December 18, 2002

AIG Analyzes ID

Stating some of the same criticisms NCSE has raised about Intelligent Design, Carl Wieland of the young-earth creationist organization Answers in Genesis (AiG), criticizes the ID movement for not having a “‘story of the past” – of lacking a coherent narrative of “what happened”, and focusing only on the mechanism (of natural selection.) As Wieland points out, “if the origins debate is not about a ‘story of the past’, what is it about?” The reason for the lack of a coherent position on “what happened” is “a necessity, because they do not agree within themselves on a story of the past.” NCSE also has pointed out that the ID movement is largely an antievolution movement that includes a “big tent” of young earth creationists, progressive creationists, and the occasional barely-tolerated theistic evolutionist. ("big tent" article)

As have John and Henry Morris of the Institute for Creation Research, Wieland also criticizes ID for being insufficiently Biblical. In particular, the problem of evil is exacerbated, in his view, by the idea of a Designed world that excludes the Fall as the source of sin and evil in the world. “Urged to deduce the existence of the Creator God from ‘design alone’, and thus leaving out the Fall and the real history of the world, thinkers concluded that any creator God must be cruel, wasteful, etc.”

For the complete article, go to AIG Article.