Michael Behe

“We are not inferring design from what we do not know, but from what we do know.”

“The simplicity that was once expected to be the foundation of life has proven to be a phantom; instead, systems of horrendous, irreducible complexity inhabit the cell.”

“An irreducibly complex system cannot be produced directly by numerous, successive, slight modifications of a precursor system, because any precursor to an irreducibly complex system that is missing a part is by definition nonfunctional.”

“The conclusion of intelligent design flows naturally from the data itself—not from sacred books or sectarian beliefs.”

“To a person who does not feel obliged to restrict his search to unintelligent causes, the straightforward conclusion is that many biochemical systems were designed.”

“The result of these cumulative efforts to investigate the cell—to investigate life at the molecular level—is a loud, clear, piercing cry of ‘design!’”

“Although Darwin’s mechanism—natural selection working on variation—might explain many things, I do not believe it explains molecular life.”

“What type of biological system could not be formed by 'numerous, successive, slight modifications'? Well, for starters, a system that is irreducibly complex.”

“Molecular evolution is not based on scientific authority. There is no publication in the scientific literature in prestigious journals, specialty journals, or books that describe how molecular evolution of any real, complex, biochemical system either did occur or even might have occurred.”

“The purposeful arrangement of parts is what we detect as design.”

“My conclusion can be stated in one sentence: There is no publication in the scientific literature—in prestigious journals, specialty journals, or books—that describes how molecular evolution of any real, complex, biochemical system either did occur or even might have occurred.”

“The theory of intelligent design is not a religiously based idea... It is a scientific theory, which relies on the same methods of investigation and reasoning as other scientific theories.”

“I have no reason to doubt that the universe is the billions of years old that physicists say it is. I have no reason to doubt that all organisms are related by common descent. I have a great reason to doubt that the blind watchmaker is the explanation for life.”

“The basic prediction of intelligent design is that biological systems will be found to be elegantly and efficiently organized.”

“Intelligent design is a good scientific theory.”