Faith and Evolution?

I think the Discovery Institute has finally come out from under their 'not a religion' banner. Why else would the Discovery institute's Science and Culture group, the marketeers for Intelligent Design, put out a website called "Faith and Evolution". If ID has nothing to do with theology, why do they need this particular site?

According to an opinion piece in the New Scientist this site is a direct response to Francis Collins new site "The BioLogos Foundation". Amanda Gefter titled her article "Christians Battle each other over Evolution". So what we have two sites, what is the difference? The difference may be subtle, but it comes down to the DI protecting one of their main strategies, and one I have felt has been a deliberate lie for years. Basically the DI gets both financial and marketing support from people who believe that you either believe in God or you support Evolution. This false dichotomy has been one of their basic strategies. Francis Collins believes otherwise, as his website states:

"We believe that faith and science both lead to truth about God and creation."

According to Jonathon Wells, Senior Fellow over at the DI's Science and Culture group:

"Collins’s defense of Darwinian theory turns out to be largely an argument from ignorance that must retreat as we learn more about the genome—in effect, a Darwin of the gaps."

I really do love this, Wells accusing someone else of an argument from ignorance! My irony-meter just screamed it's last breath. As Ms. Gefter put it:

" . . . can one be a Christian and accept evolution? The answer, as far as the Discovery Institute is concerned, is a resounding: No."

"I think it's interesting that the Discovery Institute – which has long argued that intelligent design qualifies as science – seems to have given up the game and acknowledged that their concerns are religious after all. "

"The Discovery Institute has now made it crystal clear that they have no interest in reconciling science and religion – instead, they want their brand of religion to replace science. "

There you have it, the gloves are off and why, you might ask? I think it's pretty simple. Francis Collins' target audience are not atheists or agnostics, but Christians, the same market as the Discovery Institute. Funny how non-'non-religious' the Discovery Institute really is when they stand to lose their core supporters!