Prepackaged Irreducibly Complex Genetic Mechanisms - Are there no Behe defenders?

[gbrooks9 (George Brooks)]

I wanted to highlight this part of a discussion from last year. @Chris_Falter very helpfully highlights this I.D. gem from Dr. Behe:

@Chris_Falter

The only evolutionary model I have ever seen Behe propose is on page 227 of Darwin’s Black Box

[Beginning of Quote from Darwin’s Black Box]
“Suppose that nearly four billion years ago the designer made the first cell, already containing all of the irreducibly complex biochemical systems discussed here and many others.” < What the heck? GB

“(One can postulate that the designs for systems that were to be used later, such as blood clotting, were present but not ‘turned on.’ In present-day organisms plenty of genes are turned off for a while, sometimes for generations, to be turned on at a later time.)” < Can he be serious? GB

“Additionally, suppose the designer placed into the cell some other systems for which we cannot adduce enough evidence to conclude design. The cell containing the designed systems then was left on autopilot to reproduce, mutate, eat and be eaten, bump against rocks, and suffer all the vagaries of life on earth.”
[End of Quote from Darwin’s Black Box]

@Marty, I think you’ve gone on record that you are not very interested in YEC positions. But could you explain why you think I.D. investigations are worthy of special considerations? Behe’s proposal is the wildest genetic idea I’ve ever heard of!

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[Falter’s quote can be found in this thread]
Continuing the discussion from Evolutionary Creationists should distance themselves more clearly from deism:

I make this post in honor of @Laura !

@Laura

I remember the God of Evolution version, and it really helped me put things in perspective.

Evaporation, after all, is “just a theory.”

[T_aquaticus]

@gbrooks9

“(One can postulate that the designs for systems that were to be used later, such as blood clotting, were present but not ‘turned on.’ In present-day organisms plenty of genes are turned off for a while, sometimes for generations, to be turned on at a later time.)” < Can he be serious? GB

Goodness gracious, I hope Behe isn’t serious about that. I have always had a modicum of respect for Behe since he seems to have a decent grasp of the subject matter, but that statement demonstrates a complete lack of knowledge. Can Behe point to homologues of any of the blood clotting factors in bacterial genomes? I doubt it. What about in Foraminifera, or Cnidaria? On top of that, if these genes are not turned on and are not functioning, then they will be obliterated by neutral mutations (i.e. become pseudogenes) in short order.