I’ve chanced upon another reference to my post about Signature in the Cell, this time from Casey Luskin on Evolution News and Views. As a blogger I’m very aware of the dictum that “No publicity is bad publicity”, since the previous mention on Uncommon Descent boosted my readership from about three to … rather more. So if Casey’s post brings you here, then welcome. Do say hello.
Casey’s currently engaged in a critique of Dennis Venema’s series on Signature, which explains his belated interest. And his post was, in itself, fair. It was also useful in ending with a challenge to ID people to engage with Venema’s arguments as applied to evolution, rather than to the Origin of Life. They are indeed relevant there, if not to Meyer’s book.
I would, however, take issue with the title in which I am described as “parting ways with BioLogos“, and the first paragraph which speaks of my “leaving the BioLogos camp.” This Damascus Road Conversion theme also appeared in the UD piece. It would only be true if I had ever been in “the BioLogos camp.” But that’s not, thankfully, how internet communities work.
I still contribute comments on BioLogos as I have for a considerable length of time. It’s a public forum, and I share the space with atheists, creationists, scientists, theologians … and indeed with many individuals I also see posting on ID or atheist websites. I was also asked to write one article for the site, on interdisciplinarity. I see that at the top that piece says : “Please note the views expressed here are those of the author, not necessarily of The BioLogos Foundation”. None of that makes me a “BioLogos Supporter”, and none of what’s happened since makes me a “former” one.
Does it matter? It was mildly embarrassing having to put the record straight with people at Biologos who might think I had deliberately spurned their hospitality, but the world is hardly changed by it. But as both my BioLogos article and my review of Signature tried to show, tribalism, point scoring, misrepresentation of facts and all that garbage is what stirs up the worst in human motivation, and so obscures the acquisition of truth.
And arriving at the truth, rather than scoring points and playing games , is what it’s all about … isn’t it?