Functional integration indicates design (Talk.Origins)

Claim CI130:


 * Design is indicated by functional integration, which is multiple parts working together to produce a particular function or end.

Source: Lumsden, R., quoted by B. J. Alters, 1995. A content analysis of the Institute for Creation Research's Institute on Scientific ''Creationism. Creation/Evolution'' 15(2): 1-15.

CreationWiki response:

The argument presupposes that climate is not intelligently designed. According to General Intelligent Design it would be designed and not arbitrarily.

This is Begging the Question since it presupposes that Evolution can produce functional integration, despite the fact that the claim is questioning that assertion.

This assumes at least three things that are based entirely on Evolutionism:
 * 1) That there is no purpose in the systems being as they are.
 * 2) That the imperfections and "jury-rigging" are not a result of deterioration from a perfect design. In such cases, the "jury-rigging" would result from an organism compensating for the affects of deterioration. Such compensation is itself evidence of design.
 * 3) That human knowledge in both design and in biology is perfect and complete.

There have been many instances in which evolutionist biologists declared a design as useless, or vestiges from previous evolutionary stages in the organism, that later were found to have vital and indispensable purposes.

This looks like a perfect example of an organism compensating for the effects of deterioration. The original gene probably encoded for arginine, but a mutation occurred that ruined the gene, but as a result of embedded design the mice produced an enzyme that corrects for the mutation, and such compensation suggests advanced planning which strongly argues for design.

Talk Origins is not considering the affects of deterioration. The noted prostate infection is a result of deterioration, resulting from Man's Fall.

It also needs to be noted that for any design that is declared as "imperfect" by a biologist there may be unknown considerations that make for a superior design. Mankind has no idea as of yet how to program any computer that can reach the intricate self-maintaining, self-correcting, and self-reproducing systems that comprise all of life, beginning with the DNA code itself.

The teeth of the baleen whale fetus guide the correct formation of the whale's massive jaws and after that job is done the whale no longer needs them since they feed in different manner. This shows economy in design, once they have done their job they make way for the structures the whale needs to feed.

This is irrelevant since life is extremely complex with multiple parts.

This is not only baseless, but it is also Begging the Question. It presupposes that Evolution can produce functional integration, despite the fact that the claim is questioning that assertion.