Argument of Design

[LawfulGood]

Greetings!

So, I’m in an online discussion with a gentleman. I’m making the claim that the presence of order is evidence of the existence of God. I used the “finding a watch on the beach analogy.” Below is his response. Can someone help me make sense out of it? Thanks!

The reason a machine looks odd and we imagine it must have a creator is that it is not similar to the other things we see in the natural world. But if you talk of a creator OF the entire universe, there is no external thing to compare against to see if the world we live in has more order than one that was not directed would. The machine looks designed because it’s different from natural things. But there isn’t anything else to compare the universe itself to to make this same judgement about it. (It’s ironic that you claim the natural world is designed when it’s the difference between that natural world and designed things that makes us conclude THEY are designed.)

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Dear Lawful,

We do not imagine that a machine must have a creator because it looks odd. We conclude that an intelligence must have created it because of its intricate design. No watch with all its intricate moving parts could simple have fallen together by chance.

We see design in the machine, NOT because it is different from nature, but because of its SIMILARITY with nature! Actually, we see even more intricate design in nature! How could the human eye come about by mere chance!

Your friend is going to have to do a lot better than that to counter the argument from design.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.