The Darwin Times
Not-So-Intelligent Design
By: Rachel Hohneke
With the debate about where our human race came from, creationists scramble to tack on a “scientific” name to their belief.
Michael Behe and William Dembski founded the theory of intelligent design in 1996 with the book Darwin’s Black Box. It is the belief that all things made on Earth are made by an intelligent being (AKA a deity of some sort), challenging Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection. This belief is closely tied to the belief of creationism, which states that the world was made instantly by an omnipotent god. This “theory” was challenged in a court case Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, when the DoverSchool District had a statement about intelligent design read aloud to ninth graders in a science class. The judge ruled against the teaching of intelligent design in schools because it was too closely related to certain religious beliefs. To paraphrase, the court found Intelligent Design to be nonscientific because it violates the “centuries-old ground rules of science by invoking…supernatural causation” as well as going against the scientific community.
That is exactly what intelligent design boils down to; nonscientific. The definition of science is becoming muddled with personal beliefs. If our generation is to strive forward and progress, we have to differentiate what is fact and what is opinion. Intelligent Design is just an underhanded attempt at getting creationism taught in the school system. If schools are to teach a single spiritual perspective in science they would have to teach all possibilities of existence, despite probability and scientific support. There is nothing wrong with having a personal belief system set in place; it is wrong, however, to force these systems of beliefs upon others in a public school. As Cynthia Tucker said, “No matter how much proponents of 'intelligent design' try to clothe their views in the apparel of science, it is what it is: religion.” ACLU-PA. "Dover Trial Transcripts :: American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania." American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania (ACLU-PA). ACLU-PA. Web. 14 May 2010.
Sources:
"Articles About the Science of Intelligent Design." Explaining the Science of Intelligent Design. Discovery Institute. Web. 14 May 2010.
Gelbart, Mark. "Debunking Intelligent Design." Useless-Knowledge.com: Online Magazine Publishing Exclusive Articles. 2 Aug. 2005. Web. 14 May 2010.
IdeaCenter. "Primer: History of Intelligent Design and the Creation - Evolution Controversy." Intelligent Design and EvolutionAwarenessCenter. IdeaCenter, 2010. Web. 14 May 2010.
Tucker, Cynthia. "American Know-How Hobbled by Know-Nothings." Today In Science History. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9 Aug. 2009. Web. 14 May 2010.
Michael Behe and William Dembski founded the theory of intelligent design in 1996 with the book Darwin’s Black Box. It is the belief that all things made on Earth are made by an intelligent being (AKA a deity of some sort), challenging Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection. This belief is closely tied to the belief of creationism, which states that the world was made instantly by an omnipotent god. This “theory” was challenged in a court case Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, when the DoverSchool District had a statement about intelligent design read aloud to ninth graders in a science class. The judge ruled against the teaching of intelligent design in schools because it was too closely related to certain religious beliefs. To paraphrase, the court found Intelligent Design to be nonscientific because it violates the “centuries-old ground rules of science by invoking…supernatural causation” as well as going against the scientific community.
That is exactly what intelligent design boils down to; nonscientific. The definition of science is becoming muddled with personal beliefs. If our generation is to strive forward and progress, we have to differentiate what is fact and what is opinion. Intelligent Design is just an underhanded attempt at getting creationism taught in the school system. If schools are to teach a single spiritual perspective in science they would have to teach all possibilities of existence, despite probability and scientific support. There is nothing wrong with having a personal belief system set in place; it is wrong, however, to force these systems of beliefs upon others in a public school. As Cynthia Tucker said, “No matter how much proponents of 'intelligent design' try to clothe their views in the apparel of science, it is what it is: religion.” ACLU-PA. "Dover Trial Transcripts :: American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania." American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania (ACLU-PA). ACLU-PA. Web. 14 May 2010.
Sources:
"Articles About the Science of Intelligent Design." Explaining the Science of Intelligent Design. Discovery Institute. Web. 14 May 2010.
Gelbart, Mark. "Debunking Intelligent Design." Useless-Knowledge.com: Online Magazine Publishing Exclusive Articles. 2 Aug. 2005. Web. 14 May 2010.
IdeaCenter. "Primer: History of Intelligent Design and the Creation - Evolution Controversy." Intelligent Design and EvolutionAwarenessCenter. IdeaCenter, 2010. Web. 14 May 2010.
Tucker, Cynthia. "American Know-How Hobbled by Know-Nothings." Today In Science History. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9 Aug. 2009. Web. 14 May 2010.
