Alice!

I cannot reply to your entry on creationism, Intelligent Design, etc. on your livejournal, so I'm doin' it here instead.

As a scientist who works with lots of scientists, I can tell you that we think about the topic of creationism and evolution frequently--it's lead to many a discussion during lunch. Here's what I've gathered so far:

Most biologists here believe strongly in evolution. Some of those (including myself) believe that intelligent design can coexist with evolution. I mean, evolution is a beautiful, wonderous concept that we don't fully understand yet.

So what's wrong with teaching ID in classes? Nothing if it were to be considered a religious theory. What is disturbing to many of us here is when ID is presented as an EQUIVALENT theory to evolution. Scientific research is based on the principle that nothing can ever be fully proven. Furthermore--and this is key--theories that have no means to be disproven cannot be considered valid scientific theories.

Is there any way to disprove that we were designed by an intelligent being/beings? No. Also, how do we know we were created by any particular God? If we are required to teach that we may have been created by an intelligent being, why not a flying spaghetti monster? Seriously. Next time someone brings up ID, tell them you totally agree--humans were created by space aliens. Once again, I'll reiterate that, in my gut, I believe there may be something out there that put all this in motion, but I have to be open to the fact that I can't think it's just the judeo-christian God.

Does Intelligent Design/Creationism have any business being taught in public school? I say, it deserves a sentence or two. Science and Religion are two SEPERATE areas that should stay that way: science tells us how, and religion tells us why. And "why" is something science never tries to answer absolutely. No one is stopping sunday schools from teaching the creation story--and to me, that's the place to elaborate on that. No gestappo is pulling families out of their homes and telling them they can't talk to their kids about creationism.

In fact, it still confuses the hell out of me as to why there is a continuing push to put religion in public schools if religious institutions are doing their job and being allowed to do so. Are not our churches and synegogues and mosques the places to be discussing these things? I think there is an absolute right to religious expression in schools. I think if you need to wear certain clothing or pray at a certain time of day you should not be prevented from that. But discourses about religious concepts should be clear and honest. They are NOT the same thing as scientific theory, and they don't have to be.

One last thing: some folks try to argue that biology is so complex that is MUST have been put in place by an intelligent being. Some will argue that biologists can't explain everything, so obviously if the concepts are currently beyond us they must be the result of a higher intelligence. What kind of argument is that?! Please consider antibiotics or the rotation of the earth or the fact that it's round--these things were once beyond our comprehension, but now have passed solidly into textbook fact.

I'm done a-venting! It's not AT you, though Alice--you just sparked my need to express my perspective.