Say what you will about intelligent design, the fact is that it is no less "provable" than evolution. Both are "theories" of how this world began, and both are grossly misunderstood and misrepresented by those who seek to denigrate the validity of either.
From creationists we hear that evolutionary theorists believe we descended directly from apes. Not so. Darwinism doesn't suggest this either, but the poor man is often blamed for the theory of evolution, as he is falsely accused of suggesting that "survival of the fittest" is how nature works (he actually said that the most "adaptable" to their environment survive).
From evolutionists we hear that all those who support "intelligent design" believe the world began only 6,000 years ago, as the Bible says. People mock and deride intelligent design theory out of hand because they assume that only religious extremists could believe that our entire world is anything other than a giant accident.
The problem is, by focusing on the extremes of either point of view, we fail to leave ourselves open to the ways in which both theories might converge, the ways in which--perhaps--they are NOT mutually exclusive! Why is it not possible that an intelligent deity or power had a hand in the formation of our planet as one that is capable of sustaining life well enough and long enough that evolution could be possible? Why is it not possible that our species--homo-sapiens--"evolved" or "adapted" to its environment better than other primates to the point where we not only survived, but surpassed their abilities? And most importantly, why is it not possible that we were able to do all this because the same intelligent power that thought the whole thing up in the first place *decided* it should be so for reasons beyond our current comprehension?
Only one thing is certain, we will never get any further in our understanding of either theory if we do not allow free and open discussion of BOTH, especially in the classrooms of this country.
That's why this is so sad. In today's American universities and colleges, there is one right way to think, one acceptable way to view the world. It's the problem poor Gallileo faced way back when, only in reverse, only the high-and-mighty in their ivory towers can't see it, won't see it, they're too comforted by the sure and certain knowledge that "they know best" for our children. They know what is the "right" theory to teach, and they know what is the "wrong" one when it comes to the origins of this world, this species, this life.
The irony here is that they seem to pick and choose what they are certain about. How life began on this planet, how humans became so different from all other species on the planet? Yeah, they've got that one figured out. No further discussion necessary. But what's the best system of government for those humans, which country has created the most freedom and prosperity for the greatest number of people in the entire history of mankind--despite reams of factual, as well as anecdotal evidence--nah, they're still debating whether the USA would even be on the list of contenders.
And we're expected to scrimp and save to be able to send our kids to learn amongst such people? If we keep going on this trajectory, I'll be looking for VOCTECH schools for my kids instead because our so-called "liberal arts" schools will have become nothing more than the (barely) Western equivalent of madrassas--indoctrination centers for know-nothings, people whose "evolution" has ended.
Posted by insomnomaniac at June 11, 2007 12:36 PM | TrackBack