Geologist Casey Luskin talked with ID the Future host Eric Anderson about the positive case for intelligent design, how ID differs fundamentally from creationism, and about the meanings of theistic evolution. The last of these can refer to what amounts to intelligent design, where a designing agent guided the history of life and left evidence of this. More commonly it’s an attempt to “baptize” Darwinian evolution, with the assertion that God stands behind life’s history, yes, but not in a way that’s evident or detectable. Life is intelligently designed, in other­ words ­— this is offered as a statement of faith — even though that does not appear to be the case.

As Dr. Luskin points out, the irony there is remarkable. Even Richard Dawkins agrees that life appears to be designed, though he regards this as an illusion. So the Christian or Jewish theistic evolutionist actually goes a step further than the arch-atheist, denying even the appearance of design. What a ludicrous position to adopt — and so needless, given that the scientific data go against it, as Luskin also explains. The occasion for the conversation is the release of the new book The Comprehensive Guide to Science and Faith: Exploring the Ultimate Questions About Life and the Cosmos, of which Luskin is one of three editors. Download the podcast or listen to it here.