Intelligent Design Theory: Science or Religion?

School Administrative District 59 debates teaching of evolution
(Kennebec Journal, May 11, 2008)

The state Department of Education disagrees with an Athens School Board director who wants School Administrative District 59 to drop evolution from its high school science curricula.

Director Matthew Linkletter claims evolution is an unprovable theory and shouldn't be taught as fact. He's urged the SAD 59 Board of Directors to consider his view during its May 19 meeting in Madison, with a goal of removing evolution from science classrooms.

But David Connerty-Marin of the Department of Education says evolution must be taught because, in the state's view, it's a proven science.

"For our students to be prepared for college work and life in the 21st century, it's necessary," said Connerty-Marin.

Connerty-Marin said the Maine Learning Results program mandates the study of evolution in public science classes.

"Evolution is not just a belief, or based on faith, it's based on scientific evaluation," he said. "The worldwide science community supports it."

Linkletter believes that neither evolution nor creationism belong in a high school science curriculum, because they cannot be proven.

"You can't show, observe or prove (evolution)," he said.

School Administrative District 59 includes the towns of Madison, Athens, Brighton Plantation and Starks.

Chosen at random, two parents of Madison Area Memorial High School students expressed some support for Linkletter's position.

"I think that's a very valid point, to tell you the truth, because evolution is only a theory, not a hard fact," said Nancy Martin, an educational technician at Athens Elementary School.

Martin, who has a son at the high school, said that she believes in creationism, as outlined in the Old Testament Book of Genesis. She said SAD 59 should pull evolution from the science curriculum unless creationism is afforded equal footing.

Laney Kirk of Madison, treasurer of the sports boosters who has a daughter at Madison High, agreed with Martin -- to a point.

"Really and truly, they're both ideas," Kirk said. "We can teach both. But that's where we run into a problem, when you say they're mutually exclusive. You're never going to get everyone to agree about it, so why not teach them both?"

Kirk said she attends most SAD 59 meetings, but missed the one last week when Linkletter broached the topic. The board voted to table the issue and revisit it on May 19. Kirk does not believe that the board should remove evolution from the curriculum.

"There are people who believe that the Holocaust is a theory," Kirk said. "It's like banning a book."

Town Manager Norman Dean, who taught science in Madison from 1962 through 1996, had stronger words for the proposal.

"That's absolutely stupid," said Dean, who once taught Linkletter. "I thought we already had the monkey trial."

There is plenty of evidence, Dean said, that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution is correct.

"Adaption over time is proven time and again," he said. "I believe evolution is adaptation to the environment."

Roy Blevins is pastor of Linkletter's church, the Church of the Open Bible in Athens. Blevins spoke in favor of SAD 59 Chairman Norman Luce's suggestion, that a philosophy class might provide a better forum for the study of evolution.

"That's a sane approach," Blevins said. "The evolution concept is a theory, and not provable. If the science department at Madison High is simply teaching theory, then you ought to leave it in the science department."

Blevins agreed with Linkletter that neither is creationism provable, and thus does not belong in the curriculum.

Keep science in the science class...and politics out of it
(Kennebec Morning Sentinel Editorial, May 13, 2008)

It looks like Athens School Board Director Matthew Linkletter doesn't get Darwin's theory of evolution.

Otherwise, he'd understand that in the world of science -- much like in the world as seen through Darwin's eyes -- it's the fittest that survive. And in this case, the theory of evolution has been studied, vetted, scrutinized, applied and studied again. It's survived the intense investigation of generations of scientists so well that every major medical and scientific society in the world maintains that evolution explains how life developed on earth. Other theories about the evolution of life on earth have come and gone, disproven and discredited -- but evolution has survived.

Nevertheless, Linkletter wants School Administrative District 59, which includes the towns of Madison, Athens, Brighton Plantation and Starks, to stop teaching evolution. He airily dismisses the validity of the concept which, he says, "you can't show, observe or prove." And if evolution is not verifiable, says Linkletter, "then maybe we should leave it out of the science classes. When you make a statement that's not backed by facts and just represents a world view, then it has no place." He's joined by district Board Chairman Norman Luce, who said evolution might be better taught in a philosophy classroom.

Try that one on all the scientists who understand that, as Boston University history professor Thomas Glick says, "Evolution is the foundational theory of biology and therefore of all life sciences, including medicine." Tell that to the 38 Nobel laureates -- among them physicists, chemists and medical experts -- who jointly signed a letter to the Kansas State Board of Education protesting that board's decision to balance the teaching of evolution with the religiously based, Creationist theory of intelligent design. The move, they wrote, would "politicize scientific inquiry."

And tell that to the chastened Dover, Penn., Board of Education, whose members were on the receiving end of U.S. District Judge John E. Jones' scorn and contempt when he wrote of the "breathtaking inanity" of the arguments board members used to support their attempt to institute the teaching of intelligent design in the district. And by the way, wrote Judge Jones, that move wasn't just inane, it violated the constitutional separation of church and state.

Or better yet, Linkletter and Luce should not lecture anybody anything about the theory of evolution while they're sitting on the school board. In the first place, the state sets the curriculum mandate when it comes to science education and the state says that evolution must be taught. In the second place, neither Linkletter nor Luce know what they're talking about; we hope their ability to manage the school budget is at a higher skill level.

Let's get real here: The reason Linkletter and Luce have broached this subject has nothing to do with education and everything to do with politics. It's a clever twist on this long- running war played out in America's public schools -- don't force creationism to be taught, just diminish the status of evolution. But removing evolution from the science classroom doesn't only leave a vacuum -- that space is then colonized by the religious dogma that's behind the removal.

Ultimately, Linkletter, Luce and their ilk will lose the evolutionary battle of ideas. Time and again, the teaching of creationism and the diminishing of evolution's intellectual stature have failed. But there's a cost: While the Dover school board members were ousted from their seats, that was only after a costly battle for the school district as well as bitter and unfortunate divisions among colleagues, neighbors and friends.

And like a mutant gene that keeps popping up to disable the body politic, it seems America will never be finished with this battle, despite winning all the skirmishes.

We're with Madison town manager Norman Dean, a 34-year veteran science teacher who counts among his former students Matthew Linkletter. Take evolution out of the science classroom? "That's absolutely stupid," said Dean.

MAINE UPDATE

Quote:

Keep science in the science class...and politics out of it
(Kennebec Morning Sentinel Editorial, May 13, 2008)

Ultimately, Linkletter, Luce and their ilk will lose the evolutionary battle of ideas. Time and again, the teaching of creationism and the diminishing of evolution's intellectual stature have failed. But there's a cost: While the Dover school board members were ousted from their seats, that was only after a costly battle for the school district as well as bitter and unfortunate divisions among colleagues, neighbors and friends.

US society has confused tolerance with acceptance and allowed ignorance to flourish just to avoid hurting people's feelings. We have to pay this price now, or the anti-science rhetoric will grow, and the price will be much higher later.

It has been a bit like a time warp. This predatory or condescending culture [towards women] was more common across the workplace 20 to 30 years ago but has somehow survived in an engineering, science and technology context.

We have this amazing talented pool of women who have left the industry. It is highly destructive of our society and economy.