Show Me Your ID
Intelligent Design sounds like a paraphrase some corporation might come out with to describe their latest IT strategy. But Intelligent Design is a relatively new field of science that claims to show through scientific fact that an “intelligent designer” is responsible for life as we know it here on earth. Proponents of this theory claim that the fundamental constants of nature are so precisely tuned that they could not have occurred without an intelligent designer. Of course billions of people around the world with faith in God may well agree with such a theory.
However advocates of ID claim that science, and evolution in particular, are incomplete and therefore Intelligent Design theory should be taught in modern classrooms as an appropriate part of a science curriculum. Just recently, George Bush indicated to reporters that he would be in favour of seeing ID taught in all public schools in America. Last week, eight families in Pennsylvania took action in court to prevent ID from being taught in biology classes. The families argue that this promotes the Bible's view of creation, violating the constitutional separation of church and state.
And here is where the argument begins. While evolution is only considered a theory, it is backed up with nearly a 150 years of scientific research and study and, as yet, nobody has come up with a conclusive counter argument. On the other hand, intelligent design theory has been around for barely a decade and most of the scientific arguments are based on mainly trying to find weaknesses in natural selection and evolutionary theories rather than provide positive evidence for their own position. Many eminent scientists have rightly questioned certain aspects of the evolutionary theory but ID thus far has not been subject to the same critique. Yet remarkably there is a serious possibility of it being added to the curriculum of public schools in America.
So, why is George Bush so interested in teaching ID to young Americans? Could it be that the religious right is pushing this agenda? Not surprisingly, backers and research financers of Intelligent Design are from fundamentalist Christian groups such as Templeton Foundation and the Discovery Institute and possess huge financial clout. If ID could be added to the science curriculum it would be the perfect way for the Christian right to push their religious ideology in a nation where state and church are deemed to be separated. In America, all public schools are supposed to be secular. Of course, you can send a child to a fee-paying Catholic, Muslim or Hindu School if you wish, but for the vast majority of Americans public schools are the only affordable option.
Perhaps it’s a cynical attitude, but this, like so many other of Bush’s policies, would appear to be a way of covertly influencing the next generation of Americans, thus reinforcing their beliefs for decades to come.
Pmc
Published by Colm.
However advocates of ID claim that science, and evolution in particular, are incomplete and therefore Intelligent Design theory should be taught in modern classrooms as an appropriate part of a science curriculum. Just recently, George Bush indicated to reporters that he would be in favour of seeing ID taught in all public schools in America. Last week, eight families in Pennsylvania took action in court to prevent ID from being taught in biology classes. The families argue that this promotes the Bible's view of creation, violating the constitutional separation of church and state.
And here is where the argument begins. While evolution is only considered a theory, it is backed up with nearly a 150 years of scientific research and study and, as yet, nobody has come up with a conclusive counter argument. On the other hand, intelligent design theory has been around for barely a decade and most of the scientific arguments are based on mainly trying to find weaknesses in natural selection and evolutionary theories rather than provide positive evidence for their own position. Many eminent scientists have rightly questioned certain aspects of the evolutionary theory but ID thus far has not been subject to the same critique. Yet remarkably there is a serious possibility of it being added to the curriculum of public schools in America.
So, why is George Bush so interested in teaching ID to young Americans? Could it be that the religious right is pushing this agenda? Not surprisingly, backers and research financers of Intelligent Design are from fundamentalist Christian groups such as Templeton Foundation and the Discovery Institute and possess huge financial clout. If ID could be added to the science curriculum it would be the perfect way for the Christian right to push their religious ideology in a nation where state and church are deemed to be separated. In America, all public schools are supposed to be secular. Of course, you can send a child to a fee-paying Catholic, Muslim or Hindu School if you wish, but for the vast majority of Americans public schools are the only affordable option.
Perhaps it’s a cynical attitude, but this, like so many other of Bush’s policies, would appear to be a way of covertly influencing the next generation of Americans, thus reinforcing their beliefs for decades to come.
Pmc
Published by Colm.
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