Dr Alastair Noble (Director, Centre for Intelligent Design)
Alastair Noble has publicly advocated that Intelligent Design should be taught as science in the school classroom despite more recently claiming that it is not the objective of CID to get it taught there. Writing in the Guardian on 1st December 2009, Noble shot himself in the head over whether Intelligent Design is, or is not, a religious position.
“It is an all too common error to confuse intelligent design with religious belief. While creationism draws its conclusions primarily from religious sources, intelligent design argues from observations of the natural world.” (Noble is also on record as having argued in public that evolution is not compatible with religion; see http://www.premierradio.org.uk/shows/saturday/unbelievable/features.aspx.)
No siree, Bob, Intelligent Design has nothing to do with religion. Moving on to another thoroughly unsubstantiated claim, Noble states that mainstream science has “near-complete ignorance of intelligent design”.
He really must also be assuming that the ignoramuses are also gullible because he concludes in the article that science which excludes God (all science does), then it isn't science “If you insist that intelligent causation is to be excluded in the study of origins then you are teaching materialist philosophy, not science.” (The Intelligent Design advocates sometimes try to wiggle round this problem by saying that the intelligence may be aliens. They fool nobody.)
It's worse than that, though, because the proponents of Intelligent Design have, between them (including Noble, Nevin and Galloway) have never, ever, produced one iota of science based on Intelligent Design. Not a single, peer reviewed paper anywhere.
Noble astonishingly claims that whilst the world's ignorance of Intelligent Design keeps it out of science lessons, the government should allow Intelligent Design into schools because 54% of people (presumably nearly all ignorant of Intelligent Design according to Noble ) think it should. So, either way, government policy is based on alleged ignorance. Not much of a suggestion about educational policies, is it?
I don't know about people reading this but when someone starts shouting that the rest of the world is ignorant about a non-existent branch of science, there appears to be more than breath-taking hypocrisy involved.
Still hubris is a common trait amongst fundamentalists, vividly displayed in a comment Noble made to the Sunday Herald newspaper (http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/education/would-you-adam-and-eve-it-top-scientists-tell-scottish-pupils-the-bible-is-true-1.1060545). He said that it was “inevitable” the [Intelligent Design] debate would make its way into schools.
Normal scientists who want to promote some amazing discovery or whatever, usually come up with it before that start selling or promoting it. This has clearly not ever happened with Intelligent Design. The non-existent theory of Intelligent Design is being promoted because no one can say what it is. That isn't even remotely science. It's scientific fraud.
However, we must say here that Noble is not personally using Intelligent Design as a cover for young earth creationism. He is almost certainly some form of old earth creationist. Nevertheless, he has a track record of working with young earth creationists to undermine science teaching.
It should come as no surprise that Noble is, like the rest of the people involved in CID, a deeply committed religious fundamentalist and activist. It does take much research online to show that Intelligent Design is one part of his ambitious and far reaching activities in evangelising his religious beliefs.
Noble is an elder of the Cartsbridge Evangelical Church in Glasgow (see http://www.cartsbridgechurch.com) and a lay preacher. The church is almost certainly a Brethren church as it has no pastor (see http://lists.gospelhall.org.uk/lists/scotland.html). Glasgow is a city noted for sectarianism. What we have, in terms of the officers of CID, are three Brethren members living in an area of Britain noted for sectarianism and geographically inter-related through close cultural and historical ties. It is very, very atypical of the UK.
He is also Educational Consultant to (and former Education Officer of) CARE in Scotland; this should ring alarm bells. As BCSE has been arguing for years, Intelligent Design has nothing to do with science. It's a front for political action – to socially re-engineer society along conservative fundamental Calvinistic lines.
Its proponents cannot stand science because science, they argue, is not compatible with their religion (that's exactly what many atheists argue, btw). As a result, society is going to the dogs because children are exposed to science. The real objective of the Intelligent Designers is to get anything out of schools that contradicts their religion including the whole of science. They are all evangelicals who think it their “God-given” (read self-appointed) duty to save the souls of others. The ends here justify the means.
CARE (www.care.org.uk) is a religious charity which, amongst other things, aims to get Christians elected to political office and use the gospel to “transform” society. I's Scottish arm is a lobbying organisation for Christians in Scotland. It represents, amongst others, fundamentalists and includes education amongst its targets. As is always the case in politics, the motivation is basically simple – to promote their interests. What better way to get Intelligent Design into state funded schools than to be the politicians who can push it through?
CARE describes itself as “a well-established mainstream Christian charity providing resources and helping to bring Christian insight and experience to matters of public policy and practical caring initiatives. CARE is represented in the UK Parliaments and Assemblies, at the EU in Brussels and the UN in Geneva and New York.”
And (the give away) "CARE for Scotland and Evangelical Alliance Scotland are collaborating in a campaign to encourage Christians to stand as candidates in the Council elections in 2012. "
A 2007 report in the Herald suggests that Noble has been teaching Intelligent Design in Scottish schools for some years “Alastair Noble is an educational consultant who has been invited by both denominational and non- denominational secondary schools to present ID on a scientific basis. He said: "I gauge a growing level of interest from pupils and teachers." (http://www.heraldscotland.com/rival-to-evolution-may-enter-schools-1.827656) One strongly suspects that no Catholic schools were involved.
His comments to the Herald newspaper in October 2010 seems to confirm that he is getting into schools and undermining science:
““We are definitely not targeting schools, but that doesn’t mean to say we may not produce resources that go to schools,” Dr Noble said, adding that he had already been asked to speak in Scottish schools, and agreed to do so.” (From Would you Adam and Eve it? Top scientists tell Scottish pupils: the Bible is true, Chris Watt, The Herald, 10th October 2010.)
A duplicitous comment if there ever was one. Is Dr Noble saying that he is going to produce resources aimed at schools? Yes or no? His statement does not answer this simple question. From past experience of Truth in Science, the resources, we guess, will be imported from the USA – probably from the Discovery Institute or organisations associated with it.
Noble's contacts in the Scottish education system are staggering. He's the field officer for School Leaders Scotland, formerly known as the Headteachers Association of Scotland. It looks to be a trade union. Moreover he was also inspector of schools and head of educational services for Scotland.
Navigate your way around this report with the following links:
First Page: Centre for Intelligent Design Executive Summary
Introduction to the Centre for Intelligent Design
How Many People are Behind the Centre for Intelligent Design?
Timing of the Centre for Intelligent Design
Who Runs and Organises the Centre for Intelligent Design?
Previous Page: Professor Norman Nevin OBE
This Page: Dr Alastair Noble (Director, Centre for Intelligent Design)
Next Page: Dr David Galloway
John Langlois OBE, Centre for ID Guernsey
Peter Loose
Centre for Intelligent Design Strategy
The Channel Islands Connection
Centre for Intelligent Design's Headquarters
Supporting the Show – Messrs Michael Behe, Steve Fuller and Geoff Barnard
Miscellaneous Intelligence
