Wednesday, November 17, 2010

"The big war is not between evolution and creationism, but between naturalism and supernaturalism"

According to Richard Dawkins, "The big war is not between evolution and creationism, but between naturalism and supernaturalism."

http://richarddawkins.net/articles/228

This admission is revealing for two reasons:

i) For years on end, Phillip Johnson has been telling us that the debate between naturalistic evolution and intelligent design is ultimately presuppositional rather than evidentiary. The naturalistic evolutionary biologist has a precommitment to naturalism or materialism. I've read critics of Johnson say he's evading the empirical evidence, but Dawkins is confirming Johnson's diagnosis.

ii) Atheists often try to place the burden of proof on the Christian. But as Dawkins' candid admission implies, these are symmetrical claims. In this "war," both sides are staking out metaphysical ground on the nature of the world.

4 comments:

  1. I appreciate Dawkins' vindication of Phil Johnson's prior observations.

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  2. And has Michael Polanyi has observed, 'Science can never be more than a mere assertion about a certain set of beliefs'.

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  3. Answers in Genesis has been saying this debate is presuppositional as long as they've been around - and putting the evidential in a rightful place. Phil is in good company.

    At least it appears as though Dawkins is honestly portraying his beliefs instead of intentionally trying to deceive people. It makes it easier to approach the truth with him.

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