Evolving doors: Students say they wouldn’t mind hearing both sides (Re Intelligent Design)

AP via News/Tribune ^ | 3-14-06 | kyle lowry

[LouAvul]

Intelligent design theory is creating quite a stir.

Most recently Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher said he supported school boards teaching Intelligent Design. In December, a Pennsylvania judge ruled against a Dover Township school board decision to include the theory in text books, costing the taxpayers about a million dollars in legal fees. Movements to begin teaching the intelligent design theory have popped up in dozens of states forcing local legislators and courts to address the issue.

The concept is simple: Were humans created by some sort of intelligent designer, possibly a deity, or by did we evolve scientifically based on Charles Darwin’s theories of natural selection?

However, as parents, school boards and taxpayers debate the larger issue, students locally have shared some interesting views.

Clarksville High School junior Kyle Banks is a member of Morton Memorial United Methodist Church and said he believes God created the world and its inhabitants, but has adapted to the idea of keeping his church beliefs separate from his schoolwork.

“I don’t necessarily agree with (evolution), but I don’t mind it, as long as they teach it as a theory,” Banks said.

Indiana’s educational standards concerning evolution were developed five years ago by a 60-person committee made up of teachers, scientists, administrators and parents.

In the ninth grade, students are taught how living things function in their environment through laboratory and field work, according to information from the Indiana Department of Education. The goal is to help students recognize that living organisms are made of cell or cell products that consist of the same parts as other matter, involve the same kinds of transformations of energy and move using the same kinds of basic forces.

“It’s based on getting a logical idea and testing the hypothesis,” said David Winship Taylor, head of biology at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, who has expertise in the area of evolutionary botany. “We know we have genetic variations and changes in genetic variation — and we have time.”

Students interviewed for this story came from extreme religious to agnostic backgrounds and each one said they looked at learning evolution as just another one of their academic requirements. With the exception of Banks, all were open to the idea of adding intelligent design to classroom discussion.

“If we have a problem with evolution, we could go into the hallway or office,” said Quincy Jones, a New Albany High School senior.

During his ninth grade study of evolution, Jones couldn’t remember one student leaving the classroom for personal reasons related to the topic.

“It wasn’t forced upon us, we just went over theory,” added NAHS sophomore Stephanie Medley.

A local youth minister supports the idea of teaching the competing theories.

“I think the students would benefit from hearing both sides of the story,” said Chris Tanner, a youth minister at Georgetown Christian Church. “You can teach it without saying it’s a God to who you’re held accountable. You could just say ‘a creator.’”

Matt Holloway, a Clarksville High School junior and also a member of Morton Memorial, has come up with his own hybrid belief that blended the ideas of evolution and religion.

“I probably have a different belief than most people,” Holloway said. “I view it as evolution and creation can co-exist.

“I believe in God and that he created all humans and if he wanted to create humans that could evolve, he could do that.”

Clarksville High School Science Teacher Sherri Abromavage said sensitivity is still a factor when discussing evolution.

“We’re just seeing how science explains some of the questions we have,” Abromavage said.

To date, she said she has never had a student not complete the evolution portion on her biology class because they were uncomfortable with the theory.

“Once they realize they’re not expected to give up their personal beliefs, they’re fine,” Abromavage said.

However, there are a few schools within Clark and Floyd counties where God and science are on the same syllabus.

“We teach the principles behind evolution and we include the means of origins, the origin of that idea and why scientists believe that,” said Tim Ferree, assistant principal and former science teacher at Christian Academy in New Albany. “We teach is the biblical record of origins.”

It makes for more well-rounded students to present them with all the information, Ferree said.

“Both ideas of how we got here are accepted by many different people and an educated person has to know all the ideas,” Ferree said. “There’s going to be some overlap in some areas and you have to open your eyes to that. “We shouldn’t be afraid to take a look at different types of origins.”

However, as far as teaching creationism in public schools, the U.S. Supreme Court has made its position quite clear.

“Evolution is a scientific fact and the problem one has when one teaches something besides evolution is you’re going to be teaching opinion, and usually a religious opinion, and that raises first amendment concerns,” said Ken Falk, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana.

In Kentucky, the word “evolution” was recently deleted from guidelines of what Kentucky public school students should know and be tested on when officials from the state education department substituted the phrase ”change over time” for evolution.

Deputy Commissioner Gene Wilhoit said he and other Kentucky state department officials saw no need to keep the word evolution in the guidelines for high school and middle school students.

“The word is a lightning rod that creates a diversion from what we’re teaching, and we did not want to advocate a particular doctrine or a specific view,” Wilhoit said.

It seems this kind of creative editing is spreading throughout the country.

In August, the Kansas Board of Education also garnered attention when it adopted new testing standards that play down the scientific importance of evolution.

Kentucky biology teacher Ken Rosenbaum said these types of decisions will discourage schools from covering the topic.

“A lot of teachers are upset about this,” said Rosenbaum, who is also director of the Kentucky Science Teachers Association. “They know it was done for political reasons. It’s either a scientific theory or it’s not. Why don’t we just stop calling the sunrise the sunrise?”

[LouAvul]

“Evolution is a scientific fact

Not true. Evolution is not even a theory. It is an hypothesis.

It's obvious that these "teachers" are afraid that, if given the facts, students will see through Darwin's big lie.

[balrog666]

Both sides? Why wouldn't they include all religious creation myths?

[Physicist]

Just because some percentage, even a majority, of students want to hear "both sides of a controversial issue", it does not follow that both sides should be taught. Holocaust denial comes to mind.

[JmyBryan]

Hollow earth theory still has many adherents as does demon possession. Other big lies?

