Intelligent Design Isn't

If you are from Kansas, a Conservative, subscribe to "intelligent design theory" and are on the public school board - stop reading now.

They are trying to re-write the definition of "science."

Last year, the board asked a committee of educators to draft recommendations for updating the standards, then accepted two rival proposals.

One, backed by a majority of those educators, continues an evolution-friendly tone from the current standards. Those standards would define science as "a human activity of systematically seeking natural explanations for what we observe in the world around us." That's close to the current definition.

The other proposal is backed by intelligent design advocates and is similar to language in Ohio's standards. It defines science as "a systematic method of continuing investigation" using observation, experiment, measurement, theory building, testing of ideas and logical argument to lead to better explanations of natural phenomena.

The Kansas board deleted most references to evolution from the science standards in 1999, but elections the next year resulted in a less conservative board, which led to the current, evolution-friendly standards. Conservatives recaptured the board's majority in 2004.

Jonathan Wells, a Discovery Institute senior fellow, said the dispute won't be settled in public hearings like the ones in Kansas.

"I think it will be resolved in the scientific community," he said. "I think (intelligent design), in 10 years, will be a very respectable science program."

Evolution defenders scoff at the notion.

"In order to live in this science-dominated world, you have to be able to discriminate between science and non-science," said Alan Leshner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. "They want to rewrite the rules of science."

The very nature of science is to classify the observable machinations of the natural world based on probable causes. Evolution Theory has passed scientific tests - I did it myself in high school, using Mendel's Theory and fruit flies. I successfully helped a group of fruit flies evolve, giving them different coloring and marking through breeding and attrition. It is proven that Evolution works.

The Kansas school board obviously never showed up in biology class, or else their Reverend gave them a permission slip to get out of it, based on religious beliefs. The problem, of course, is that they are intellectually crippling a whole states population of students. How many of these students will be able to make it through medical school if they don't recognize that bacteria and viruses evolve to defeat our immune systems? If the solution to your sniffles and projectile vomiting is "Well, some higher being obviously wanted you to be sick," then I've got a malpractice suit all ready to go, guy.

The fact that they think Intelligent Design will be an accepted scientific program in ten years is amazing. Absolutely astounding. The Intelligent Design Theorists would overturn all of Darwins acceptable conclusions and substitute them with more questions, and a noticable lack of conclusions. *sigh* Well, this is one of the few things that makes me glad I was raised in California.

Authors Note: As of publication date, I have not yet been able to create a chicken from clay. I'm still working on it.