ID is an effort to say that "if we don't understand it, then God did it". But if God did it, then why would science study an issue further. ID is a fire extinquisher on science.
People used to think that lightning was the direct hand of God. It's good that Franklin didn't leave it at that.
Humans have studied the natural world for 200 years now, and have not found scientific evidence of God yet. There's no reason to think that the current edges of our scientific understanding define where the natural world ends and God begins.
You wrote:
"There's no reason to think that the current edges of our scientific understanding define where the natural world ends and God begins."
You are so right. We are hundreds and hundreds of years, if ever, away from understanding God's creation.
The issue isn't whether God exists or not. After all, a very large percentage of Americans believe in His existence already and evolution's appearance on the scene hasn't fazed us poor cretins.
The real issue is that Americans still have a right to the free exercise of religion and the schools and universities have a subtle way of beating up on them for it (remember prof. Paul Mirecki, who wrote a nasty comment about smacking the fundies in their fat faces and then went out and slugged himself when he was caught?).
Squelching debate simply isn't fair and it is also not American.
It especially isn't fair because a lot of scientists who aren't into the God thing actually see sort of a face in the carpet of the universe, and it, well, fascinates them. I remember astrophysicist Steven Hawkings stating in an interview with der Spiegel that the chances of this earth having come about without some sort of intelligence behind it were rather slim, and he is an agnostic.
The debate is still raging and I can't for the life of me understand how it is that people who are noted for their defense of "free inquiry" would take such delight in a court decision obviously intended to chill debate.
Besides, if this theory is so darned nonsensical, then have the debate and don't tell inquisitive school students they're not supposed to know about it. Otherwise, they--at least the smart ones--will think you're up to something.
Know what? I was brought up by religious fundies and it was precisely this dampening of inquiry that drove me away and into the arms of the Left (for about 40 years). I was especially incensed by their ignorance of the theory of evolution!
And it is precisely the desire to chill inquiry that is driving me away from liberal-left fundamentalism. Judge John Jones III will fuel this debate more than anyone with his Spanish Inquisitor's stance!
The issue isn't whether God exists or not. After all, a very large percentage of Americans believe in His existence already and evolution's appearance on the scene hasn't fazed us poor cretins.
The real issue is that Americans still have a right to the free exercise of religion and the schools and universities have a subtle way of beating up on them for it (remember prof. Paul Mirecki, who wrote a nasty comment about smacking the fundies in their fat faces and then went out and slugged himself when he was caught?).
Squelching debate simply isn't fair and it is also not American.
It especially isn't fair because a lot of scientists who aren't into the God thing actually see sort of a face in the carpet of the universe, and it, well, fascinates them. I remember astrophysicist Steven Hawkings stating in an interview with der Spiegel that the chances of this earth having come about without some sort of intelligence behind it were rather slim, and he is an agnostic.
The debate is still raging and I can't for the life of me understand how it is that people who are noted for their defense of "free inquiry" would take such delight in a court decision obviously intended to chill debate.
Besides, if this theory is so darned nonsensical, then have the debate and don't tell inquisitive school students they're not supposed to know about it. Otherwise, they--at least the smart ones--will think you're up to something.
Know what? I was brought up by religious fundies and it was precisely this dampening of inquiry that drove me away and into the arms of the Left (for about 40 years). I was especially incensed by their ignorance of the theory of evolution!
And it is precisely the desire to chill inquiry that is driving me away from liberal-left fundamentalism. Judge John Jones III will fuel this debate more than anyone with his Spanish Inquisitor's stance!
The issue isn't whether God exists or not. After all, a very large percentage of Americans believe in His existence already and evolution's appearance on the scene hasn't fazed us poor cretins.
The real issue is that Americans still have a right to the free exercise of religion and the schools and universities have a subtle way of beating up on them for it (remember prof. Paul Mirecki, who wrote a nasty comment about smacking the fundies in their fat faces and then went out and slugged himself when he was caught?).
Squelching debate simply isn't fair and it is also not American.
It especially isn't fair because a lot of scientists who aren't into the God thing actually see sort of a face in the carpet of the universe, and it, well, fascinates them. I remember astrophysicist Steven Hawkings stating in an interview with der Spiegel that the chances of this earth having come about without some sort of intelligence behind it were rather slim, and he is an agnostic.
The debate is still raging and I can't for the life of me understand how it is that people who are noted for their defense of "free inquiry" would take such delight in a court decision obviously intended to chill debate.
Besides, if this theory is so darned nonsensical, then have the debate and don't tell inquisitive school students they're not supposed to know about it. Otherwise, they--at least the smart ones--will think you're up to something.
Know what? I was brought up by religious fundies and it was precisely this dampening of inquiry that drove me away and into the arms of the Left (for about 40 years). I was especially incensed by their ignorance of the theory of evolution!
And it is precisely the desire to chill inquiry that is driving me away from liberal-left fundamentalism. Judge John Jones III will fuel this debate more than anyone with his Spanish Inquisitor's stance!