[Mikey_1962]

Evolution has long been taught in the Catholic school system. Evolution is already a standard part of the curriculum in Catholic High Schools and Catholic universities.

Pope John Paul II declared before his death that "fresh knowledge leads to recognition of the theory of evolution as more than just a hypothesis" in a formal statement sent to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

God is in His heaven and all is right in my world.

Happy St Pat's!!

[HEY4QDEMS]

My daughter went to Catholic schools her whole life.

Creationism and ID were taught, but it just wasn't taught as part of the science curriculum's, it was part of the biblical studies courses.

I realize that many public schools can't or won't teach religion but I'm sure some work around can be reached if the ID proponents stop being insistent that ID be taught as a science.

[elmer fudd]

If you don't want your children to be taught evolution then send them to private schools. They will almost certainly get a better education. That's why this agnostic is paying good money to send his daughter to Catholic school.

[conservative_crusader]

I'm gonna say that most religions (save a few) agree with the possibility of a designer. Schools would not be teaching which is the true creator. Teachers would be presenting arguments supporting the possibility of a creator(s).

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
James 2:19

[DoctorMichael]

Go here!!!!!!!!!!!!!...............

http://www.echoesofenoch.com/hollowearth.htm

The Earth is hollow!!!!!!!!!!! I read it on the Internet therefore it must be true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Bible says so too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..........

Isa 40:22 "It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in."

.......and we all know that the Bible is the literal Word of God!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lets all get together and get this into our Godless Public School System as a viable alternative!!!!!!!!

Who's with me?

[GovernmentShrinker]

Were humans created by some sort of intelligent designer, possibly a deity, or by did we evolve scientifically based on Charles Darwin’s theories of natural selection?

That's not the question for serious scientists. However, serious scientists consider the possibility that simple living organisms were put here on purpose (or by accident) by some intelligent entity or entities, and then evolved into more complex organisms including humans. But if so, then those intelligent entities must have evolved somehow, from something, but not necessarily via anything resembling the route proposed by mainstream scientists for the Earth-based evolution from non-living matter to living organisms.

[mlc9852]

“Evolution is a scientific fact and the problem one has when one teaches something besides evolution is you’re going to be teaching opinion, and usually a religious opinion, and that raises first amendment concerns,” said Ken Falk, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana."

Wow - a lawyer AND a scientist! I just love and appreciate what the ACLU is doing for America!

[mlc9852]

Do you think Jews are afraid people won't believe the Holocaust isn't true?

[Clemenza]

That's nice, but "idiot design" isn't science.

Prove to me that there is physical evidence that there is a "creator."

(Crickets chirping)

[mlc9852]

How many people believe in a hollow earth?

[Clemenza]

bttt

[HEY4QDEMS]

The Bear And The Atheist

What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!"
an atheist said to himself.

As he was walking alongside the river he heard a rustling
in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot
grizzly charge towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path.
He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing.

He ran even faster, so scared that tears were coming to his eyes.

He looked over his shoulder again, and the bear was even closer.

His heart was pumping frantically and he tried to run even faster.

He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up,
but saw the bear, right on top of him, reaching for him with his left
paw and raising his right paw to strike him.
At that instant the atheist cried out "Oh my God!"

Time stopped.
The bear froze.
The forest was silent.
Even the river stopped moving.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky,
"You deny my existence for all of these years, teach others I
don't exist, and even credit creation to a cosmic accident.

Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament?
Am I to count you as a believer?"

The atheist looked directly into the light. "It would be hypocritical
to ask to be a Christian after all these years, but perhaps could
you make the bear a Christian?"

"Very well," said the voice.

The light went out.
The river ran again.
And the sounds of the forest resumed.



And then the bear dropped his right paw...
brought both paws together, bowed his head and spoke:
"Lord, for this food which I am about to receive,
I am truly thankful."

[Clemenza]

Bwahaa. Cute. ;-)

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

Both sides? Why wouldn't they include all religious creation myths?

Exactly. If it's okay to teach Christian/Jewish views of creation, why not Wiccaism? Hinduism? Occultism?

[FreedomWatcher]

Poor argument, asking for proof of something you simply don't WANT to believe in.

Why don't you tell us why and how our universe was created from nothing? You can't, because there is no evidence for evolution and a big bang event. Evolution takes faith to believe, and that is the basic definition of a religion.

Darwin's theory of evolution is based upon observable adaptations of living creatures, (birds all related to each other). His theory is "micro-evolution", or better described as natural adaptation to a current environment. This is easily observable, but it is wholely different than what people want to argue over and don't have a clue about. There is absolutely no proof or evidence for an animal EVER evolving into a new species. "Macro-evolution" (one species turning into another after millions of years) simply doesn't exist, has never existed, and will never be proven.

There is proof that humans and dinosaurs lived at the same time (in fossil records), proof of a world wide cataclysmic event (layers of flood sediment uniform around the entire globe), proof that petrification doesn't take millions of years (actual experiments showing it can be done in weeks), and proof of living creatures that were supposedly extinct millions of years ago (but somehow still living).

Do some honest research, and quit regurgitating old misproven theories and stories. The facts are available, and I hope people learn them for themselves.

[Clemenza]

There is no PHYSICAL evidence to support a "creator." There is plenty of physical evidence, however, that points to the evolution of flora and fauna on this earth.

Those of you folks that be drinkin' the juice (many of whom, btw, are Democratic voters, black women being the largest group believing in creationism, hence voiding creationists attempts to make this a lib vs. conservative argument) aint gonna be taken seriously until you submit your pseudoscience to rigourous peer review.