Intelligent Design: Is it Science or Religion?

The main proponent of intelligent design and the author of Intelligent Design is William Dembski. He and his followers believe that there is scientific evidence that our universe was designed. More recently, a publication claims that the very position of our third planet seems to be intelligently purposed. Dr. Patterson will examine these claims from the scientific side, and Dr. Avalos will examine the claim from the viewpoint of religious studies and philosophy. John Patterson is a nationally recognized critic of pseudoscience and creationism. Before retiring in 1995, he was a professor in the Department of Materials Science in the College of Engineering at Iowa State University. He received his doctorate. in Metallurgical Engineering from Ohio State University. He has written many scientific critiques of creationism, including "Thermodynamics and Evolution," in Scientists Confront Creationism, edited by Laurie Godfrey. Hector Avalos is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies and the founder and Director of the U.S. Latino Studies Program at Iowa State University, where he was named Professor of the Year in 1996 and an LAS Master Teacher in 2003-04. He received a Master of Theological Studies from the Harvard Divinity School, and became the first Mexican American to earn a doctorate in biblical studies at Harvard. He is the author of four books and numerous articles. His next book is on Religion and Violence. Sponsored by Atheist and Agnostic Society