The trial “Kitzmiller et al v. Dover Area School District” in Harrisburg, PA was decided today. In this case a school board had required that biology teachers read to the students a statement about gaps and problems in Darwin’s theory and to make them aware of other theories of evolution including intelligent design.
The ACLU filed suit on behalf of 11 parents on December 14, 2004, joined by “The National Center for Science Education” and “Americans United for Separation of Church and State”.
Judge John Jones III, in handing down his decision, made a statement that included the following:
“In making this determination, we have addressed the seminal question of whether ID is science. We have concluded that it is not, and moreover that ID cannot uncouple itself from its creationist, and thus religious, antecedents.
“Both Defendants and many of the leading proponents of ID make a bedrock assumption which is utterly false. Their presupposition is that evolutionary theory is antithetical to a belief in the existence of a supreme being and to religion in general. Repeatedly in this trial, Plaintiffs’ scientific experts testified that the theory of evolution represents good science, is overwhelmingly accepted by the scientific community, and that it in no way conflicts with, nor does it deny, the existence of a divine creator.
“To be sure, Darwin’s theory of evolution is imperfect. However, the fact that a scientific theory cannot yet render an explanation on every point should not be used as a pretext to thrust an untestable alternative hypothesis grounded in religion into the science classroom or to misrepresent well-established scientific propositions.”
Score one for reason and science.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Heather // Dec 20, 2005 at 10:55 pm
I feel that it is unforunate that only one side is taught in school and that children are not given all the information and allowed to determine what they believe for themselves.
If Darwin is right, why are the apes still here????
2 Daryl // Dec 20, 2005 at 11:34 pm
Heather,
From that perspective we should be telling kids that the sun-centered solar system is just a theory and that another perspective is that the earth is the center of the universe. Or insisting that flat-earth theories be presented in class along side the round earth theories. You may think I’m joking, but there really is as much evidence for evolution as there is that the sun is the center of the solar system. The evidence comes from physics, geology, chemistry, anatomy, molecular biology and other fields of study, and is all consistent with the theory.
Regarding the question about apes still being here: We are not descended from any existing ape population. We are cousins with the apes that exist now, we share a common ancestor that was neither the same as humans nor the same as the other modern primates. Our closest living relative is the chimpanzee, with whom we share 97% of our DNA. In fact, we are more closely related to the chimpanzee than chimpanzees are to gorillas (they share about 95% of their DNA).
To approach the question from another direction, here’s a rough analogy: If Americans are descended from the British, why are there still British?
If you are really interested in learning more about evolution, here’s a good starting place: PBS Evolution Library