Jonah: As I understand Intelligent Design theory, it rests on the idea that

there are phenomena, especially in biological evolution, that can only be

explained by the intercession of a directing intelligence. Behe’s

“irreducible complexity,” for instance, says: “You can’t get from HERE to

HERE (in the evolution of an organism) by any conceivable natural process,

because the intermediate steps make no functional sense.”

Whatever the merits of this kind of argument, it does not necessarily imply

**supernatural** intervention. We might, for example, be sharing the

universe with creatures who are as far advanced from our biological state as

we are from the amoeba. Nothing that we know about the universe makes this

impossible, or even unlikely. (Earth formed about 4.6 bn years ago, and

amoeba-equivalents around 1bn years ago. A planet that formed a billion

years earlier than ours — this is not improbable, in a universe 13 bn years

old — and on which biology proceeded at the same pace, would fit the bill.)

If these super-creatures were diddling about with our evolution for their

own unfathomable purposes, that would be Intelligent Design; but it would be

entirely within the scope of the natural world. Of course, that would leave

hanging the question of how THEY got evolved… but properly scientific

investigation of that point would have to wait until we had access to their

biology.

It is therefore possible that some un-religious scientist might become

convinced, on scientific evidence, of the existence of Intelligent Design,

while remaining perfectly open minded about any of the truths of religion.

When that scientist shows up, I shall beging to take Intelligent Design

seriously.