Editorial: Intelligent design fails readiness test

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Editorial: Intelligent design fails readiness test

Our position: Indiana lawmakers should not require the teaching of intelligent design in state's classrooms

Indianapolis Star, December 26, 2005

State legislators have plenty of important issues to tackle when the 2006 session opens next month. Everything from property taxes to education to roads deserves their attention.

They should refrain, however, from addressing one hot-button issue -- deciding whether to require Indiana's public schools to teach the concept of intelligent design. At least one lawmaker -- Rep. Bruce Borders, R-Jasonville -- says he is preparing to introduce a bill that would call for textbooks to address some scientists' skepticism about the theory of evolution. Borders says his plans won't be deterred by last week's federal court ruling that overturned a Pennsylvania school district's policy requiring instruction in intelligent design.

The ongoing debate over ID vs. evolution is interesting. It touches on not just issues of science but religious faith and philosophy as well. It's also unfortunate that proponents of evolutionary theory often slip into personal attacks on scientists and others who advocate for further exploration of intelligent design. In doing so, evolutionists inflict considerable damage on their own arguments, at least when it comes to the public's perception of fairness.

Yet, none of that should be mistaken for a reason to begin teaching intelligent design in Indiana's science classes. ID, as a scientific theory, simply isn't ready for primetime presentation to high school or middle school students.

Even researchers at the Discovery Institute, the leading center for the exploration of intelligent design, don't advocate requiring the teaching of ID in schools.

State legislators can do a lot to strengthen education in Indiana in the months ahead, from enabling districts to spend more of their money on classroom instruction to requiring the Department of Education to provide more accurate data on student attendance and discipline.

But requiring the teaching of intelligent design shouldn't be on lawmakers' list of things to do.

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