The Power of Pride

January 30, 2010 by Dr. Mc.

To kickoff the Jan 2010 release of Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed on DVD in the UK, a debate was arranged via phone between ID theorist Stephen Myer and Oxford evolutionist Peter Atkins on Premier Radio UK. I found the whole radio hour to be amazingly one-sided, with all logic brought to bear on the ID side and only name-calling and posturing in support of evolution. In his closing arguments, however, there was a particularly striking statement made by Professor Atkins as his last point (beginning at minute 52:01):
“Everyone, both of non-religious and religious disposition, should take pride in the fact that the human brain has emerged and is capable of understanding, understanding seemingly without limit. I think that’s a wonderful, wonderful organ, and a wonderful aspect of the physical world; and for people like Stephen (Meyer) and his colleagues to suggest that there is an area where the human mind cannot penetrate, cannot get understandable, comprehensible explanation, I think that’s a denial of humanity.”
I am struck that an appeal to pride would be made as the final argument against considering an alternative view. If asked what the greatest enemy of truth is, we might be tempted to say, “a lie!” But it isn’t. A lie may be the opposite of truth, but a lie that does not appeal to pride will not be believed. The greatest enemy of the truth is pride, because without pride, a lie has no power.

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