UK decides intelligent design is not science
By Iain Thomson for vnunet.com
26 Jun 2007
UK government has confirmed that 'intelligent design', sometimes called neo-creationism, will not be taught in schools as part of the National Curriculum. The statement came in response to a petition calling for the doctrine not to form part of British education. A similar case in the US occurred in 2005 when a Pennsylvania court found that intelligent design was not a scientific theory and "cannot uncouple itself from its creationist, and thus religious, antecedents".
"The UK government is aware that a number of concerns have been raised in the media and elsewhere as to whether creationism and intelligent design have a place in science lessons," said the government in its response to the petition. "The government is clear that creationism and intelligent design are not part of the science National Curriculum programmes of study and should not be taught as science." It continues that intelligent design can be referred to in classes, but that it must be made clear that it is not science and that pupils will not be tested on the subject. The report will come as a relief to many who worry that Britain is increasingly being targeted by those who seek to introduce intelligent design into school science classes.
Despite the US court ruling, intelligent design is still taught in many American schools and President Bush has expressed his wish that this should continue. "We are very pleased about the decision," said Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society. "It is very important that the government has made such a plain statement of intent that intelligent design will not be taught in science classes. It is not science and has no business posing as such and creating confusion for children in schools." The concept of intelligent design states that the variety and complexity of life on Earth could not be down to evolution, but must instead have been created by an intelligent entity.
The concept first surfaced in the mid-1980s as attempts were made to overturn the teaching of evolution in schools. One of the main advocates for the theory is the Discovery Institute in the US, which receives some funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 1999 a memo from the organisation was leaked, the so-called 'Wedge document', which outlined the Institute's 20-year plan for attacking evolution. Its stated objective was to "defeat scientific materialism and its destructive moral, cultural and political legacies and to replace materialistic explanations with the theistic understanding that nature and human beings are created by God". The Discovery Institute has never denied creating the document, but claims that its importance has been overblown by conspiracy theorists.
[Finally is has been decided that Creationist nonsense isn’t going to be taught in our schools. Good. So-called Intelligent Design is not a science – it’s a dressed up Creation Myth. If it is to be taught in schools it should be as part of a ‘Comparative Mythology’ course and not in a Science class!]
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5 comments:
Since I've referred to Hugh Ross' organization in Kevin's ongoing post, would you be interested in the rebuttal Reasons To Believe has offered in response to the PA Court decision?
Oh, and thank you for the link! Does that mean you don't think I'm a moron?
laughing boy said: Since I've referred to Hugh Ross' organization in Kevin's ongoing post, would you be interested in the rebuttal Reasons To Believe has offered in response to the PA Court decision?
Sure. Oh, and speaking of the ongoing exchange of views on Kevins Blog... I really must put a piece together on evidence during my long weekend..... [muses].
laughing boy said: Oh, and thank you for the link! Does that mean you don't think I'm a moron?
It's my 'policy' to link back to anyone who links to me - unless I've overlooked them.
Just because you believe in God & stuff doesn't mean I think you're stupid. Many very intelligent people have and do believe in God. Theism & atheism is most certainly not a matter of intelligence as their are clever (and stupid) people on both sides of the divide.
You can always tell the belief systems that are really reaching for any kind of grasp on reality -- instead of searching for knowledge, they draw away from it. Instead of trying to prove their beliefs, they try to cast doubts on yours ... the ever-present God of the gaps. You see it in the intelligent design debate and you see it with the global warming doubters (the oil companies and their lackeys).
I truly feel for any children in America that are forced to learn intelligent design (that glorious oxymoron) as a part of a science curriculum.
...would you be interested in the rebuttal Reasons To Believe has offered in response to the PA Court decision?
"Leading proponents of 'intelligent design' claim that judges and justices are motivated by an anti-Christian bias and a misguided application of the United States Constitution," says Dr. Hugh Ross, astronomer, founder and president of the science/faith organization, Reasons To Believe. "In the context of scientific credibility, these court judgments against 'intelligent design' cannot be construed as the audacious judicial moves many people make them out to be."
"As currently formulated, 'intelligent design' is not science," says internationally respected biochemist, Dr. Fazale Rana. "It is not testable and does not make predictions about future scientific discoveries." Dr. Rana is the Vice President for Science Apologetics at Reasons To Believe and a leading expert in origin of life research.
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