Posted
by David Ryan
May 6, 2005 at 11:49 a.m.
End of the week roundup
Some random thoughts for a Friday in Kansas:Just think: all the stem cells that became [Paris Hilton][1] could've been used to help find cures for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.As [reported recently][2], scientists "discovered a new species of dinosaurs in an intermediate stage between carnivore and herbivore, on the way to becoming a committed vegetarian." As one of my brothers muses, "Darwinian evolutionary theory provides an explanation for the fact that this animal has characteristics of two different types of dinosaurs. How does "intelligent design" theory explain this animal's apparent transitional nature? And, why would an intelligent designer create a transitional animal?"On that note, an [article in Slate][3] reminds us that "A theory isn't just a bunch of criticisms, even if they're valid. A theory ties things together. It explains and predicts. Intelligent design does neither. It doesn't explain why part of our history seems intelligently designed and part of it doesn't. Why are our feet and our back muscles poorly designed for walking? Why are we afflicted by lethal viruses? Why have so many females died in childbirth? ID doesn't explain these things. It just shrugs at them. 'Design theory seeks to show, based on scientific evidence, that some features of living things may be designed by a mind or some form of intelligence,' says one ID proponent. Some? May? Some? What kind of theory is that?"The whole sham can be summarized thusly: teach science in science classes, religion in comparative religion classes, and philosophy in philosophy classes.But then again, the idea of "teaching the controversy" (certainly not a new idea) is interesting. So, to honor that generally good idea, let's mandate that the controversy over Christianity itself be taught in every church throughout the States, starting here in "We don't need no stinkin' evolution" Kansas. The [millions upon millions of Americans who don't believe in any religion at all][4] certainly suggest there's a controversy over the claims religion makes. [1]: http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/05/film.paris.hilton.ap/index.html [2]: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/05/science/05dino.html [3]: http://slate.msn.com/id/2062009/ [4]: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/georgewill/gw20050505.shtml
Comments
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itsoffthehook (anonymous) says…
boring
kidmystic (anonymous) says…
But the real question is, when will the Yellowdog evolve from the cheese danish to the toffee almond bar (inside joke)
Most of this argument seems to be an apple and oranges type of thing. For the most part, specifically at the "micro" level, evolutionary theories don't seem to concern themselves with "cause and effect". And that's the whole argument for creationism; ok, sure, we see evidence to suggest that an evolutionary process exists to, at least, some extent...but how did this process begin? And, doesn't the use of the word "process" suggest that there must some design b/c a process is some that demands structure, at least in the sense that it must have a beginning and be building toward some sort of end, otherwise, it would be unrecognizable as a process.
Of course, my big problem with the whole debate is that, while both theories possess characteristics that are scientific and philosophic, Evolutionary theory is primarily scientific (the study of observable processes) and Creationism is primarily philosophic (conjecture based on observation of how those processes began). The dilemma hinges on that question of how things began, which, though I'm a big advocate of CD, I do not see as a question that has much place being addressed in a science class. I mean, as a teacher, make mention of the question and hint at your own personal bias, then move on. Then, petition the school board to make philosophy part of the high school curriculum. Wouldn't that be great? Or do it like they did in my highschool--we didn't learn about either theory and had to inform ourselves. But wait, that might have been b/c the biology teacher was also the football coach...