I was invited to participate in this thread. Sadly a lot of this is over my head so I don't have anything meaningful to add, and it would take me weeks to read the 95 pages of posts. The only useful thing I can think to add to the Christian side is that even Richard Dawkins wasn't opposed to the idea of intelligent design. I apologize if this was previously posted. Dawkins it seems is willing to believe perhaps a race of aliens designed and planted us humans. He's apparently ok with design, just not with a supreme Designer.
Here's a link to a debate with Ben Stein. About 3 minutes in Dawkins entertains ID. He even gets specific about it.
I always love it when people post that clip. It's an exceptional example of creationist dishonesty and misconduct.
Here's the true story behind that clip.
First, Dawkins was
lied to about the purpose of the video. He was told it concerned a serious science documentary for educational purposes, while it really concerned an anti-science creationist propaganda video. So this wasn't a "debate", as you call it. This was an
interview and the producers
lied about their intent and motivations. If they would have been honest about it, then Dawkins would have never agreed to participate.
Second, Dawkins was asked to bend over backwards and
assume that life was created. He was asked to
pretend as if that could be demonstrated. And
given that as a hypothetical fact, how that could be explained. Dawkins replied that it would have to have been an alien species that seeded / bio-engineered first primitive life after which it evolved over billions of years into the species we know today. And that that aliens species itself, would also have to have come about by some darwinian process on some other planet.
Then, this clip was edited and cut to make it look
as if Dawkins actually really considers this a valid option.
It is the epitome of intellectual dishonesty.
The title of that piece of garbage, "no intelligence allowed", is kind of ironic when put in that context.