BONUS: Cross-Examining Intelligent Design with Dr. Michael Behe

Many people -- including many religious people -- are quick to dismiss the position of intelligent design as nothing more than attempts to smuggle a pseudo-scientific creationism into the public school system. But is this characterization merited? What precisely is Intelligent Design, and, more specifically, what aspects of modern evolutionary theory does Intelligent Design attempt to challenge? Furthermore, what (if any) evidence is there to support these critiques, and what counter arguments have been made against them?

Attempting to sift through all the ideological and philosophical fog, Pat is joined by John DeRosa of the Classical Theism podcast to cross-examine Dr. Michael Behe, molecular biologist, and author of Darwin's Black Box, The Edge of Evolution, and Darwin Devolves. Made famous (perhaps, infamous?) for his proposal of "irreducible complexity" Pat and John press Dr. Behe with a series of objections -- some philosophic, others scientific -- to see how well his claims withstand scrutiny from experts who have seriously engaged the subject.

Mentioned Resources

You can read Dr. Behe's work and responses to critics at DarwinDevolves.com

Dr. Behe also gave a recent talk entitled "An empirical argument for Intelligent Design" at the conference of Science and Faith. He also had an exchange at Texas A&M with one of his critics, Dr. Joshua Swamidass. 

About Dr. Michael Behe

Michael J. Behe is Professor of Biological Sciences at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania and a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania in 1978. Behe’s current research involves delineation of design and natural selection in protein structures.

In his career he has authored over 40 technical papers and two books, Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution and The Edge of Evolution: The Search for the Limits of Darwinism, which argue that living system at the molecular level are best explained as being the result of deliberate intelligent design. The books have been reviewed by the New York Times, Nature, Philosophy of Science, Christianity Today, and many other periodicals. Darwin’s Black Box has sold over 250,000 copies and was internationally reviewed in over one hundred publications. Both National Review and World magazine named it as one of the 100 most important books of the 20th century.

Behe has presented and debated his work at major universities throughout North America and England.

Related Episodes

https://www.chroniclesofstrength.com/two-catholic-scientists-debate-intelligent-design/

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