UK Gov boots intelligent design back into 'religious' margin

[Amelia]

UK Gov boots intelligent design back into 'religious' margins

Not science, not likely to be science

By Lucy Sherriff

The Register

Monday 25th June 2007

The government has announced that it will publish guidance for schools on how creationism and intelligent design relate to science teaching, and has reiterated that it sees no place for either on the science curriculum.

It has also defined "Intelligent Design", the idea that life is too complex to have arisen without the guiding hand of a greater intelligence, as a religion, along with "creationism".

Responding to a petition on the Number 10 ePetitions site, the government said: "The Government is aware that a number of concerns have been raised in the media and elsewhere as to whether creationism and intelligent design have a place in science lessons. The Government is clear that creationism and intelligent design are not part of the science National Curriculum programmes of study and should not be taught as science. "

It added that it would expect teachers to be able to answer pupil's questions about "creationism, intelligent design, and other religious beliefs" within a scientific framework.

The petition was posted by James Rocks of the Science, Just Science campaign, a group that formed to counter a nascent anti-evolution lobby in the UK.

He wrote: "Creationism & Intelligent design are...being used disingenuously to portray science & the theory or evolution as being in crisis when they are not... These ideas therefore do not constitute science, cannot be considered scientific education and therefore do not belong in the nation's science classrooms."

The petition was signed by 1,505 people.

[Dr. Shane]

Hmmm, so the UK is having a curriculum issue too.

Intelligent design would redefine natural science. It would untie its hand from behind its back and the vast majority of the scientific community is not ready for that.

Creationism is clearly not science. It should be taught but as part of the philosophy curriculum. And until the day comes, if ever, that the majority of the scientific community is willing to consider the possibility of supernatural forces having an impact on the natural world, intelligent design should be taught in the philosophy curriculum too. Problem is, that in most high schools, creation and intelligent design are not being taught at all which leaves students coming out of science class believing that science has the answers to origins.

[bevin]

Short-age Creationism has no theory which leads to correct predictions - it simply says "God created the world in six days, caused a huge flood, and then hid all the evidence and made the world look very old"

This is worse than "not science" - it is a statement that God is deliberately deceiving us.

Intelligent Design is funnier. ID says that that "evolution happens almost all the time, but we suspect that some things are so complicated that they can not evolve, and God steps in and pushes life across those gaps" - which is an absurd way of arguing.

[Dr. Shane]

Quote:

Short-age Creationism has no theory which leads to correct predictions - it simply says "God created the world in six days, caused a huge flood, and then hid all the evidence and made the world look very old"

Opinions like this underscore the reason we need to teach creationism in the philosophy curriculum. There are a lot of people out there that think they know something they really are only mixed up about. A basic, high-school level Philosophy of Religion and Science, would led to a much better informed public.

Quote:

This is worse than "not science" - it is a statement that God is deliberately deceiving us.

This is a very provocative statement attempting to shut down the discussion. It essentially says, If you disagree with me you are calling God a liar and if you can't see that you are stupid so bow to my intelligence and acknowledge how much smarter I am than you.

Sorry, I don't buy into that. If someone wants to insinuate that God is a liar they can answer to God for that on judgment day. I take God at His Word and don't call Him a liar.