Deliberating Dover: The Court Hears Arguments on Intelligent Design

Some Christian groups are saying that America’s culture war has a strategic front: the evolution/creationism debate. And they may be right. Because there, one finds suppositions about man’s existence and purpose, and those beliefs bear a crowd of ideas about how humankind should conduct itself, and how culture (including politics) should develop.

Religion and theories of human existence dictate even the most abstract political policy. Those who see procreation as a divine directive are trying to legislate against same-sex unions. Others who are certain of an apocalypse don’t see the point in environmental protections. Basic concepts of human responsibility - every person for herself/himself versus we’re all in this together – have informed recent debates on Social Security, healthcare and education.

And education is the sphere in which the evolution/creation debate thrives. It’s as if the meaning of life is most important when we’re teaching it to our kids. That may be why the Dover Area school district is the locus of the latest origin-of-life battle.

What’s going on in Pennsylvania

A group of parents are suing the Dover Area School District in York County, PA for including a statement about intelligent design in the ninth grade biology curriculum. The trial began on September 26, 2005.

The parents, including a former science teacher, feel that the introduction of intelligent design violates the separation of church and state – the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.

The American Civil Liberties Union is representing the parents in court and will request that the judge in the case, Bush nominee John E. Jones III, order the school district to cut intelligent design from the science curriculum.

The school district, for its part, argues that the one-minute statement about intelligent design hardly violates the Establishment Clause. It simply mentions that there are other theories, some school board members say, and then directs students to the library if they’re interested.

So, what’s the harm in a short statement that recognizes the ongoing debate? Introducing students to this debate will encourage critical thinking, some argue. But others say that the statement blurs the definition of science by suggesting that intelligent design is on par with evolution.

Here’s what Dover District administrators read to their ninth grade biology students (the science teachers won’t do it). Students are allowed to leave the room while it’s announced. Judge for yourself:

• "The Pennsylvania Academic Standards require students to learn about Darwin’s theory of evolution and eventually to take a standardized test of which evolution is a part."
• "Because Darwin’s theory is a theory, it continues to be tested as new evidence is discovered. The theory is not a fact. Gaps in the theory exist for which there is no evidence. A theory is defined as a well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations."
• "Intelligent design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin’s view. The reference book, Of Pandas and People, is available for students who might be interested in gaining an understanding of what intelligent design actually involves."
• "With respect to any theory, students are encouraged to keep an open mind. The school leaves the discussion of the origins of life to individual students and their families. As a standards-driven district, class instruction focuses upon preparing students to achieve proficiency on standards-based assessments."

The statement not only introduces intelligent design as an alternative to evolution, but also suggests that science classes feature evolution because it appears on the standardized test.

What is evolution? What is intelligent design? How does it differ from creationism?

Evolution is the scientific theory that life has evolved over billions of years through mutation and natural selection. The vast majority of scientists accept this theory, and it is the basis of biological science.

Intelligent design advocates differ from creationists in that they accept the notions that some species change and that the earth is more than 6,000 years old. However, they deny that evolution is entirely responsible for the vast variety of life forms.

Those who believe in intelligent design say that certain structures found in living things, such as the extra wings on certain fruit flies or the flagella of bacteria, cannot be explained by Darwinian concepts of natural selection and random variation.

More specifically, they argue that the complexity of the flagella and the various "machines" inside cells could not have evolved from other life forms. Like a mousetrap or a wristwatch, they say, it is evident that there was a designer.

Evolutionists argue that gaps in evolutionary theory should not be assumed to be proof of god or a godlike being. Further, they assert that intelligent design is more attuned to religious theories of existence, rather than scientific ones, because science cannot prove the existence of a god. Since the supposition of a godlike being is central to intelligent design theory, they say, it does not belong in the science classroom.

Considering "theory"

Creationists say that evolution, creationism, and intelligent design are competing theories that should be presented equally and conditionally to students.

Evolutionists explain that creationists are confusing the meanings of "theory." The popular notion of theory is an idea that can’t be proven, but a scientific theory like evolution must be established and confirmed with replicable data. Therefore, they say, evolution, creation, and intelligent design theories are not at all equal, the latter two having no basis in the scientific method.

Scientific information changes regularly as more discoveries are made, but ordinarily the new discoveries replace old ones. In this debate, newer discoveries based on observable evidence are attacked by older ones based in faith.

Is there a way to satisfy both? Most evolutionists would gladly see creationism taught in religious studies or social studies classes. The creationism theory belongs in that context, they say, where the origins of life are explored in a non-scientific way.

School board power

Do school boards have the power to decide the evolution/creation debate?

School board members are elected, and school boards have the right to decide their districts’ curriculum, but they are in defiance of the law if they decide that creationism should be taught in the biology classroom.

In 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that creationism was a religious belief and so could not be taught in public schools.

Since school boards are elected, they are vulnerable to political pressure, and parents are putting tremendous pressure on school board officials to ignore this ruling and teach students belief-based theories of origin alongside evolution.

The consequences

The Dover trial is likely to have a lasting effect, whatever the outcome. What happens in this case could influence other school districts that are considering teaching intelligent design in their science classrooms. Further, the case may end up in the Supreme Court.

Teaching future generations about the origins of life seems to be vital to the human experience - considering existence, making meaning of life, and passing on knowledge are essential activities for us. And these activities inform much of our decision-making both at home and in the statehouse.

That’s why WomenMatter encourages women to consider their own beliefs when considering political policies.

And the Dover case is part of a larger narrative -- America’s struggle with religion in public life. Should religious beliefs guide public policy? How should the government maintain what may amount to two competing First Amendment ideas -- the separation of church and state and the freedom of religion? How much power should parents have over what their children are taught?

What do you think?

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Posted on: 9/29/2005