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What's atheist and philosopher of science Bradley Monton's motive for supporting Intelligent Design?

Is his motive just another religious attempt to wedge Young Earth Creationism into our school classrooms, or might there be a motive for the benefit of science itself? I'm still puzzled as to why an atheist would support the Intelligent Design enterprise. Why?

http://www.uncommondescent.com/intelligent-design/...

http://www.amazon.com/Seeking-God-Science-Atheist-...

http://www.evolutionnews.org/2009/08/tom_gilson_re...

Update:

@Transitional Species, even us Christians agree with that quote. If he doesn't support it, then why did he title his latest book 'Seeking God in Science: An Atheist Defends Intelligent Design'?

Update 2:

I don't blame skeptics for lumping Young Earth Creationism with Intelligent Design since ID doesn't take a strong enough stand against YEC. However, it needs to be stated that ID doesn't argue for any particular designer. Hey, it could be aliens! ;-)

Update 3:

@Transitional Species, its true that in the end of his book he remains unconvinced. However, Dr. Monton still supports Intelligent Design as a potential scientific hypothesis. It's pretty interesting to note that while he remains unconvinced by the ID arguments, he admits that some of them makes him doubt his atheism.

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    The way to refute intelligent design is not by declaring it unscientific, but by showing that the empirical evidence for design is not there.

    - Bradley Monton

    Doesn't sound much like to support to me.

    EDIT

    Have you read the book or just the title? Monton doesn't believe ID is true, just that it deserves to be tested as a scientific hypothesis and not disregarded out of hand as unscientific. Monton however is a philosopher and not a scientist. Personally I think it should be treated as mumbo jumbo and nothing more.

  • 1 decade ago

    I think you would have to read his book to understand.

    It is hard to argue that there is NO design in nature, intelligent or not.

    BTW: calling an atheist a Young earth Creationist may be a misnomer. This is an Appeal to Ridicule logical fallacy.

  • 1 decade ago

    Never heard of him. Maybe that's why he's doing it: He can't get noted for the quality of his work so he adopts a shock value stand.

    It's been known to happen.

  • 1 decade ago

    Too much Sitchin.

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    He believes in aliens.

  • 1 decade ago

    Damned if I know. As there isn't evidence of magical sky fairies, ID really isn't on a sound basis...

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Is he trying to flog a book to American Christians?

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