinian explanation. The all-too-common assertion that science and faith are at odds with one another is outdated. Listen in to understand just a few of the reasons why! With thanks to Liberty McArtor and the Know Why Podcast for permission to cross-post this interview. Read More ›