Intelligent Design: A Threat to Science Education

Ok, lets talk about intelligent design (ID). It’s crap… to put it more effectively it’s stupid crap. It is a concept so flawed in its basic premise that I’m surprised it has gained support in the mainstream. The premise of course, is that divine creation is a valid scientific theory. It’s just an effect of intentional ignorance. Some people simply refuse to believe that humans evolved from lesser forms of life. But how do they come to ignore science and believe such a farce?

Often they come to this decision because evolution conflicts with their religious beliefs. This often happens when they are young and these ideas are indoctrinated in them by a parent. Of course this is common, parents teach their children what they believe. The hitch comes when they refuse to consider science a reputable source. Sticking firmly to their beliefs, many people do not even listen to the accepted theories of human origin. Instead they choose ignorance, or worse do not understand the scientific concepts that are so poorly introduced in the classroom. They hear that people evolved from apes and think, “Why are there still apes?” or “Why can’t I see an animal evolving?” This is of course a ridiculous misinterpretation of evolution, but they are not told any different by teachers that simply glaze over evolution in an effort to avoid the controversy.

But indeed it is their prerogative to be morons all their life. However, implying that a dressed up form of creationism should be taught in schools is absolutely ridiculous. This is really what seperates creationism from ID. Supporters of ID say it’s science, it’s not. You see dear reader; they come to believe this intelligent design business so firmly that it becomes a basis for their world view. They must only assume that those who believe the evolutionists must not have happened upon that pearl of wisdom they had that proved evolution wrong… probably that business about the apes (or something equally as incorrect). And of course, that means people must be made to see the truth. What better way to convince a populace that evolution is untrue than to provide an alternative, easier to understand version of human origins in their science curriculum? It’s easy to chalk up the complexity we see in the world to a supreme being… too easy if you ask me. Still, many simply can’t (or don’t want to) understand evolutionary concepts and buy into this bunk.

This is when it leaves the realm of personal choice (to be a moron) and becomes a social problem. ID is not science, it’s religion. There is no evidence to support it, just “evidence” to cast doubt on evolution. Though, I must say that most of the propaganda passed off as evidence is pure crap. ID is in no way testable or observable. A responsible society cannot allow what limited science education they have to be tainted by it. As far as I’m concerned there isn’t enough science education in schools.

Most people don’t realize it, but the US is one of the most fundamentalist nations in the world. By fundamentalist I’m referring to how closely social policy parallels the religious policy in a country. We are, in fact about on par with India in this department. The few who out rank us include Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Do we really only want to be a little bit less fundamentalist than Iran? I hope not but it seems like it’s getting worse. It’s been a slow decline over past years that is taking us farther away from the reason of science.

Even when I was in high school biology (in 1999) there was little or no discussion of evolution. I recall the chapter on Darwinian evolution was just skipped over. One of the most historically important discoveries in biology just skipped over. The subsequent chapters about the work that has been done since were also cut. If I didn’t have the initiative to learn about it on my own I wouldn’t have understood it myself. I don’t mind telling you I was pissed. When it became clear that they were not going to cover evolution I asked the teacher about it. She said she was given a lesson plan by school administrators and those chapters weren’t on it. Is this how we want science education in our country to go? I know I sure don’t.