NOVA - Intelligent Design (Ephrata: schools, live, vs)

[BevoInPA]

I don't Dover is a fair representation of South Central Pennsylvania anyway. While Dover has had some population growth I would argue that the township still feels very rural and looks much like it did 25 years ago. The boroughs and townships closer to the urban areas are very progressive. I can't even comprehend the topic of intelligent design even getting mentioned at a Cumberland Valley, Camp Hill, West Shore, Central Dauphin, Derry, or any of the 'close-in' districts' board meetings.

I think Dover is sort of a relic of the Pennsylvania Dutch communities dominated by large multi-generational families of similar faith. Eventually Dover will get absorbed into either the greater York or greater Harrisburg area with subdivisions occupied by families and individuals of varying faiths (or no faith at all) and it will be impossible a school board to be composed entirely of people of a similarily radical perspective.

[Wolfman89]

You can't do that. you would have to teach the Hindu, Islamic, Pagan, sect, Baha i, Shinto and other origins as well. Religion does not have place in public schools.

The scientific fac..I mean theories do have a place in public schools as they have physical evidence.

Your explenation for kids can't be that God did it because that excludes some kids. Evolution doesn't exclude anyone.

The Bible is just a book of myths which help guide your life..not some instructional book on how and why everything is.

The origins of man aren't even from the Christian book..so do what Lewis Black says and ask a Jew.

and yes..this comes from a lower middle class white protestant from south eastern PA.

[Ephrata Bob]

Yes , I believe in intelligent design. I think one can see that where we live is not just a random happening. If you really believe that the Declaration of Independence is a legitimate document, than I think the ousted Dover School Board was right on track with their line of thinking. I think it is rather obvious that there is/was intelligent design.
I think the whole confusion is stirred up with people being afraid to face the truth. Intelligent design is so obvious , it scares people .

Yes, we all live by faith. What is your faith placed in? Scientific theories are just that- theories. We can only know so much about science, and we learn more all the time. But , it requires faith to believe the theory of evolution , because there are some major wholes in the theory.

It requires much more faith to believe the theory of evolution (which really denies that there is an Intelligent Designer ) than to believe in intelligent design.

I'm 55 and this whole subject has been talked about over the years and I have never had any reason whatsoever to doubt that there is intelligent design. It really is a dull subject but I feel I have to acknowledge the fact that some segments of society still feel the need to "push" the theory of evolution.

Oh, and yes, I guess I can be counted as one who still feels the need to "push" the idea that there is an Intelligent Designer. That's what makes the most sense to me.

[go phillies]

Originally Posted by Wolfman89

You can't do that. you would have to teach the Hindu, Islamic, Pagan, sect, Baha i, Shinto and other origins as well. Religion does not have place in public schools.

The scientific fac..I mean theories do have a place in public schools as they have physical evidence.

Your explenation for kids can't be that God did it because that excludes some kids. Evolution doesn't exclude anyone.

The Bible is just a book of myths which help guide your life..not some instructional book on how and why everything is.

The origins of man aren't even from the Christian book..so do what Lewis Black says and ask a Jew.

and yes..this comes from a lower middle class white protestant from south eastern PA.

But if they're already teaching atheism, which is also a religion (yes, it does require faith to say that there is no God)....so why are they not teaching all those other religions you mentioned, along with the atheism that is pushed in schools under the guise of "evolution."

[go phillies]

Originally Posted by eastcoasthustla

If you don't like it, send your children to be brainwashed by the hocus-pocus taught at some born-again christian school.

Well whatever school you attended must not be highly-regarded. I'm not sure what a "hustla" is....its not in any dictionary I've read.

[Wolfman89]

They aren't teaching atheism. Teachers aren't saying anything about any god.

They are teaching a scientific theory which mind you has a lot of visible evidence.

And Science isn't a religion.

[eastcoasthustla]

^ Yes. They are teaching SCIENCE because the subject is SCIENCE. Evolution is an integral part of the science of life called biology. It has nothing to do with religion.

Don't bother arguning with these types of people, Wolfman89. They are incapable of having a rational discussion without invoking misguided religious beliefs. Their "ideas" are further being marginalized by society as a whole (that's why this decision and the subsequent ouster of all of the school board members for proposing such a ludicrous agenda is significant)... it clearly displays that their way of thinking is becoming seen more and more as a remnant of another era (that's why they have to package it up with a new scientific-sounding name like "intelligent design". This view will always be around, but its influence is dying off along with its believers.

[BackToTheCityMouse]

According to a few articles I read earlier this week, written to commemorate Darwin's birthday, less than half of adults in the USA accept the theory of evolution. And the more often any person attends church services, the less likely that person is to accept evolution.

The important outcome of the Dover case is that school boards will be reluctant to make any kind of official and documented moves to put creationism (or ID) in the classroom. Unofficially, of course, I have no doubt that some high school science teachers in public schools all over the country are teaching students about ID in class. As long as there are no official statements to be read to students, or piles of textbooks on creationism in the school library, there is no evidence that the Establishment Clause is being violated.

I mean, many students will not even be aware of the Dover case -- let alone the Scope's Trial -- and will take at face value whatever a teacher says about the subject of evolution vs. creationism.

[eastcoasthustla]

Originally Posted by BackToTheCityMouse

According to a few articles I read earlier this week, written to commemorate Darwin's birthday, less than half of adults in the USA accept the theory of evolution. And the more often any person attends church services, the less likely that person is to accept evolution.

I'm sure that's true. What is also true is that more than half of adults in the USA do not have any higher education to speak of (only around 30% actually have a college degree).

[Rick323]

Originally Posted by BackToTheCityMouse

According to a few articles I read earlier this week, written to commemorate Darwin's birthday, less than half of adults in the USA accept the theory of evolution. And the more often any person attends church services, the less likely that person is to accept evolution.

This amazed me!

I've been told the earth is only 6000 years old. I've asked these people to explain dinosaurs (an interest of mine for over 30 years) and they have told me they (dinosaurs) never existed-there's no proof. All the fossils have been made up.

I beleive most people have a difficult time comprehending time--it takes faith.