The Theory of Intelligent Design and Spiritism

Five years ago, one of the vestibular conducted by the Federal University of Parana, one of the questions asked was about the evolution, creationism and then the brand new school of thought known as the "Intelligent Design."

In light of these three streams of ideas, how does the Doctrine position?

It is well known our opinion that among Darwin's evolutionism and biblical creationism, there is no doubt that Spiritism would always be with the first since the evolution of the soul and the living creatures are slowly, in the course of millennia, and not as recounted in Genesis. But it is quite clear that, as proposed the supporters of Intelligent Design Theory, there are biological structures in the world too complex to have arisen, merely the conditions described by Darwin, by the gradual accumulation of random changes.

Everything leads us then to believe that there was and there are in this process an extracorporeal intelligence intervention, a fact that Emmanuel expressly states in his book "The Path of Light", psychographed by Chico Xavier in 1938, long before the ideas of school thought had gained notoriety that believes there is a "designer", an intelligent designer to explain the wonders of Creation.

This understanding, moreover, strikes the eye with a simple reading of the texts that make up the methodical study, published in weekly editions of this magazine, the book "Evolution in Two Worlds" André Luiz, psychographed by mediums Waldo Vieira and Chico Xavier in 1958 in which the participation of Spiritual Teachers, supervised by Christ, is outstanding at any time. (Here's a link that refers to the parts of the mentioned study, published in the last edition: http://www.oconsolador.com.br/ano5/247/estudandoaserieandreluiz.html.)

One of the supporters of Intelligent Design Theory (IDT) is Professor and Dr. Marcos Eberlin, president of the International Society for Mass Spectrometry, a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and a professor at the Institute of Chemistry, State University of Campinas (Unicamp).

In an interview with journalist Michelson Borges, Dr. Eberlin explains what the Intelligent Design Theory is. The interview can be seen in its entirety by clicking this link: http://www.entrevistas.criacionismo.com.br/2010/05/professor-da-unicamp-defende-design.html

Here are the words of Professor Eberlin:

"The TDI is a scientific theory, advocated by a growing community of honors scientists around the world and from different areas, and seeking to establish robust scientific methodology capable of detecting signs of life and intelligence in the universe. Through these methods, the TDI reinterprets the whole very rich arsenal of data and with a high detail available today on the functioning of life and the universe. And from this careful analysis, without preconceptions, dispassionate and rational, made within all the rigor of scientific methodology that governs the historical sciences, TDI concluded, trying to follow the data wherever they lead, these data point with confidence for a conscious and intelligent mind as the only known cause, necessary and sufficient for life and the universe. That is, the design found in the universe and life is not apparent or illusory, but real and intelligent. "

Would TDI be a kind of creationism?

"Creationism has many aspects, but the main one that assumes that an almighty being designed and created the universe and life. The biblical creationism goes much further and gives name and address to the Creator, describes His intent and his methods, and makes many other claims that are far beyond the capacity of science to investigate them, due to the many limitations of scientific methodology. That is, creationism originates from philosophical and theological presuppositions, closes with these assumptions and gives them rationality when it finds in nature and, eventually, in science when supports their theses. The TDI, however, has absolutely nothing to do with creationist theories in any dimension. On them do not inspire and do not rely. The TDI searches, simply and honestly as possible, scrutinize the raw scientific data and interpret them correctly, with absolutely no assumption, as no default or what would be our conclusion. We conclude by an intelligent mind as the first cause of life and the universe by the requirement that all scientists must always follow the evidence, the information provided by the black boxes of life and the universe, making the most of our subjectivity, naturalistic or theistic set aside."

Does chemistry (which is Dr. Eberlin’s studies area) reveal intelligent design?

"Many use morphological comparisons, compare beaks of birds, bones, embryos, wing color of moths. But it is through chemistry at the molecular level, we truly understand how life and the universe work. It is through the chemistry we learned the 'language' of the molecules and thus we can accurately translate molecular echoes, which impart the secrets of our existence. It is through the chemistry that we realize that life is not something amateur, no! Life is something of a professional! And honor professional, specialist! Who orchestrated the various codes and information zipped, encrypted and compartmentalized DNA, like hard-disk. The algorithmic top-down architecture of life its stunning and optimized logic. And it had drafted the code of cell specialization of histones, based on chemical reactions ultra-synchronized and adjusted. And prepared the body plans that we do not even know where and how they are stored. "

We call attention to this excerpt from the interview above: "life is not something amateur," and we suggest the reader to compare it with the responses given by the Superior Spirits in questions 8 and 9 of "The Spirits’ Book," the main Spiritism work:

S.B., n. 8:

- What is to be thought about the opinion of that attributes the first formation of things to a fortuitous combination of matter, in other words, to chance?

"Another absurdity! What man of sense can be considered a chance to be smart? And furthermore, what is chance? Nothing." The harmony which exists in the universe mechanism patents certain combinations and designs and, therefore, reveals an intelligent power. To attribute the first formation to chance is nonsense, since chance is blind and cannot produce the results that intelligence produces. If chance could be intelligent, it would cease to be chance. (Allan Kardec’s note.)

S.B., n. 9:

– In what the first cause, reveals a supreme intelligence, and above to all other intelligences?
"You have a proverb that says: The workman is known by his work. Well! See the work and seek the author. Pride is what causes the unbelief. The proud man admits nothing above him. That is why he calls himself a strong spirit. Poor being that one breath of God can kill him!" The power of intelligence is judged by its works. None human being cannot create what Nature produces, the first cause is, consequently, a higher intelligence to Humanity. Whatever the wonders that human intelligence has operated itself has a cause and the higher the operating, the greater is to be the primary cause. That superior intelligence is the first cause of all things, whatever you name it. (Allan Kardec’s note.)