Deconstructing Dembski (II)

In which consider the first candidate for the "mark of the maker" -- if something has a low probability of happening, does that mean it happened by intelligent design? This lecture is meant to give you the tools you need to understand and appreciate the issues in Dembski's first chapter of his book "The Design Inference".

Category:

Education

Tags:

• randyhelzerman
• kolmogorov
• complexity
• chaitin
• intelligent
• design
• evolution
• creationism
• hairy
• math

[StormTrek]

re: Westminster Confession: Chapter 1

Reformed theology distinguishes between special and general revelation. "Design" arguments are derived from general revelation. In contrast, special revelation is just the content of the bible.

Calvinism says: our faith/salvation originates from a monergistic action of God, not our own reasoning.

Consequently, if a Calvinist says you can reason your way to God through design arguments he is forgetting his soteriology.

[randyhelzerman]

Hi StormTrek, after I get through Dembski's book, I want to do another series on Reformed theology, which I just find endlessly fascinating. The Westminster confession sounds so paradoxical here, but yet on closer inspection, it is 100% self consistent, because they acknowledge that there's no way you could derive Christianity from nature alone. I think its quite admirable that reformed theologins don't try to backpedal or sugar coat the inevitable conclusion: (cont)

[randyhelzerman]

(cont, to StormTrek) God reveals just enough of Himself in nature as to leave us without excuse and therefore justly damnable, but not enough of Himself for us to be able to find salvation. Ergo, the only ones who are saved are those whom God gives extra revalation and the extra cognative powers to recognize it. The rest... well..... they are most justly damned, because God revealed enough of himself as to leave them without excuse. Like I said, I'm not pillorying this position (cont)

[randyhelzerman]

(cont, to StormTrek) I actually admire that they are willing to draw out these conclusions and explicitly state them, which is more than can be said for most other branches of Christianity.

[MrJurekGG]

You said: OK or A'right - 64 times !

Fuuuuuuuck you ! ( only once).

[trondreitan]

Hi, sorry for the wait. (The deadline on my thesis is starting to loom.) Anyhow, thanks for the mention! I've recently got 5-6 new subscribers, which I think is thanks to you. Looking forward to the rest of the series! Just be warned; Series often require a lot more installments than first anticipated... :)

[StormTrek]

"I do think that reformed theology is the most consistent...[snipped]"

I think it will be interesting to see your criticisms. It isn't often that you see an atheist speak out on reformed theology.

[randyhelzerman]

Hi StormTrek, I do think that reformed theology is the most consistent with (1) the picture of a God which is omnipotent, and (2) salvation by faith alone and not any work of our own. For surely the act of believing something is itself a work, ergo, even the faith itself must be given to us by God in order for our salvation to be by faith alone. I haven't really heard any good answers as to why double predestination, lack of free will, etc isn't the inevitable conclusion.

[StormTrek]

A least, that's what I hear them saying (though never in those harsh words) sometimes.

But isn't that what they are saying? If we do have the ability to choose God then what makes the difference in one who chooses and another who doesn't.

I prefer Reformed theology's answer to that question.

[StormTrek]

"I actually admire that they are willing to draw out these conclusions and explicitly state them, which is more than can be said for most other branches of Christianity."

I'm not entirely sure what you meant by that comment, but other branches of Christianity don't draw the same conclusions.

The only bad thing they *might* say is that they are smarter (better, more good, etc) than you because they "reasoned" their way to God while you didn't (refused, were too dumb, etc.)

[StormTrek]

"What is Reformed Theology?" - R.C. Sproul

As long as you're going to do a series on Reformed thought I thought I'd recommend a short book on the subject (216 pages).

I don't know if you have heard of R.C. Sproul but he made this book an easy read. He's famous for that.