Re: The science of intelligent design [Letter, Village News, 3/31/2011]

I see that another writer has decided to champion Michael Behe’s discredited work. The purpose of my first letter was to inform people that Behe is not credible, and I suggested that they look it up on the Internet. I could have been more specific.

Dismantling of Behe’s (and other’s) arguments for intelligent design can be found at

http://www.talkorigins.org. This website also has transcripts of the Dover trial, in which Behe served as a witness for the defense, and at which intelligent design was ruled to be just another form of creationism.

That intelligent design is just repackaged creationism has been thoroughly described in “Creationism’s Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design” by Barbara Forrest. Book length refutations of intelligent design can be found in “Only a Theory: Evolution and the Battle for America’s Soul” by Kenneth R. Miller and “Why Evolution Is True” by Jerry A. Coyne. People would be much better informed reading these books, rather than Behe’s.

The Dover shenanigans were the subject of a “Nova” episode: “Judgment Day-Intelligent Design on Trial” (available on DVD). At the trial, Behe admitted that intelligent design did not meet the current accepted notion of a scientific theory, and that if the definition of what constitutes a scientific theory were expanded to include intelligent design, astrology would be included as well.

Finally, if Mr. Willis really believes that evolution is “religion parading as science,” he should try suing school districts for teaching religion in the classroom. That would be amusing.

Darren E. Casteel, Ph.D.