2008 Woodie Awards
Intelligent Design snuffed
Jason Hamilton
Issue date: 1/26/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
The idea of Intelligent Design has been lingering in the shadows at many universities across the nation. Some wonder if Central will cast light on this controversial topic of Intelligent Design.
According to the popular online dictionary, wikipedia.org, Intelligent Design, or ID, is the idea that life and certain aspects of the universe are so complicated that the only explanation for their existence is an intelligent designer. This idea suggests that Darwin's theory of natural selection is too volatile, and only an intelligent being can create life.
The Bible's alternative, Creationism, is similar to this much-debated idea. In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, God created Adam. This idea differs from intelligent design in which God molded Adam from the clay in the Earth. Intelligent design does not say God is responsible for life, but rather an "intelligent designer."
The controversy surrounding this self-proclaimed theory is whether or not it should be taught in public schools around the nation. There are a number of scientists and instructors at Central and around the country that would dismiss ID as science-based because there is no supporting evidence other than the supernatural element.
"It is clearly not a science, as the courts have now established, [ID] cannot be proven to be falsifiable," said John Hess, Central biology professor. "There is a supernatural element, or one that is so close to supernatural, that you cannot separate it and as such, it is clearly outside of science."
Hess believes the idea of ID should not be taught anywhere because it is not even a theory. Hess said he would not support the idea of ID being taught as a course at Central.
"If you are going to teach Intelligent Design then you need to also teach all of the stories about how human beings came into existence from all of the rest of the peoples on Earth," said Marla J. Selvidge, director of Central's center for religious studies.
Selvidge said she drew this idea of teaching ID as a story from many including Paul Mirecki, a religious studies professor at Kansas University. Mirecki has made quite a commotion in the academic world with his threats to teach ID as mythology. He hoped to stir up the Christian community with the online comments.
According to an article in the "Lawrence Journal-World," Mirecki was followed by two men in a truck who forced him to pull over, and the men beat him while making references to his criticism of ID.
According to the popular online dictionary, wikipedia.org, Intelligent Design, or ID, is the idea that life and certain aspects of the universe are so complicated that the only explanation for their existence is an intelligent designer. This idea suggests that Darwin's theory of natural selection is too volatile, and only an intelligent being can create life.
The Bible's alternative, Creationism, is similar to this much-debated idea. In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, God created Adam. This idea differs from intelligent design in which God molded Adam from the clay in the Earth. Intelligent design does not say God is responsible for life, but rather an "intelligent designer."
The controversy surrounding this self-proclaimed theory is whether or not it should be taught in public schools around the nation. There are a number of scientists and instructors at Central and around the country that would dismiss ID as science-based because there is no supporting evidence other than the supernatural element.
"It is clearly not a science, as the courts have now established, [ID] cannot be proven to be falsifiable," said John Hess, Central biology professor. "There is a supernatural element, or one that is so close to supernatural, that you cannot separate it and as such, it is clearly outside of science."
Hess believes the idea of ID should not be taught anywhere because it is not even a theory. Hess said he would not support the idea of ID being taught as a course at Central.
"If you are going to teach Intelligent Design then you need to also teach all of the stories about how human beings came into existence from all of the rest of the peoples on Earth," said Marla J. Selvidge, director of Central's center for religious studies.
Selvidge said she drew this idea of teaching ID as a story from many including Paul Mirecki, a religious studies professor at Kansas University. Mirecki has made quite a commotion in the academic world with his threats to teach ID as mythology. He hoped to stir up the Christian community with the online comments.
According to an article in the "Lawrence Journal-World," Mirecki was followed by two men in a truck who forced him to pull over, and the men beat him while making references to his criticism of ID.