Ben's brief response, interspersed

In a message dated 10/15/2006 9:43:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time, anonymous-comment@blogger.com writes:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Thank you Vr":

I very much enjoyed this broadcast of Think Tank. GOOD : THE MAGIC WORS. Both guests seem to have a respectable academic pedigree and it was nice that they conducted themselves in a cordial manner toward one another. I believe the Intelligent Design vs. Evolution debate is at the forefront of the culture war in America today and I appreciate that Think Tank had the courage to host the debate. SO IT IS; IT WAS DRIVEN BY MY 22-YEAR OLD REASEARCH ASSISTANT. All in all, well done.

As to the debate itself, I am a bit disappointed that the debate never really got to the merits of the scientific argumentsI AM NOT AT ALL SURE THAT STUDIES AND SCIENCE CAN DEAL WITH THIS ONE. AS JOB IN THE OLD PART OF THE GOOD BOOK. While I am not sure it was intentional, Dr. Ruse, appeared to keep steering the discussion toward the religious beliefs of Dr. Meyer, as if to completely discount his scientific pedigree and expertise. I THOUGHT DR MEYER WAS RATHER CAVALIER ABOUT CIVIL LIBERTIES: YOU CAN TEACH THAT YOU CAN'T TEACH THAT. When Dr. Meyer introduced the topics of “cellular circuitry” and “digital coding”, Dr. Ruse stated that Intelligent Design scientists had an “anti-scientific, anti-naturalistic attitude” and again turned the discussion to religious ideas rather than address the issues head on. It struck me that if an “evangelical christian” scientist developed a promising AIDS vaccine, Dr, Ruse would argue against funding because of the religious beliefs of the scientist involved. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT STUFF...

I would hope that in the next session of the debate you will compel the guests to focus on the merits of the competing scientific theories rather than avoid them by changing the subject and turning the debate into an ad hominem attack, albeit a cordial one, attempting to personally discredit a professional scientist, simply because of his personal religious beliefs. Please lets us hear the empirical evidence—the science—and compel the guests to stick to it. WE SHALL TRY,,,

Thank you again and I look forward to Part 2.

Richard Harris


PS Tell me /us about yourself.

Who is "Vr"

Anonymous to Wattenblog at 10/15/2006 06:49:26 PM

Ben J. Wattenberg
American Enterprise Institute
1150 17th St. NW
Washington D.C. 20036
202-862-5908 Bwattenberg@aei.org
Fax: 202-862-5821

or

Ben J. Wattenberg
3003 Van Ness St. NW
(Apt. W-433)
Washington D.C. 20008
(202-363-2821) wattenberg@aol.com
Fax:202-363-1075