\jeff{krimmel}

The Ruling on Intelligent Design

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge John Jones ruled that public schools in the Middle District of Pennsylvania could not require the teaching of intelligent design. Citing well known arguments regarding the separation of church and state and the religious underpinning of the intelligent design argument, Judge Jones has set a precedent that may be followed in other districts throughout the country.

As is to be expected, opponents of the decision charged Judge Jones with being an “activist judge” trying to silence well-meaning Pennsylvanians. Of course nothing could be further from the truth. There is a reason that religious schools exist in this country. If parents want their children to learn all about religion on their journey along the road of education, they should feel free to send their kids to said schools. However, public schools run on money collected from tax payers, and mandating religious teachings in such an environment is neither appropriate nor tenable.

What some people in this country fail to realize is that freedom from religion has been increasingly attacked from all sides over the course of the past thirty years or so. This country was founded on the notion that citizens should not be persecuted for any particular religious beliefs they may or may not hold. Parents wishing to bring their kids up in a household devoid of religion are finding it more and more difficult in this country to see this wish come true.

The problem exists on many levels, not the least of which is the perception that somehow those without a particular religion are lacking morals. I am not quite sure where people got the idea that religion is the only path to ethical behavior, but what a mistaken idea this is. A good portion of this country is intent on belittling and attacking those without their own fervent religious beliefs, and this lack of tolerance, particularly in this country, is appalling.

The teaching of intelligent design in public schools is an open and shut case. Intelligent design is not science. No way; no how. It produces no testable hypotheses. It offers no potential form of experimental verification. As such, by definition, it is not science. It is religion, a belief rooted in faith. There is absolutely nothing wrong with such beliefs. Everyone is entitled to them. But to force children in public schools to be exposed to such in a science class is just this side of absurd.

We would be a whole lot better off in this country if the ideas of “freedom” and “tolerance” were respected in action as much as they are respected in word.