On Tue, 19 Sep 2000, Ken Stuart wrote:

> A scientist named Michael J. Behe decided to try and apply this principle to
> biology, and came up with a more specific test of intelligent design called
> "irreducible complexity".   This means that if you have a structure which is
> complex, but fails to work if any of the components are removed or simplified,
> then this item is "irreducibly complex" and therefore cannot be created by
> random coincidences.
>


This, of course, is nonsense. One of the characteristics of a random
process
is that , within the range of the process, any outcome is possible,
however
unlikely.

[snip]


>
> PS  The huge mistake made by intelligent people, such as the ones who responded
> in this list, is to assume that since some of the specifics of particular
> religions are absurd, that therefore no religious idea is correct.
>

I doubt if many intelligent people make such a mistake.  However, they
do grow
tired of people making outrageous claims with nothing to back them up.
If person makes an extraordinary claim, their peers require
confirmation. Some
people claim divine knowledge, and then use special pleading to excuse
themselves from the burden of proof.

Andy.