'Darwinism is more than a theory'

Darwinism is more than a theory
Bush is criticised for backing 'intelligent design'

Friday August 5, 2005
The GuardianIndependent
Editorial, August 4"

George Bush was asked this week whether he thought US schoolchildren should learn about Charles Darwin's theory of evolutionor the theory of intelligent design. Proponents of the lattermaintain that life on Earth is too complex to have developedthrough evolution, implying that a 'higher power' must have hada hand in creation ... Mr Bush answered that both theoriesshould be taught side by side ... All this is part of theChristian right's agenda to introduce religion into the USclassroom. It is no coincidence that Christian conservatives area substantial part of Mr Bush's voting base ...Article continues"This is a worrying echo of the Bush administration's refusal torecognise the evidence of how the burning of fossil fuelscontributes to global warming. The depressing reality seems tobe that the 21st White House is more at home with Christianliteralism than scientific fact."Daily NewsEditorial, Philadelphia, August 4"While humans were floating in space above him, Mr Bushadvocated trashing the scientific method that made it possible.... Before you 'ID' folks start drowning us in your endlessemails, let us repeat: [Darwinism] is more than a theory aboutthe origin of species. It undergirds every bit of scientificprogress we've made. For a theory to be science, its predictionsmust be able to be proved by observation or experiment. Thetheory of evolution can be used to predict outcomes that can beobserved. Intelligent design ... can't be tested scientifically.We don't have a problem with presenting ID in a class oncomparative religion; that would be calling it what it is: areligious theory."Boston GlobeEditorial, August 4"The trend toward insinuating creationism - dressed up asintelligent design or not - into the public schools is as robustas it is alarming. School boards are debating whether to mandatealternative creation sciences in at least 15 states. Americanhigh schoolers do badly enough on international science testswithout the president casting doubt on the core theory ofbiology."If Mr Bush wants to introduce students to a range of ideas onthe origins of life, he should recommend a course in comparativereligions. But he should leave the teaching of science to thosewho are committed to the word's Latin root: scientia,knowledge."Washington PostEditorial, August 4"Is Mr Bush really a conservative? The question arises becauseearlier this week, while talking to a group of Texas newspaperreporters at the White House, the president was asked his viewson the subject of 'intelligent design' ..."To give Mr Bush the benefit of the doubt, he may have beencatering to his Texas constituents, a group of whom, in the cityof Odessa, were recently found to have turned an allegedlysecular public high school Bible studies course into ahodgepodge of myth and religious teaching. But politics are noexcuse for indulging quackery, not from a president - especiallynot from a president - who claims, at least some of the time,that he cares about education."New York TimesEditorial, August 3"The doctrine of separation of church and state, which hasguided Americans from the time of the founding fathers, is basedon an understanding that this is exactly the kind of hornets'nest that arises when sincere believers decide that childrenshould be exposed to their own personal visions of how God workson Earth."Odessa officials were prodded into creating the course by alocal petition drive, and they are now stuck in the kind ofdogmatic thicket that children should be spared at school. Faithis a deeply personal matter that defies scientific examination,and it is properly taught at home and at places of worship. Wehope Texans spell this out for their favourite son before thevacation's end."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/editor/story/0,,1542766,00.html