Intelligent design ... science or theology?

I saw a show on ABC last night about this thing called "intelligent design" where there are these 'scientists' that say that there are some things in nature, like complex microbes an such, that are so amazingly complex that there's no way natural selection and Darwin's theories can explain them. Their reasoning then goes that if natural selection cant explain them then it must be the work of God.
Thing is that some people want to make this theory (which is all it is) an integral part of science studies in schools. Even gwb has expressed interest Surprise surprise! As has Australia's minister for education! Whoops!
Its an interesting debate atm. wikipedia.com has a very comprehensive entry regarding intelligent design if u feel like having a look.
Its seems to me like an attempt by fundamentalist Christians to regain the clout they used to have during the middle ages.

What do you think?

Gah. For centuries we have been filling the gaps in scientific knowledge with the concept of "god".

At one point no one could understand how the sun rose, so a "sun god" made it rise. Now we know about gravity, centripetal forces, etc...

We didn't understand how crops grew. So we made sacrifice to various gods to make them grow. Now we know about photosynthesis, nutrient osmosis, etc...

We couldn't understand mental illness or brain damage. So we drilled holes in people's skulls to release the evil spirits. Now we know about brain tumours, schizophrenia, etc...

And now. Well now we understand a lot of what goes on in the world. But we still can't conclusively prove how we got here. So it must have been god. Or intelligent design. These so-called scientists are putting forward a "theory" that is so riddled with holes it's ridiculous. Saying "it must have been a god" is not a theory. Sure evolution is not perfect, but we can back it up with a good couple of hundred thousand pages of evidence, and many, many supporting archaeological finds.

The "evidence" for intelligent design is merely the gaps in the evidence for evolution.

Give me good, hard scientific evidence for the existence of an over-seeing diety, and I'll accept that it should be taught in schools. Otherwise, keep it in church.

By the way, the evidence is not a 2000 year old book (though it's not 2000 years old, it was written a while after the actual events). And pointing at stuff and saying "it's so wonderful, it can't have been by accident" just doesn't cut the mustard. Exidence is tangible, i can touch it, examine it, carbon date it.

Its laughably interesting really. Its a bit like a comedy show but interesting none the less.

I agree though. I need things that I can see to explain stuff otherwise I'm just not convinced

I'm with you Stumblin....

I think that if you give nature and evolution the right conditions and long enough in time it will come up with the answers to ALL of the problems.

Human beings are extremely clever and using the brainpower that we have developed over the millions of years of our evolution we are now able to make things that far supercede what we are in nature.

Another programme on the telly last night was about nanobots and how they are already being injected into our bodies to cure diseases from the inside out. As soon as we can build them with their own sentience and procreation-abilities humanity will disappear and a new race of Homo-Superior will emerge.

THAT...in my mind is the only "intelligent design" that we will see and prove as the years go by and the longer it goes without self-destruction the closer we will become to being Gods ourselves. The rest is just fable !

erm...ive got an article here about intelligent design written by a physicist...as you can guess he ridiculed the whole basis and idea pointing out that the scientists and philisophers who support intelligent designare, "generally uninterested in honest and rational discussion but only in its trappings".

all the theory is doing is trying to fill in the gaps of human understanding by saying it must be god! most scientists dont even waste their energy arguing about these things, they've more important things to worry about such as ethics!
no is no ethical guidelines for religion to follow so coming up with a theory and TELLING people that this must be taught is a very dangerous tactic!
as the writer of the article says..."an intelligent designer is a flying moose."

HERE HERE!!!