Human Origins  

 The accepted neo-Darwinian theory of origins, based on a strictly materialistic view of the universe, concludes that human beings must be descended, in a series of random steps, from ape-like creatures, which in turn have evolved from more distant ancestors. On this basis, if we go back in time far enough there must be a common ancestor from which all living things are descended. If however, as Intelligent Design (ID) argues, there is clear evidence of design in nature, then common design, rather than common descent, is a much more credible explanation of the similarities across living creatures. In addition, ID suggests that human beings have emerged as the result of deliberate design and this strengthens the self-evident position of ‘human exceptionalism’.