This is a copy of the paper which appeared in Philosophia Christi, Vol. 26, No. 1, 2024, 91-113.
It deals with an objection to viewing the cell as intelligently designed.
Living cells are commonly described as containing at a microscopic level machines, factories and digital code. Given that machines, factories, and digital code require explanation in terms of intelligence agency, this appears to support the argument that cells require explanation in terms of design.
Critics have objected, however, that such descriptions are only metaphorical, and in fact are not even good metaphors.
I argue that this objection is mistaken and that such language such be taken literally. Consequently, the argument that cells require explanation in terms of design has not been refuted.
