Angry Internet Guy: Evolution vs. Intelligent Design

Saturday, October 01, 2005

Evolution vs. Intelligent Design

This is a hot topic right now, especially as it has been thrust into the spotlight with the current court case in Pennsylvania. "Should schools teach Evolution or Intelligent Design as fact or theory?"

Obviously neither one can be proven, since there were no eyewitnesses or records. Scientists generally state that over time, man has evolved from monkeys, and that we're still evolving, albeit at a rate too slow to effectively chart. Creationists, or "Intelligent Design" proponents insist that the world is so complex that a higher power (some sort of diety such as God, etc.) had to have helped, as the odds against random chance resulting in our complex universe are beyond astronomical.

The debate is now whether or not either particular theory should be taught in schools, as both ideas require faith on certain assumptions.

I don't understand all the hub-bub. Teach both to the children. The whole point of education is to (say it with me...) EDUCATE our children, not to indoctrinate them one way or the other. Nobody (or at least nobody worth listening to) is saying that you have to present either as absolute fact, but both should be presented with the appropriate disclaimers as to their sources and potentially questionable validity.

Secular (non-religious) scientists generally agree that divine intervention (or any Intelligent Design variation) is a religious matter, and that it should have no place in schools as per the separation of church and state section of the US Constitution. However, it is a theory with signifigant acceptance, and therefore deserves its rightful place in general school curriculum if only to expose our children to the beliefs in the world around them. Any Social Studies class includes at least a brief section on world religions such as how Islam, Hindu, Bhuddism, etc. even if only to explain the reasoning behind historic conflicts/wars.

Besides, Evolution and Creation aren't even mutually exclusive.The human race -is- evolving even as we speak. This is a simple fact. We aren't suddenly sprouting wings or anything, but humans have evolved somewhat as a direct result of the environments in which we live. Those groups who live in cold climates tend to develop more body hair than those living in hot climates. Humans have a larger brain than we did a few thousand years ago. This doesn't necessarily mean that we're smarter, but that our brains are evolving.

However, there are still a few questions that have gone unasked in this debate. If we were designed by God in his image, why do our bodies break so easily? Can God get a broken leg just like the rest of us? On the flipside of this, if we are the result of direct evolution from monkeys, which would indicate that we are the superior species, then why don't monkeys go on killing sprees when they have a bad day at the office? For that matter, why aren't monkeys as uptight as humans about this sort of crap? Seems to me that they are happier than us, needing nothing more than a banana and a tire swing to keep them amused for hours.

Angry Internet Guy says, "Teach both theories in school and worry about something more important like inventing a laptop battery that lasts for more than 2 hours."