Posted on 08/02/2005 4:16:26 AM PDT by PatrickHenry
President Bush waded into the debate over evolution and "intelligent design" Monday, saying schools should teach both theories on the creation and complexity of life.
In a wide-ranging question-and-answer session with a small group of reporters, Bush essentially endorsed efforts by Christian conservatives to give intelligent design equal standing with the theory of evolution in the nation's schools.
Bush declined to state his personal views on "intelligent design," the belief that life forms are so complex that their creation cannot be explained by Darwinian evolutionary theory alone, but rather points to intentional creation, presumably divine.
The theory of evolution, first articulated by British naturalist Charles Darwin in 1859, is based on the idea that life organisms developed over time through random mutations and factors in nature that favored certain traits that helped species survive.
Scientists concede that evolution does not answer every question about the creation of life, and most consider intelligent design an attempt to inject religion into science courses.
Bush compared the current debate to earlier disputes over "creationism," a related view that adheres more closely to biblical explanations. While he was governor of Texas, Bush said students should be exposed to both creationism and evolution.
On Monday, the president said he favors the same approach for intelligent design "so people can understand what the debate is about."
The Kansas Board of Education is considering changes to encourage the teaching of intelligent design in Kansas schools, and some are pushing for similar changes across the country.
"I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought," Bush said. "You're asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas. The answer is 'yes.'"
The National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science both have concluded there is no scientific basis for intelligent design and oppose its inclusion in school science classes. [Note from PH: links relevant to those organizations and their positions on ID are added by me at the end of this article.]
Some scientists have declined to join the debate, fearing that amplifying the discussion only gives intelligent design more legitimacy.
Advocates of intelligent design also claim support from scientists. The Discovery Institute, a conservative think tank in Seattle that is the leading proponent for intelligent design, said it has compiled a list of more than 400 scientists, including 70 biologists, who are skeptical about evolution.
"The fact is that a significant number of scientists are extremely skeptical that Darwinian evolution can explain the origins of life," said John West, associate director of the organization's Center for Science and Culture.
Everyone is a bad person. What you believe or don't believe has nothing to do with that. Some scientists even think humans are "wired" spiritually. But maybe some people just aren't.
Try rapidly. And not just this country.
"Evolution is no different than any religion
in that you have a bunch of facts you conclude
lead to evolution, but those facts don't prove
it."
ID is no different than any religion in that you have a no facts that lead to ID, but you believe it anyway.
Regardless of ones views on creationism/ID/evolution, that's a spot-on point. The "people" he's talking about are minors, children. And he seems to base his policy on exposure of information to these kids on how different the information is from what they already know about, and that alone. Lots of controversial things could fall under that line of thinking.
Exactly.
How very astute of you to spot Bush's hypocracy. Bush is a good leader and has his feet on the ground. But when it comes to science issues, statements like this about ID clearly show how he is trying to be politically diplomatic and scientifically illiterate at the same time.
No.
If you remember, often I have stated "I DO NOT BELIEVE IN EVOLUTION" on these threads. However, I do accept the prodigious mountain of evidence that supports the scientific theory of evolution that has been painstakingly accumulated for more than 150 years (even to the point of scientists and philosophers losing their lives in that pursuit).
This is not unlike asking you “do you believe that you will fall down towards the earth if you step out of a flying airplane”? Silly question huh. Of course you will fall towards the earth. No belief necessary.
Here is the rub. Do you think gravity is real? Remember there is a theory of gravity as well.
In fact, there is far more accumulated evidence and discovery describing the details of evolutionary theory than gravitational theory.
I'd like to think your interpretation is correct, so I will relax until I see him quoted as saying he thinks ID should be taught as science.
See post #50.
My take as well.
Get your facts right. Communists, like Stalin and Mao, were anti-evolution because evolution does not fit with communist ideology.
It's one thing to disagree but another to insult someone. These threads do get heated and that's why I usually avoid them.
I'm willing to defend him from the charge of being a live version of Alfred E. Neumann, but I do wish he wouldn't go out of his way to make it more difficult.
Where did I insult anyone?
Well, President Bush is certainly right about that. It's the exact same debate just under a patently transparent euphemism..
Not you. I've seen it in these crevo threads before which is why I avoid them.
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