A Revolution in Evolution Is Underway

Thomas More Lawcenter ^ | Tue, Jan 18, 2005

[Jay777]

ANN ARBOR, MI — The small town of Dover, Pennsylvania today became the first school district in the nation to officially inform students of the theory of Intelligent Design, as an alternative to Darwin’s theory of Evolution. In what has been called a “measured step”, ninth grade biology students in the Dover Area School District were read a four-paragraph statement Tuesday morning explaining that Darwin’s theory is not a fact and continues to be tested. The statement continued, “Intelligent Design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin’s view.” Since the late 1950s advances in biochemistry and microbiology, information that Darwin did not have in the 1850s, have revealed that the machine like complexity of living cells - the fundamental unit of life- possessing the ability to store, edit, and transmit and use information to regulate biological systems, suggests the theory of intelligent design as the best explanation for the origin of life and living cells.

Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm representing the school district against an ACLU lawsuit, commented, “Biology students in this small town received perhaps the most balanced science education regarding Darwin’s theory of evolution than any other public school student in the nation. This is not a case of science versus religion, but science versus science, with credible scientists now determining that based upon scientific data, the theory of evolution cannot explain the complexity of living cells.”

“It is ironic that the ACLU after having worked so hard to prevent the suppression of Darwin’s theory in the Scopes trial, is now doing everything it can to suppress any effort to challenge it,” continued Thompson.

[general_re]

Intelligent Design = God

You're not supposed to admit that in public - you're supposed to pretend it could have been aliens or mad scientists or something.

[gdani]

Since the late 1950s advances in biochemistry and microbiology, information that Darwin did not have in the 1850s, have revealed that the machine like complexity of living cells - the fundamental unit of life- possessing the ability to store, edit, and transmit and use information to regulate biological systems....

How is that incompatible with evolution?

[broadway]

Darwin never discussed the Origin.....

I beleive you, but that's not my point. It's being taught as evidence of the way life originated in our public schools.

Who will correct the teachers?

[My2Cents]

people who are under the mistaken impression that Evolution and Abiogenesis are the same thing.

In that case, evolutionists should have no problem with the introduction of "intelligent design" or raw "creationism" into the schools, since those really broach something other than evolution, and hence are no threat to Darwinism.

[Strategerist]

Who will correct the teachers?

I don't remember the Origin of Life being addressed at all in any of my public school classes.

[atlaw]

From the article: Teachers reported that there were no problems in class after the statements were read and the entire process was uneventful.

Not particularly surprising. After all, the entirety of ID as a discipline was exhausted after the reading of the four paragraphs, so there wasn't much to get excited about.

(personally, I think ID is a conspiracy amongst school administrators who would really rather play golf than spend time organizing an actual science curriculum)

[Strategerist]

Actually the author of the statement doesn't really understand ID either, amazingly.

ID is basically a religious bastardization of evolution, not merely a theory of creation.

[bibarnes]

A question, if you please? Please give me at least 2 documented transitional species from fossil evidence. I know there must be thousands based on all the different species of animals that have evolved to date.

[MineralMan]

"Now a vague, pointless disclaimer at 1 out of some 14,000 high schools constitutes a "revolution"? heh
"

Well, the article really doesn't fit the headline. It talked about a "measured step," not a revolution. Lots of folks who believe that a deity did create the universe and life itself still believe that evolution is how we got to where we are, with regard to species.

Being an atheist, the very best I can say is that I do not know how life originated, but I do believe that the evidence is overwhelming regarding how it adapted and changed.

The origins of life itself? I dunno. I may never no, but I'm not disturbed by that. What I do know is more than enough to inspire wonder in me and to prompt me to try to learn more.

[PatrickHenry]

... the mistaken impression that Evolution and Abiogenesis are the same thing.

Correct. This is all that Darwin ever had to say on the subject of life's origin:

There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone circling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved.

Source, Origin of Species, 6th ed., last chapter, last sentence, which you can check here.

[Strategerist]

I actually don't think discussing the origin of life at all has any place in public schools. It's more of a college-level topic due to the complexity and speculative nature of it.

Because so many people attack evolution thinking it's abiogenesis, it's awfully hard to tell how many of those people really ARE genuinely opposed to evolution and are actual creationists (things like whales evolved from land mammals, etc. etc.)

[Oberon]

There's a sign the author of the statement is an utter and complete moron.

It's just sloppy use of language. It happens. There's no need to be rude.

[AntiGuv]

...evolutionists should have no problem with the introduction of "intelligent design" or raw "creationism" into the schools...

I certainly don't, so long as such metaphysical conjectures aren't taught as science.

[doc30]

The problem is that it is in a science class. ID is better suited for philosophy or theology. Science is incapable of investigating and answering questions regarding spirituality. If this is in a science class, then a meaningful discussion can ensue when ID theory comes up with the origins of the designer. ID only puts off the origin of life to something else, but where did that something else come from? How can we quantify the effects of "designer" or do we just let science slide back to the dark ages when "God made it so" was the only unquestioned answer? If that's the case, then the U.S. can kiss its technological and scientific legacy good bye. Time to import more H1Bs that understand how things work becasue our children won't.

[doc30]

Actually, all of that supports evolution.

[Ichneumon]

There are, actually, almost no threads or posts on FR attacking Evolution.

AAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!

[atlaw]

Here's a reasonable place to start:

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-transitional.html

[MineralMan]

You might begin your reading on transitional evolutionary series at this link:

http://www.origins.tv/darwin/transitionals.htm#Transitionals

I'm not qualified to list them for you, nor do I have the time. You'll find plenty of what you're looking for there.

[AntiGuv]

Please give me at least 2 documented transitional species from fossil evidence.

Go look in the mirror. You are a documented transitional species between whichever species we evolved from and whatever species we'll evolve into.. ;)