Matt+King+-+Entry+6+(Due+Oct.+14)

   Kenneth Miller’s article //Finding Darwin’s God// raises some extremely good arguments against intelligent design. Miller argues that the theory of evolution doesn’t destroy faith; on the contrary, ideas on evolution can strengthen our faith. When we come to understand that life itself is so fragile and requires ideal conditions and took millions of years to develop, we realize, as the author puts it, “ It is often said that a Darwinian universe is one whose randomness cannot be reconciled with meaning. I disagree. A world truly without meaning would be one in which a deity pulled the string of every human puppet, indeed of every material particle. Always in control, such a Creator would deny his creatures any real opportunity to know and worship him - authentic love requires freedom, not manipulation. Such freedom is best supplied by the open contingency of evolution” (Miller 1). In other words, the idea that life has come this far without direct intervention from a higher power makes it all the more beautiful. Miller also goes on to talk about the counter-arguments toward evolution provided by intelligent design proponents. “They claim that the existence of life, the appearance of new species, and, most especially, the origins of mankind have not and cannot be explained by evolution or any other natural process. By denying the self-sufficiency of nature, they look for God (or at least a "designer") in the deficiencies of science. The trouble is that science, given enough time, generally explains even the most baffling things…What we have not found and do not yet understand becomes their best - indeed their only - evidence for the divine. As a Christian, I find the flow of this logic particularly depressing. Not only does it teach us to fear the acquisition of knowledge (which might at any time disprove belief), but it suggests that God dwells only in the shadows of our understanding. I suggest that, if God is real, we should be able to find him somewhere else - in the bright light of human knowledge, spiritual and scientific. ” (Miller 3). The magic of life, in the opinion of the author, lies in our ability to take in knowledge from the world around us. When we try to give evidence for the existence of God in things which are not yet known, it can go to act as evidence against a higher power when we find scientific evidence for these mysteries.  Ultimately, Miller’s article provides proof that one can be an objective scientist, as well as a firm believer in their faith. He finds that the rarity and freedom of life does not make it meaningless or bleak, but rather special and all the more reason for some divine beliefs. In my opinion, the fact that God has given all life the right to a fair existence without intervention does not make God out to be a power that ignores life, but rather one who respects and values that life must go on unrestricted and appreciated. It is only with the knowledge that life is as fragile and unique as it is that we truly learn to appreciate that we are here.