Posted on 08/04/2005 12:43:01 PM PDT by Crackingham
A leading Republican senator allied with the religious right differed on Thursday with President Bush's support for teaching an alternative to the theory of evolution known as "intelligent design."
Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, a possible 2008 presidential contender who faces a tough re-election fight next year in Pennsylvania, said intelligent design, which is backed by many religious conservatives, lacked scientific credibility and should not be taught in science classes.
Bush told reporters from Texas on Monday that "both sides" in the debate over intelligent design and evolution should be taught in schools "so people can understand what the debate is about."
"I think I would probably tailor that a little more than what the president has suggested," Santorum, the third-ranking Republican member of the U.S. Senate, told National Public Radio. "I'm not comfortable with intelligent design being taught in the science classroom."
Evangelical Christians have launched campaigns in at least 18 states to make public schools teach intelligent design alongside Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Proponents of intelligent design argue that nature is so complex that it could not have occurred by random natural selection, as held by Darwin's 1859 theory of evolution, and so must be the work of an unnamed "intelligent cause."
Santorum is the third-ranking member of the U.S. Senate and has championed causes of the religious right including opposition to gay marriage and abortion. He is expected to face a stiff challenge from Democrat Bob Casey in his quest for re-election next year in Pennsylvania, a major battleground state in recent presidential elections.
SNIP
"What we should be teaching are the problems and holes -- and I think there are legitimate problems and holes -- in the theory of evolution. What we need to do is to present those fairly, from a scientific point of view," he said in the interview.
"As far as intelligent design is concerned, I really don't believe it has risen to the level of a scientific theory at this point that we would want to teach it alongside of evolution."
You want theology taught in a science class? The TOE is the basis of modern biology which becomes incoherent without it.
This is all so stupid. Really.
That our Senators should be spending their time, and our resources, addressing evolution vs. intelligent design is Exhibit A on why the federal government should net be getting involved in discussions about curriculum.
As I will continue to say: If we don't let the government dictate the content of our newspapers, WHY are we letting it dictate the content in our classrooms?
I can only imagine that some idiot in the House or Senate will end up proposing some type of legislation action on this issue. Maybe it will die in the Rules Committee and never see daylight, or maybe it will get to a vote.
But whatever happens to it, it will be a waste of time and money, and more important, an outrage on our liberties.
ID theory is "common sense"??
President Confuses Science and Belief, Puts Schoolchildren at Risk
Yep, libs have promoted policies that negatively affected the well-being of schoolkids for years, but let Bush make a comment about teaching ID and all of a sudden THE TYKES ARE AT RISK!
One doesn't have to believe in ID to see just how stupid the hysteria over Bush's comments is.
Exactly.
Why the heck are the Prez and Congresscritters getting involved now?
It's called pandering to get re-elected.
Duh, yes. And certainly teaching weaknesses of and alternatives to the High Church of Darwin's dogma should be.
Dan
Would you mind quoting specifics?
Generalizations work great for liberals, but as a conservative I like facts more than generalizations or FEELINGS.
Santorum's memorized the Discovery Institute's Talking Points.
ID is THEORY, just as evolution is.
Neither is "common sense".
Agreed. It looked like a joke, like a Scrappleface piece. "Women and minorities hit hardest!"
These sorts are SO portentous, SO full of themselves, they have NO CLUE when they become living, walking, talking self-parodies.
Dan
Are you saying that people who believe that Intelligent Design is religion, not science, are not conservatives?
Can we go on to say that since we have persuasive evidence that Genesis is mostly wrong about how the Universe was created, this proves the Bible cannot be relied on as a source of truth?
I mean, if you want to talk about the Bible in science class, surely it's OK to mention science contradicts much of what's in the Bible?
Ridiculous. Everyone knows that the first man was created by Anansi the Spider and that Nyame breathed life into him.
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