A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Science Classroom

So the Kansas Board of Education has decided that their students should study the doubts about Darwinian evolutionary theory. Understandably, scientists and others are appalled by the decision, and have declared that this makes Kansas the laughingstock of the nation (well, technically, Mangino's offense at KU started folks laughing at Kansas first, but I digress...).

A couple of observations:

First, many times people equate Intelligent Design with Creationism. This is factually incorrect, and adherents to both sides (or adherents who know what they're talking about) would, and do, take offense to such equations. While this article makes no equation, the perception is there by many who oppose ID.

Second, critics contend this decision is bad for science. I fail to see this reasoning. Exposing a theory's faults can do two things: sink it, or strengthen it. Methinks hard-core evolotionists are concerned because they know if evolution is put to the test it will face many deep wounds (of course "scientists" would disagree saying that if there really were problems with evolution, we would know about these because science is competitive and there is plenty of money and prestige available to those who can come up with new theories (ie, greed and pride drive scientific exploration)). If you ask me, this decision and further decisions to teach the inconsistancies/faults/failures (whatever you want to call them) of evolution help only help us all become more intelligent. If evolution is true, then through further research and explanation, scientists can blow those smarmy religious kooks out of the water, and evolution will reign supreme once again. If careful study of evolution by all shows the theory is positively false, then science wins again right? Science wins because science is all about education, and we gain more inellect and education when we learn new things

Finally, critics contend that if ID/Creationism (again, they really need to stop equating the two) is taught in classrooms then one must also teach about all of the other ideas of how all came into existance. I say: more power to that idea! Let's teach about all of these ideas. What does it show us? It shows that from the beginning, man has been fascinated with origins and there are many ideas, theories, and myths. The fact is, we weren't around when creation happened, and so we don't know. Supernatural explanations ought not take back seat to naturalistic explanations when it comes to origins.