Evolution of the Eye
Scientists now have a clear vision of how our notoriously complex eye came to be
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
By Trevor D. Lamb | July 13, 2011 |
The human eye is an exquisitely complicated organ. It acts like a camera to collect and focus light and convert it into an electrical signal that the brain translates into images. But instead of photographic film, it has a highly specialized retina that detects light and processes the signals using dozens of different kinds of neurons. So intricate is the eye that its origin has long been a cause célèbre among creationists and intelligent design proponents, who hold it up as a prime example of what they term irreducible complexity—a system that cannot function in the absence of any of its components and that therefore cannot have evolved naturally from a more primitive form. Indeed, Charles Darwin himself acknowledged in On the Origin of Species—the 1859 book detailing his theory of evolution by natural selection—that it might seem absurd to think the eye formed by natural selection. He nonetheless firmly believed that the eye did evolve in that way, despite a lack of evidence for intermediate forms at the time.
Categories: Americas, Religion & Science, Science
It is important to note that Allah, the All Knowing works through the laws of nature and as He is Transcendent beyond time, space and matter, He can never be observed in a scientific paradigm and these issues Allah has clearly stated by describing His attribute ‘Al Baatin and in Sura Anaam He says:
“Such is Allah, your Lord. There is no God but He, the Creator of all things, so worship Him. And He is Guardian over everything. Eyes cannot reach Him but He reaches the eyes. And He is the Incomprehensible, the All-Aware.” (Al Quran 6:103-104)
In this comment and the article linked, I want to show the weakness of the Intelligent Design movement and highlight that the Ahmadiyya Muslim understanding can be better described as Guided or Theistic evolution and in scientific circles it is best described by Francis Collins or Prof. Kenneth Miller.
“Let no man out of weak conceit of sobriety, or an ill-applied moderation, think or maintain, that a man can search too far or be too well-studied in the book of God’s word, or in the book of God’s works; divinity or philosophy; but rather let men endeavor an endless progress or proficiency in both.” Sir Charles Darwin
Intelligent Design (ID) cannot be mentioned in biology classes in Dover, PA public school district, a U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III ruled in 2005, ruling in one of the biggest courtroom clashes on evolution since the 1925 Scopes trial.
The creationists or the Intelligent Design people are pursuing a political agenda, so the truth escapes them. They fail to realize that Intelligent Design thesis cannot be called a branch of science and therefore cannot be taught in science classes but can and should be taught in religion and philosophy classes.
For the rest of the story go to page 17 of this volume of the Muslim Sunrise:
http://www.muslimsunrise.com/dmddocuments/2009_fall.pdf
Intelligent Design Movement’s ideas would be very fitting in Philosophy, Metaphysics or Religion classes but a total absurdity in a Science class, as God cannot be observed directly by ordinary humans and science is based on direct observations and its findings are reproducible.
The vulnerability of Intelligent Design movement is exposed in this documentary fairly well:
http://video.pbs.org/video/980040807/
Our position is Guided evolution and it should be presented as metaphysics and not as science. Science of evolution will be same no matter what the religion as physics and chemistry are not Muslim, Christian or Jewish. There is only one physics, chemistry or astronomy, regardless of religion of the scientist. Likewise biology will be the same but how do we stitch all the biological findings together, in other words what is our metaphysics? Is it Guided evolution or blind evolution and that is philosophy or metaphysics. There are only religious and philosophical proofs of God. There is no mathematical or scientific proof of God and this is not my claim but Allah’s pronouncement. He has said:
“Such is Allah, your Lord. There is no God but He, the Creator of all things, so worship Him. And He is Guardian over everything. Eyes cannot reach Him but He reaches the eyes. And He is the Incomprehensible, the All-Aware.” (Al Quran 6:103-104)