WEstern Thought Wednesday: Same Old Schtick

So science is cool. I like my computer and my cellular telephone and the plane I shall soon fly to the west coast(not that I own a plane or anything). I like drinking clean water, not getting the measles and the glasses I wear to help me see things more than a foot away from my face. Science helps people in a real and quantifiable way. For example, a google search of 'new vaccine' turns up this and this. Intelligent design requires to believe in a supernatural superpower and removes all of our need for ambition. What is the point of asking a question when the answer is always the same? ID is a construct of those who would rather not know anything.

"What makes the Sun so hot, Daddy?" "Well, son, the intelligent designer." "Is that why babies keep coming out of Mommy?" "Well, yes, son, it is."

An intelligent design follower, and I use the word follower because it is a Christianic creationist, umm, creation, upon being diagnosed with small pox should, if this person's belief system were consistent, refuse these vaccines and insist that the intelligent designer would have made us resistant to these diseases if he/she/it wanted.

Let us for a moment appreciate the situation inherent in intelligent design. A being of unfathomable intelligence designed all of existence and everything and yada yada yada. Still with me? Good, cause I am about to get all weird on you. ID requires us to then believe that mosquitoes were designed as were bunnies, elephants, pandas, smallpox, chlamydia, ectopic(sp?) pregnancies, babies, genetic anomalies, penguins, polar bears, birch tree, flukes, tapeworms, etc. You may see where I am going with this. If there is an Intelligent Designer, it sure seems like he/she/it wants us to die and die horribly.

Anyway, I saw a bumper sticker on a Mercedes the other day that read: I sometimes brake for scientists. The irony, and this is a perfect example of irony as opposed to coincidence, of this statement hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought, "Here is a person who just doesn't get it."

But then you have people who say things like this. And I realized that there are levels to the whole "not getting it" thing.

First of all, Aristotle's Prime Mover could just as easily be a Big Bang, as I interpret it. I wish to readily admit for the clarity of my extremely small readership, consisting mostly of family members, that I have an incomplete grasp of Aristotle, but I have read some. His ethics are interesting even if fulsome disagrees. Don't take my word for it, however, go buy a book of Aristotle's and read it. He writes in accessible fashion and a primary source is better than Buchanan or even me.

Second, I am fairly certain that spontaneous generation is not a part of the Theory of Evolution.

Third, where is the 'Made By The Intelligent Designer' stamp on our asses? Prove it. Show me the evidence.

In conclusion, I shall simply say this: I hope you like it hot and steamy cuz, you got served, yo.

UPDATE: In the interests of my own sense of justice, here are some links to sites that support or clarify the Intelligent Design situation.

A publication.
The NY Times.
The Intelligent Design Network.
John Cashill seems to be a celebrated "independent"(their word) author among the creationists and ID people. Please note that his doctorate is in American Studies and not in evolutionary science or any other science.

PS: I guess you were right about me being angry and also about what I am angry. I stand by my prior statements made while slightly drunk on Friday night.