Intelligent design in the classroom
Eight members of the Pennsylvania school board that had been sued for introducing the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in biology class were swept out of office yesterday by a slate of challengers who campaigned against the intelligent design policy.
For those that dont know intelligent design is a proposed as an alternative explanation for evolution. Basically, its just creationism reworded in order for those pushing it to force science teachers to include it in their curriculum. However, there is a little something we call seperation of church and state we have here in these wonderful United States. This is an increasingly sensitive and important topic for me, because starting next year, I will be one of those high school science teachers. Just a quick background for you: there is OVERWHELMING evidence for evolution. Science is based on evidence. "Intelligent design" and creationism are not based on evidence. Therefore they are not science. Therefore, they should not be taught in science classrooms. I don't expect sunday school teachers to teach evolution, so why should science teachers be forced to teach creationism? Anyways, off of my tangent, sorry its a sensitive topic for me....Intelligent design basically just says there is a "designer" which created the Earth and everything around us. Sounds a lot like creationism doesnt it?
In the past several years, some have been pushing school boards to give equal time to evolution and intelligent design in science classrooms. Besides the fact that ID isnt science, theres another problem with this. I could do a month long unit on evolution, what in the heck am I supposed to talk about over ID for that same month? There is very little to talk about, because there is absolutely no evidence supporting it.
Proponents of ID claim that evolution is "just a theory." Yes, it is a scientific theory. The problem is that science uses theories much differently than the general public. A scientific theory is a well supported body of facts which is based on evidence and believed to be true. Therefore, theres really no justice in saying evoulution is "just a theory."
Back to whats happening today....a case just ended challenging the teaching of intelligent design. A verdict is expected by January.
Wow, this is quite a long post for me, and I could go on, but for now I'm sure you've heard enough. I will keep you all updated, in case you care. Just remember the outcome of this trial could affect whether or not your children are taught religion in public schools.
Oh, and by the way, Bush supports the mention of intelligent design in the classroom, which obviously makes me angry. So for all those that think I absolutely love and adore bush no matter what he does, I clearly don't.
Even the Vatican supports the theory of evolution.
Meanwhile, the Kansas Board of Education approved new public school science standards Tuesday that cast doubt on the theory of evolution. The standards will be used to develop student tests measuring how well schools teach science.
posted by David @ 9:57 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
The theory of intelligent design is actually very much based upon evidence. There is lots of scientific evidence which suggests the universe is too complex for evolution alone to be the answer. It has nothing to do with seperation of church and state, no one is trying to push creationism, but simply equality in teaching.
It seems to me that, for once, students are able to hear BOTH sides of the evolution debate, so to be able to decide for themselves! This is certainly an improvement over our students continuing to be fed only ONE of two major worldviews without exposure to any alternatives. The issue at hand is not whether one of the two--intelligent design or evolution--is correct, but whether students are being presented with a chance to form their own opinion.
If both the idea/concept that the universe and its species as we know them today have come into existence through a process of evolution, and the idea/concept that the universe and its species as we know them today have come into existence through intelligent design are both theories, each having both evidence for and against them, how can they not be given equal consideration when it comes to teaching? The bias that exists today is that the first idea/concept is taught as fact in our schools, without any mention of an alternative solution (where as in the previous era, the biblican view of creation was taught as fact). What would be sad for our education system, in my opinion, would be to continue teaching only ONE of two major theories, and to continue to present that theory as sientific fact when it remains debatable. At least 2/3 of the population of the world believes in intelligent design anyway. NOT exposing our students to that theory would put them at a serious disadvantage.
intelligent design is not science, it is adding a creator spin evolution itself. Science is based on a method, and to say "this is all caused by a creator because it is so perfect" is intellectually lazy and anti science. Intelligent design holds no evidence because it is based on faith. You have to have faith in the idea of a creator, there is no proving ones existance. I don't think 2/3 believe in intelligent design as it is stated but either way, almost 100% of scientist in this field strictly oppose even the idea of IT being science
Interesting points... I was arguing against abortion once against a Pro Choicer and the guy equated an embryo to "a pile of wood, cement and some glass and wire". An embryo not yet a human and the "pile" is not yet a house. I told him the house needed intelligent design to be completed just like the embryo. Damn he was pissed.
I have never for the life of me wondered why we make such a big deal about the Theory of Evolution. Have you ever seen an animal appear out of thin air? Nope... me neither... that right there proves the theory. You don't walk down the street and say, "Oh crap, a new squirrel!!!" The squirrel got there through evolution.
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