Cincinnati Enquirer
'No evidence of 'intelligent design'
letter posted 040202

The Enquirer's Feb. 10 Forum -- "Designing a science standard" -- reminded readers that some legislators and education board members seek a requirement to teach evidence supporting the theory of intelligent desgin. The problem is that we don't have any such evidence.

Science is a human activity that proposes natural explanations for natural phenomena, and then confirms or rejects those explanations by repeated observation and measurement. An explanation must be confirmed many times until eventually it may become accepted as well-established fact: The earth is round; gravity attracts; evolution occurs.

Teaching intelligent design in science classes would be an admission to students that we do not know the difference between phony science and real science. The push for the inclusion of intelligent design in school curricula seems yet another attempt toinject a particular religious viewpoint into Ohio's science classrooms. A central advocate for intelligent design is a group called Science Excellence for All Ohioans, which is in turn a project of the American Family Association of Ohio.

As pointed out in the Forum page, the AFA says that "God has communicated absolute truth to man" and "adherence to biblical truth best serves the well-being of our country." This has absolutely nothing to do with science or science teaching.

The science of evolution, or descent with modification, says nothing about ethics, or morality, or life's purpose; these vital subjects are the provinces of philosophy and religion. Nor does the teaching of evolution require that students abandon their religious beliefs, or adopt a different belief system. We simply owe it to our students to teach valid science in science classrooms, and philosophy and religion in other appropriate forums.

There need be no conflict between them.

--- Thomas Mantei, Winton Hills