I have uttered the phrase “intelligent design” many times in the last ten days, both in conversation with others (especially my wife) and to myself.
The subject of my ruminations was not the anthropic principle or bacterial flaggelum (two of the better known examples mentioned in debates about ID). I was not thinking about the trial some have dubbed “Scopes II” now underway in Pennsylvania. Plenty of other people have written or are writing about it.
No, we have been reflecting on intelligent design as we watched our newborn son.
It was on my mind during the birth itself and the hours immediately thereafter. (OK so maybe I’m a geek, maybe I’ve studied worldview issues far too much for that to be on my mind then.)
Watching his birth and the way that whole process was designed to get the baby out (e.g. the skull is not totally fused together, allowing the head to better get through the birth canal), I saw design.
Watching the baby instinctively seek to nurse, making a sucking motion with his 5 minute old lips, I saw intelligent design.
Looking at the miniature complexity of his body, his fingers and toes, his eyes, his mouth (no teeth yet to impede nursing)… in all these things I just can’t help but think intelligent design.
I don’t see random mutations, lucky amalgamations of matter that somehow gelled together to produce my son (or me for that matter). I don’t see blind and ultimately meaningless Chance at work.
I see an Intelligent Creator who knit my son together with intentionality and purpose. Sure Bill Dembski and other scholars make a strong and cogent case in print.
But my newborn son makes that case even more powerfully to us.