The Big Behe Theory

Dr. Azo Mazur
Fellow of the reDiscovery Institute

Reprinted from The reDiscovery Institute Proceedings, 2004

My good friend Dr. Michael Behe of Lehigh University has written a book, which he has entitled Darwin's Black Box. With all due respect, I believe Dr. Behe's's book is carefully crafted to seduce. Dr. Behe knows that many of us in the Design Movement are in enthusiastic agreement with his most general conclusion (that the universe as we know it demands a designer). He knows that we are hungry for members of the scientific mainstream, many of whom have been indoctrinated at secular schools and universities, to join our ranks. But we must not let that cloud our judgement of Dr. Behe's book. As a scientist I urge extreme caution.

Christians and non-Christians alike must find Dr. Behe's circumscription of the designer's role and the elevation of Behe's role to be curious. Dr. Behe's designer is allowed to act only at the level of biochemical assemblies, but is barred from acting at a more macroscopic level or a more microscopic level. The designer's hands are slapped if he attempts to work with tissues or cells or individual molecules. Only complex biochemical assemblies are fair game. Dr. Behe should rename his book "God in a Small Box (and we won't let him out)". What ego, that Dr. Behe, the biochemist, proposes that the Designer acts only in the realm of biochemistry. Dr. Behe has been granted, by Dr. Behe, a special role as Gatekeeper of the Dogma. He made himself the Disciple of Design.

Irreducibly Complex Systems. The fundamental 'idea' of Behe's book is that irreducibly complex systems (ICSs) in biochemistry are special, and are inconsistent with Darwinian Evolution. He claims that a biochemical ICS cannot be produced by successive small modifications of a precursor system. But the Disciple of Design has a chink or two or three in his armor.

First, the definitions: There are two parts to Dr. Behe's definition of an ICS. Part 1: A 'system' is composed of several well-matched interacting components that contribute to the basic function. Part 2: The 'system' effectively ceases function upon removal of any one of the components.

Irreducible Self-Importance. To understand Behe, consider the ICS discussed in detail in his book (the cilium). The cilium is a very complicated motor system composed of hundreds or thousands of proteins, along with many other components. And every protein is composed of thousands of atoms. Every atom is composed of many electrons, neutrons and protons. The complexity of the cilium is so great that many many scientists have spent their lives studying it. But Dr. Behe's intended audience has not spent years studying the cilium. Dr. Behe's intended audience has never heard of the cilium. Dr. Behe's intended audience is supposed to learn everything they need to know about the cilium, and about irreducible complexity from - the Disciple of Design, Dr. Behe. "Trust me," says Dr. Behe.

Could Dr. Behe have used other ICSs as examples? Oh Yes.

Dr. Behe could have started with a single enzyme (a protein). An enzyme will not fold properly, or function properly outside its watery environment. A single protein plus it's hydration environment meets all Dr. Behe's requirements for an ICS. Remove the water: no enzymatic activity. Remove the protein, no enzymatic activity. That system is irreducibly complex.

Moving up one level of complexity, consider a domain-swapped protein dimer (DSPD). In a DSPD, a small segment of one protein, is inserted into the another, and vice versa. Remove either protein, and the other ceases to function. That system is irreducibly complex.

Moving up a couple more levels of complexity (skipping over biochemistry), consider a cell and its organelles (mitochondria, nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, etc). Remove any one of the organelles and the cell dies. That system is irreducibly complex.

Moving up many levels of complexity, consider your heart. Remove a valve, it fails. Remove a muscle, it fails. That system is irreducibly complex.

Finally, consider yourself. Remove your liver, you die. Remove your kidney, you die. And so yes, you are irreducibly complex.

Dr. Behe has not discovered some new phenomenon whose discovery elevates Dr. Behe, as he believes, to the level of Einstein. Irreducible complexity is the rule in biological systems, and is observed at every level, from the atom, to the single enzyme, to the cilium, to the human form, made in God's image. ICSs are the rule. They are everywhere at every level of complexity. They most definitely are not restricted to Dr. Behe's world of biochemistry. His self-promoting book describes an exciting discovery that in truth is nothing short of mundane.

The motives and the logic of Dr. Behe's book demand challenge. The Design Movement must not allow self-promotion and shaky logic to weaken our case. With truth on our side, we don't gain by cheating. The discussion of ICSs in Dr. Behe's book could have focused on any or all levels of biology or chemistry. But no, Dr. Behe reserves a special role for his realm, biochemistry. He reserves a special role for himself. Well, we do not need a phoney Disciple of Design. Dr. Behe, you are fired.