Intelligent Design
In response to errors and misrepresentations stated in the February 28, 2007 ResearchID.org blog post:
- The John Templeton Foundation has never made a call-for-proposals to the ID Community.
- The Henry Schaefer grant was from the Origins of Biological Complexity program. Schaefer is a world's leading chemist, and his research has nothing whatsoever to do with ID.
- Bill Dembski's grant was not for the book "Free Lunch". Dembski was given funds to write another book on Orthodox Theology, which was not on ID, however he has never written the book.
From our FAQ...
Does the Foundation support I.D.?
No. We do not support the political movement known as “Intelligent Design.” This is for three reasons 1) we do not believe the science underpinning the “Intelligent Design” movement is sound, 2) we do not support research or programs that deny large areas of well-documented scientific knowledge, and 3) the Foundation is a non-political entity and does not engage in, or support, political movements.
It is important to note that in the past we have given grants to scientists who have gone on to identify themselves as members of the Intelligent Design community. We understand that this could be misconstrued by some to suggest that we implicitly support the Intelligent Design movement, but, as outlined above, this was not our intention at the time nor is it today.
Does the John Templeton Foundation support intelligent design?
A Foundation policy statement to help potential grantees.
At Some Colleges Classes Questioning Evolution Take Hold
By Daniel Golden, The Wall Street Journal, Monday, November 14, 2005.
Official statement on false and misleading information published in the Wall Street Journal
Monday, November 14, 2005.
WSJ: Charles Harper’s Letter to the Editor
Wednesday, December 14, 2005.
Collective Article: Towards an Open-Minded Science
Jean Staune, Jacques Arsac, Mario Beauregard, Raymond Chiao, Freeman Dyson, Bernard D'espagnat, Nidhal Guessoum, Stanley Klein, Jean Kovalevsky, Dominique Laplane, Mario Molina, Bill Newsome, Pierre Perrier, Charles Townes, Trinh Xuan Thuan
Research Programs in Biological Sciences that are relevant to the ID Debate.
A sampling of pieces on Intelligent Design written by or quoting scholars connected with the work of the Foundation, including Advisors, grantees, program directors, and symposium participants:
Eden and Evolution
By Shankar Vedantam, The Washington Post, February 5, 2006
Where science, religion meet
By Christian de Duve, Science & Theology News, December 29, 2005
Intelligent Design Might Be Meeting Its Maker
By Laurie Goodstein, The New York Times, December 4, 2005
Taking the ID debate out of pundits’ playbooks
By Owen Gingerich, Science & Theology News, November 8, 2005
Owen Gingerich says he believes there is immense incomprehension from both the friends and foes of Intelligent Design.
Say It Ain’t So: America’s Continued Rejection of Evolution
By Karl Giberson, Applied Developmental Science, In press
The Devout Donor
Business Week Online, November 28, 2005
John Templeton’s $550 million gift doubles his funding of research aimed at showing that science and religion needn’t be at odds
Science and Religion, But Not Politics
Business Week Online, November 28, 2005
Templeton Foundation’s Charles L. Harper disputes charges that the group promotes intelligent design and a conservative agenda.
Vatican: Faithful Should Listen to Science
By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, November 4, 2005
Virtue Its Own Reward? Evolution, Religion, and the Internalization of Cooperation
Harvard Divinity School, October, 2005
Some find middle ground in science-theology clash
By Edie Lau, The Sacramento Bee, October 3, 2005
The Last Word: Darwin & the Cardinal
By John F. Haught, Commonweal, August 12, 2005
Vatican Astronomer Rebuts Cardinal’s Attack on Darwinism
By Constance Holden, Science, August 12, 2005