Hi Ritva,

I think Bernard has answered this well but I just wanted to put my point of view on it. The ID hypothesis is based on the notion of "irreducible complexity" - the notion that some biological functions cannot have existed in a prior state because every element must be present for the biological function to work. For the ID hypothesis to be workable then the a priori assumption that IC exists has to be true. It has been demonstrated over and over again that none of the systems cited by IDers are necessarily irreducible. The consistent refusal to acknowledge this and to a: answer the criticisms or b: amend the hypothesis suggests, to me, another agenda.

I fully understand that one does not need to be a protestant fundie to be attracted to ID (or to be convinced). That does not negate the fact that the ID "movement" is, has always been, and is ONLY, a legal tactic promoted in the USA for specific purposes. It maybe that, in the course of trying to turn the children of America into ignorant believers (and thus more easily led by those that are in charge of the churches) these guys have stumbled onto the truth. I haven't yet seen anything that convinces me though.

Pete

God is our guide! from field, from wave, From plough, from anvil, and from loom; We come, our country's rights to save, And speak a tyrant faction's doom: We raise the watch-word liberty; We will, we will,we will be free!