Bush Says 'Intelligent Design' Should Be Taught

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Lancer
So you're postulating a commie God?

Of course. He loves us and wants us to be happy.

[Lancer]

You may be right, Acts is kind of commie.

[Whaleboy]

As much as I dislike Bush, "discussing alongside" is completely different than to teach exclusively. And we know Bush supports the idea of ID, he's a born-again. Where's the news here?

I disagree. Intelligent design, as an interesting example of an a priori formal fallacy, it could be taught in philosophy, history or religious education... I would even go so far to say it *should* be taught in that context.

In a science lesson, that's a different matter. For something to be in a school science textbook, it must first be proposed as a hypothesis, tested in order to become a theory, submitted to a peer-reviewed journal and subject to much criticism and debate, and further testing. It's not an easy gauntlet to run, and it sorts the wheat from the chaff, both logically and empirically speaking.

From the point at which a theory is proposed, to the point at which it might find itself in a textbook, the shortest space of time that I'm aware of is ~20 years, and that was the relatively straightforward discovery of DNA by Francis and Crick.

That ID might find its way in to science textbooks by the backdoor is abhorrent, even if you discount the inherent flaws in the hypothesis itself.

Incidentally, I call it a hypothesis because it lacks the evidence to call it a theory. It technically isn't really a hypothesis since it makes no testable predictions like all scientific theories should... it is rather a "God in the gaps" statement of intent, for want of a better phrase.

[MosesPresley]

It shouldn't be called Intelligent Design. It should be called Supernatural Selection.

[MarkG]

no comments on gates supporting creationism?

[Verto]

That would have been more effective if the quoted article didn't refute that charge

[Thorgal]

Well, in all civilizations after an enlightenment age comes a dark age...

[Mercator]

Re: Bush Says 'Intelligent Design' Should Be Taught

Originally posted by MarkG (news article)
President Bush said Monday he believes schools should discuss ''intelligent design'' alongside evolution when teaching students about the creation of life.

um... Evolution theory has no bearing on the creation of life, so how can intelligent design be taught as an alternative to it?

Intelligent design tries to answer questions science cannot answer (i.e. existence of the supernatural... Supernatural Selection sounds like an excellent term there MosesPresley) so it doesn't belong in the classroom. Not the science class anyway. (I.e. what Whaleboy said)

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by MosesPresley
It shouldn't be called Intelligent Design. It should be called Supernatural Selection.

[Tassadar500]

Originally posted by Thorgal
Well, in all civilizations after an enlightenment age comes a dark age...

Perhaps you should look at the facts before you start making dumb statements. Compare how many people believe in God now, and how many believed in God fifty or 100 years ago.

[DinoDoc]

Would you agree that it might be beneficial to teach Intelligent Design to car companies?

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by JimmyCracksCorn
And we know Bush supports the idea of ID, he's a born-again. Where's the news here?

He shouldn't have opened his mouth on the issue as the President of the United States. He could say as much as he wants after he steps down.

[Urban Ranger]

Re: Re: Bush Says 'Intelligent Design' Should Be Taught

Originally posted by Mercator
um... Evolution theory has no bearing on the creation of life, so how can intelligent design be taught as an alternative to it?

We know that, but Mr Bush doesn't.

[Asher]

Originally posted by MarkG
no comments on gates supporting creationism?

It would seem everyone but you could read the article correctly.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Would you agree that it might be beneficial to teach Intelligent Design to car companies?

Not really. If ID is responsible for life, then the bungling it has done in many instances would probably make cars worse.