I just saw a very instructive two hour program by NOVA.  It had to do with the recent events (2004) in a town in Dover, PA where a couple of individuals on the school board pushed through a requirement that Intelligent Design be taught in biology classrooms as a viable alternative to the modern theory of evolution.  They also required that a notice be read to the class which said that there was significant problems in the theory.  When the teachers refused to read the notice in the class room, the assistant principal walked into the classroom and read it himself.

     The program dealt with the subsequent trial that resulted when some parents and teachers brought suit against the school board.  They had a reinactment of parts of the testimony dealing with the evidence presented by each side.   Read the account of the event here.

I personally believe that this universe was created by God.  I base this belief upon the basic physical “laws” by which this universe operates and other more subjective beliefs.  I think that given these particular physical principles, it is inevitable that matter evolved from Hydrogen gas into intelligent, self-aware life forms.  I think that life, and intelligent life has evolved numerous times throughout this universe. I do not believe that further “meddling” in this evolution was necessary by such a Creator.

       I do believe though that this Creator is not just some distant creator, but is a personal God that can take an active part in our lives.  However, there is a difference between faith or personal beliefs and what should be viewed as scientific fact.

  Given these beliefs, do I think that “Intelligent Design” or the idea that an intelligent creator made and directed the development of the universe should be taught in science classes as some advocate?  Absolutely NOT!  I absolutely do NOT believe that these ideas should be taught in science classes along with other ideas.  Why?  Simply put  there is no conclusive scientific evidence for such beliefs.  Personally, I think that there is sufficient evidence (basic physical laws) to propose an hypothesis for such a creator, but to this date there is insufficient data to accept the hypothesis in a scientific manner.

    Science should remain as objective as possible without the introduction of beliefs that can’t be proven.  I think that if  Biology or other science teachers are required to teach the idea of Intelligent Design in classrooms, it would be a gross travesty. I would REFUSE to teach such an idea on the same level as other scientific laws.  The idea is simply not science and has no place in a science classroom except as a background discussion.   I see no problem in it being discussed in other classes such as Civics, Philosophy, or any other class dealing with ideas or current events, but not on the same level as the theory of evolution.

The infamous Kansas Board of Education also approved new science standards that allows the teaching of Intelligent Design in Biology classrooms (9Nov205). Among other things the Board:

1.  Rewrote the definition of science so that is no longer limited to the search of natural explanations of phenomena.

2.  They said that that the basic Darwinian theory that all life has a common origin and that natural processes created the building blocks of life has been challenged in recent years by fossil evidence.

3. As one supporter said: “It gets rid of a lot of dogma that’s being taught in the classroom today.”

Personally I would like to know the new fossil evidence that throws the theory into doubt.  I am gratified also that the board appears to be composed of competent paleontologists.  Fortunately this has been overturned recently.  See here for a discussion of the teaching of Creationism and Evolution in science classrooms.