The Mythological Appeal of Intelligent Design
Religion Articles By Reverend Mojo

A Pizzazz Magazine Exclusive

Publisher Don Lemmon

I was walking across the campus of the University of Texas this past week and as I did I ran into a crowd of people listening to a microphone wielding man explaining why the doctrine of intelligent design was the only plausible explanation for the world and the universe, and how a divine planner stood in the middle of it all. A small group of people stood behind him and two beta-cams were recording the event. The size of the crowd listening worried me. Could this many people really be taking this guy and this doctrine seriously? As I got into the crowd where I could hear some of the comments and conversations it was clear that most could see right through the dogma. Still the number of students who were sympathetic or who at least appeared to be open to the speaker's arguments was a bit disturbing, especially when you consider the audience was made up of people who are supposed to be among the brightest young minds in the country.

As I walked away shaking my head, I started to think about why anyone, especially anyone bright enough to be admitted to one of the top universities in the U.S. , could possibly buy into the idea of intelligent design. I decided to find an answer to my question. I turned around, went back to the crowd and started talking to a few people that seemed sympathetic to the speaker's arguments. After spending the better part of an hour talking to a small group, it was clear as to why they were supporters of the idea. Here is what I discovered.

Believing in intelligent design addresses some of the most basic humans needs. As an argument that is its strength, and that is why people believe it. They don't believe it because there are any facts or science to back it up, they believe it because they want to. That is they believe it because they want it to be true. The supposed facts and science that are presented as “proof” of intelligent design are an afterthought to its supporters.

So what do I mean when I say it addresses basic human needs? Here is an example. I am a forty-six year old man with a wife and children that I love. They are the center of my life. There isn't anything that I wouldn't do for them. I'm sure many of you can relate. Yet I know that I only have a short time left to be there for them, 28.6 years if I conform to the average life of a white male living in the U.S. Perhaps a bit longer because of a good genetic background. Once my time is up, that's it for me. My life will then represent nothing more than a minor blip on the timeline of history and in the vastness of the universe. I am gone and my family is left to face the world alone. This presents a depressing problem over which I have no control.

A belief in intelligent design addresses this problem. If I choose to believe intelligent design, it tells me that my life is not a meaningless blip (meaningless to the world at large, not to my loved ones) but instead is part of a master plan designed by some benevolent super-being. Because the universe, and my life along with it, are no longer random events but part of a flawless, majestic design, there is the implication that my death may not be an end at all, but a beginning, and that I will enjoy my loved ones not only in this life but in one to come. After all, a benevolent super-being wouldn't create me just to have me die and that be the end of it. If I am part of his (according to the speaker this master planner definitely had a gender, and it was male) plan then there must be more in store for me. Not only that, but because the creator is a benevolent deity then I can trust that my family will be taken care of when I am gone. All's well that ends well. Ooops I forgot, if I believe in intelligent design this isn't an ending but a beginning. My bad.

That's just one example of how intelligent design addresses basic human needs, but one I think most people can relate to. The problem of course is that while believing something to be true can be comforting, it has nothing to do with facts or reality. This explains why the supposed facts quoted by some of the more well-versed supporters of intelligent design are little more than window dressing. The “science” used to support intelligent design are actually just reason as to why they think evolution is flawed. Intelligent design is just the default explanation once evolution is disposed of. They don't have any science that points to a supreme being and planner. The reason for them to believe is not in the facts but in the desire to have solutions to some of life's more troubling problems.

As I think about this, I keep remembering my discussion with the group of intelligent design supporters and one phrase that almost all of them used at some point in our discussion. They would say something to the effect of, “you do agree that there has to be more to life than this . . .right?” My answer was of course, “no”. Just because I want it to be, doesn't mean it has to be. I, like them, wish there was more to life, hope there is more to life, but just because I wish and hope for it doesn't mean I'm going to just decide that it's true. I'm not going to just make up an answer because I don't like the answer the facts point to, or because at this point in time there may be no answer. For the intelligent designers however, a made up answer that is soothing is better than no answer and certainly better than an answer that is uncomfortable.

For Reverend Mojo's Home Page: CLICK HERE