Evidence of Design Attests to the Existence of a Designer

Deconstructing the Opposition

Much of the difficulty in having a factual discussion in this idealistic arena is the unacknowledged agenda which exists in both camps.  Emotional and intellectual undercurrents drag the conversation toward attacking the other party rather than remaining focused on engaged and meaningful conversation.  Since the goal of this blog is to openly engage that dialog, let’s bring to the surface a few of these undercurrents.

Religions’ Examples
Some of the opposition to religious influence over social and cultural design is deserved.  Over the centuries, those who carried the name of God into the cultural arena are guilty of abusing their power. Clerics have used their influence to meddle in the lives of trusting, yet often uninformed masses.  Jesus compared humankind to ‘sheep.’  To a great extent, this is a suitable description of mankind, whether you gaze through religious or humanist lenses.  We follow where we are led, even if under unscrupulous motives.

At other times, religious leaders have acted with no more moral authority than a common thug.  They have robbed the masses of wealth, or constructed so tight a cultural corral around the shepherded that wholesale social rebellion could be the only expected outcome.

The American Spirit
Another fogbank that often obscures this discussion is an attitude of American individualism that is wrapped in the bible and preached as if the American dream of independence, personal recognition and monetary success is synonymous with the religious life. The belief that our religious profession should produce a specific culture, traditions, and personal identity, along with rules and regulations within those traditions is more correctly colonialism, and not what I propose as cultural intelligent design.

Colonialism’s design reproduces our society in lands we conquer and possess, and is not an authentic representation of what which Christians call the Good news of the Gospel.  .
Colonialism imposes social and political order on a people for the advantage of those in power.  Cultural Intelligent Design revolutionizes individuals, who in turn rebuild their own society according to a new set of personally acquired priorities

I believe that application of Cultural Intelligent Design produces a revolution within an existing social order.  Individuals who were self focused become other focused. An eye-for-an-eye policy as a means of controlling populations is replaced by men and women who work for their own well being by working for the well being of others, and of the community as a whole.

A Scorched Earth Legacy
Whether talking about blitzkrieg wars, environmental destruction, or a political organization on the offensive, a scorched earth policy is destructive to everyone.  Unrestrained win-at-any-cost policies take no prisoners, and leave in their wake legacies of immeasurable social destruction.   If those who pursue divine influence in our world are guilty of a scorched earth legacy – it would be this: those affirming a religious worldview often do so while communicating unacceptance toward those with whom they who do not agree. We have damaged people by communicating they were unaccepted because they didn’t agree with us.  Attaining our objectives was more important than creating positive and lasting cultural change in individuals’ lives and in the social fabric of our community.

As a result, much of the resistance to idea of divine involvement in our culture, or cultural intelligent design is a knee jerk reaction to the unacceptance people have experienced, or have seen demonstrated through history.  When individuals are confronted with terms like:
·    God’s plan
·    God’s order in social construction
·    Intelligent Design

They often hear and expect:
·    A declaration of ‘Unaccepted’ if they don’t get in line.
·    Strict, rigid, unbending rules meant to control.
·    You’re on the outside of what is right, good, and successful if you don’t agree.

or, even worse yet:
·    Believe rightly (read: like we do), or you’re going to hell, eternally banished from or dominated by those in power.

Accurately Communicating Cultural Intelligent Design

These three categories are certainly not exhaustive of the reasons individuals back away from the idea of a divine involvement in their lives.  However, these three examples do illustrate the power which personal failure has to twist what can be an intelligent and needed discussion of science, theory, and truth. Perhaps one of the truths we must accept at the outset is that individuals fail.  We fail to perfectly demonstrate an example of an intelligent designer.  The truth we believe is not always the truth by which we live.

Yet failure, however tragic, doesn’t prove that the design is wrong.  If we look honestly at evidence of cultural intelligent design, one of the most important lessons one must accept is that mankind is flawed. We will fail. Only by God’s involvement with us can we move his direction, and see his purposes come to be reality in our midst.  Failure of the person is not failure of the design. Rather our humanity is evidence of, and demonstrable proof for the need of cultural intelligent design.

My purpose in this blog is to cut through the white noise of these emotional, social, historical and intellectual undercurrents.  We will have a face to face discussion on God’s presence and purpose in our cultural constructs, social order, and physical world.

Let’s Talk. . .

Sincerely:

Tim