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Posted on 04/01/2002 1:50:07 PM PST by thinkster
ADL Opposes Teaching of 'Intelligent Design' in Schools By Lawrence Morahan CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer March 29, 2002
(CNSNews.com) - Creationism, intelligent design and other religious theories that challenge scientific explanations about the origin of the universe have no place in the public school curriculum, asserts the Anti-Defamation League, a public policy group that describes itself as "a staunch defender of religious freedom in America."
In an effort to blunt attempts by some educators to offer religious explanations of creation in public schools, the ADL recently produced an online guide for parents and teachers on why it believes "intelligent design" and other religious theories of creation have no place in the science class.
The ADL guide, "Religion in the Science Class? Why Creationism and Intelligent Design Don't Belong," uses a question-and-answer format to address "why efforts to introduce creationism in the science curriculum violate the separation of church and state."
"The U.S. Constitution guarantees the rights of Americans to believe the religious theories of creation - as well as other theories - but it does not permit them to be taught in public school science classes," the ADL said in a statement.
Their stand is the latest in a debate over the teaching of creationism or the Darwin theory of evolution, which has long been a hot topic in the culture war.
Those who favor Darwinism claimed a victory last February when the Kansas Board of Education decided to require the teaching of evolution in public schools across the state, reversing an earlier decision to remove evolution from the statewide guidelines for teaching and testing.
Meanwhile, those who believe in creationism have embraced "intelligent design" theory - the belief that design is empirically detectable in nature and that intelligent causes are responsible for the origin of the universe and of all forms of life - as an alternative subject.
Intelligent design is not connected with any particular religion. Millions of people believe there is a creator of the universe and that scientific theories such as the theory of evolution do not conflict with belief in a creator.
Jennifer A. Marshall, director of Family Studies with the Family Research Council, said she did not share the ADL's concerns that the teaching of intelligent design and other religious-based theories on the origin of the universe endangered children's religious freedom.
"I think as purported defenders of religious freedom, [the ADL] should be willing to accept a diversity of opinion within the classrooms," Marshall said.
"After all, evolution itself is a theory. We have some facts you can deal with, but there is quite a lot of hypothesis that is necessary to string those facts together into a theory of the origin of the universe," she added.
All theories on the origin of the universe are articles of faith to some extent and should be taught as such, Marshall stated.
The intelligent design movement sees the facts lining up in a way that could not have happened by chance. Therefore, they conclude that there was some intelligent designer behind this.
What happens with Darwinism or evolution in the classroom is that theory becomes the filter through which the curriculum is sifted, Marshall said. A parallel example is the population explosion theory, since debunked scientifically, which became one of the underpinnings of the secular faith of the public school.
"All of these competing theories are based on fact. It's not that one is a fiction and the other is not, each is dealing with the same facts and filling in the gaps in different ways," Marshall said.
A degree mill from someone's basement in Colorado Springs.
A degree mill from someone's basement in Colorado Springs.
Well. How 'bout Dr. Michael Behe?
Why don't you check out his background and what he has to say.
ML/NJ (who has a couple of degrees from RPI)
They've been effective fighting anti-semitism. This is not their role, the "terminology" of the issue shouldn't even be there to correct.
They've been effective fighting anti-semitism. This is not their role, the "terminology" of the issue shouldn't even be there to correct.
There are some fine responses to his "Darwin's Black Box" available - written by more articulate people than I - that show that Behe's been left behind by the science.
And so endeth the argument.
Behe is ignorant. I am ignorant.
ML/NJ
PS Last fall I was up at Cornell where my son is now a freshman. I went to their bookstore as I am wont to do (to relieve my ignorance). I look all over for stuff I might read, and I came to their "science" section. There I found a book by a Robert T. Pennock, Tower of Babel. He subtitles the book, "The Evidence against the New Creationism." Probably the most referenced subject in Pennock's book is "Behe, Michael." Of course, Behe's book isn't on sale at Cornell. Pennock, BTW, is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at The College of New Jersey - WOW! talk about major scientific credentials. (I did buy the book but I haven't read it yet.)
The very fact that the ID Virus exists gives credit to and proof of the concept of evolution. Evolution says that species evolve for survival. This is exactly what we have here.
Not nearly as effective as they have been in creating it. Imagine what would happen if a Christian ADL formed in Israel and started telling Jews what their kids are taught.
Even the courts are getting fed up with the ADL pushing people around. This cost the ADL $10 million bucks:
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