I kind of disagree.
If you blindly accept the initial conclusion of the teleological argument, you can infer some conclusions about the Designer - not many, but some. Firstly, that it designs. Secondly, the methods it uses to design (natural laws, evolution, etc.). What you can't do is conclude that it's any particular god, or aliens or superdimensional, intergalactic RPG players, you can't conclude why this designer designed anything at all, etc.
The problem is that by accepting the conclusion of the initial argument you're letting this person get away with murder. You can't simply assert that something that appears designed requires a designer, therefore the designer necessarily exists. You have to demonstrate that something with the appearance of design necessitates a designer, which we have shown, scientifically, is not the case.
An ID-accepting theist can then propose that their favorite designer was the one that created the laws and mechanisms according to which we can observe the universe functioning, but then they fall into an argument from ignorance because they're back to asserting things they can't demonstrate.
If you blindly accept the initial conclusion of the teleological argument, you can infer some conclusions about the Designer - not many, but some. Firstly, that it designs. Secondly, the methods it uses to design (natural laws, evolution, etc.). What you can't do is conclude that it's any particular god, or aliens or superdimensional, intergalactic RPG players, you can't conclude why this designer designed anything at all, etc.
The problem is that by accepting the conclusion of the initial argument you're letting this person get away with murder. You can't simply assert that something that appears designed requires a designer, therefore the designer necessarily exists. You have to demonstrate that something with the appearance of design necessitates a designer, which we have shown, scientifically, is not the case.
An ID-accepting theist can then propose that their favorite designer was the one that created the laws and mechanisms according to which we can observe the universe functioning, but then they fall into an argument from ignorance because they're back to asserting things they can't demonstrate.
Teenaged X-Files obsession + Bermuda Triangle episode + Self-led school research project = Atheist.
