1. Can an atheist believe in intelligent design?
I don’t know if a hard-core athiest can believe in ID, but many non-Christians certainly do. You might want to check into the writings of Fred Hoyle, the British astronomer who wrote books on intelligent design in the universe. I read one of his books many years ago, so my recollection is vague, but I don’t think he ever publicly announced that he was a Christian.
He is the one who said that the probability of the first cell forming without ID is comparable to a 747 jet being formed by a “tornado in a junkyard.” I believe his views could be classified as “pantheism,” the belief that the universe itself is intelligent (as opposed to having intelligence designed into it by a transcendent Deity).
You might also be interested in the work of British physicist Paul Davies, who wrote a book called God and the New Physics. He also cites strong evidence of design in the universe. He uses the word “God,” but I don’t think he is referring to the classical Judeo-Christian personal God.
2. If so, is the intelligent designer he believes in the same as a Christian’s?
If it was, he would not be an athiest, so the answer must be no.
I think it is possible for a Christian to believe that ID can be discovered by scientific methods, yet at the same time to agree that science cannot prove that the “designer” is God. That is basically where I stand. I believe that God designed the universe and life, and I am convinced that the intelligence of the design can be observed scientifically and proved mathematically. At the same time, however, I do not believe that *science* can identify the Designer as the God of Christianity or of any other religion for that matter. That’s a matter of faith, and that’s why we have religion as well as science. Recall what Einstein said:
“Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.”
Where some of the more vociferious opponents of ID go wrong, in my view, is that they reject ID a priori because they do not like the potential religious implications. In science, ideas should not be rejected simply because some people don’t like the possible implications.
3. Is God supernatural?
Yes.
4. By extension, is an intelligent designer supernatural?
Maybe. Maybe not. I think Hoyle believed that intelligence is somehow inherent in nature.
5. Is it possible for a human to be the intelligent designer responsible for the intricate complexities of life?
Huh? Is this a trick question?
6. In other words, and this relates to the first question, is it possible that the Christian God is not the intelligent designer?
Yes, that is possible, or at least conceivable.
I definitely agree that non-Christians can believe in intelligent design. Tariq Ramadan, a well-known Muslim apologetic, is very much for the instruction of “Islamic biology.” He is clearly a non-Christian who believes in an intelligent designer.
I will look into the two authors you have mentioned.
In science, ideas should not be rejected simply because some people don’t like the possible implications.
Very true. We will just have to wait and see if the Discovery Institute can get more peer-reviewed papers published without resorting to the study of the supernatural. It will be difficult, but we’ll see.
My fifth question was not a trick question. It was related to the first and sixth questions. I wanted to know whether or not you thought it was possible that the intelligent designer is not the Christian God, and you have answered that question thoroughly and consistently.
As a follow up to question six, if (keyword) it were shown that the intelligent designer is an entity separate from the Christian God, would that disprove Christian creationism and hurt Christianity?
Again, thank you for the answers. They were direct and to the point. I appreciate it.