Intelligent by Design?
I was first made aware of the theory of Intelligent Design when The Husband showed me a post from Harrangueman on The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. This site was an a satirical commentary on the Theory of Intelligent Design and the fact that some American Schools were teaching it alongside evolution in science class. Flying Spaghetti Monster proposes that the universe indeed was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster (see Below).
Last night on Catalyst The Husband got rather rabid when they covered whether intelligent Design should be taught in Australian schools. Now I can see both sides of the argument, and funnily enough after the show The Husband and I continued to discuss the matter, and I cam round to his point of view. Intelligent Design does not belong in the science classroom - perhaps it is more suited to a philosophy or religion class.
This is what the viewing public thought:
Past Catalyst PollsYou had your say on whether you think Intelligent Design should be taught in science classrooms.
Yes 34%
No 66%
9308 votes counted
This poll was taken from the Intelligent Design story. Read the story.
Apparently the "Design Institute" in America is one of the original bodies behind Intelligent Design. In the late 1990's they produced what has been called 'the wedge document'. The aim of this document was:
"Our strategy is intended to function as a "wedge" that, while relatively small, can split the trunk when applied at its weakest points. Design theory promises to reverse the stifling dominance of the materialist worldview, and to replace it with a science consonant with Christian and theistic convictions."
Read the Wedge Document Here.
Australian Scientists are fighting back, and have produced an open letter refuting Intelligent Design. In an open letter to major newspapers, the unprecedented collaboration says the idea - suggesting life is too complex to have come about without a guiding intelligence - fails to be science "on every level".
See a story on this in The Age.
So what do y'all think?
posted by Capital Mum @ 3:26 PM
5 Comments:
Intelligent Design is just Creationism in a natty white overcoat, maybe (just maybe) holding a beaker.
I heard on the radio today that this rubbish is actually being taught in some Australian schools! Please, oh please tell me that isn't true? 8-|
Or at least if it is true, it's being taught in Philosophy or Religion or maybe Social Studies or something?
I feel ashamed to think that even 34% of people responding to that poll feel that this crap should be taught in SCIENCE classes.
I hope it's just because a whole heap of Christian nutbags who aren't regular Catalyst watchers decided to watch the show and were motivated to put their nutbag views across in the poll.
I was alarmed too, when I heard that ID was being taught in Australian schools, but it turned out just to be one rabid christian school.
Intelligent design was invented by creationists with the sole intent of weasling their way into the US school curriculum.
Rabid? RABID?!!!
Well, yeah, I am. That's because ID is all about the "Why" and not the "What" or "How". Anything that looks at why things are the way they are like this belongs in philosophy or religion, NOT the science classroom.
The "ultimate answer" as to why things are the way they are is unlikely to ever be answered by science. Science can simply show the most likely explanation for what is going on and how things work. I think this scares or aggravates some fundamentalist religious types because it can imply there is no need for God.
I can guarantee I will be most upset if my daughter gets taught ID as a science subject, and I vow here and now that I will make sure she understands it is a bunch of baloney as a scientific theory.
---oh, and as an addendum, I'm so, SO blitzed that I didn't get post #2 here. Stupid HTML tags (and hi, Sarah!)---
Intelligent Design is just Creationism in a natty white overcoat, maybe (just maybe) holding a beaker.
LOL !
I concur. Intelligent Designists should scrub the word 'Intelligent' for a start.
Religion class - sure, knock yourself out. Science glass, come here Mr ID teacher, I think this bunsen nozzle is leaking. Yep, come closer. (flick, flick, WHOOSH)
May you be touched by his noodly appendage.
I want a FSM T-shirt for my birthday (which is in 29 days, btw...)
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