Momma Angel wrote: The miracle of birth is the strongest proof of all to me of God.
The "miracle" of birth is a very good example of the difference between science and religious faith, and one of the reasons I find the concept of "Intelligent Design" laughable.
Childbirth is difficult and painful for human females, primarily because the baby's head must be pushed through a small opening in the pelvic bones (an incredibly stupid design, IMO). Millions of woman and their babies died when the baby simply would not come out, due to infection, or other problems. Half a million women per year still die from childbirth, mostly in third world countries.
Jewish mythology came up with a just-so story to explain it: God made the process painful to punish all women for the sin of Eve, the first woman (no explanation as to why it is just to punish all women without giving us an equivalent test. Women who are obedient to God suffer as much as the wickedest women.) Babies who die or are born with severe defects may serve as punishment for sinful parents or test their characters.
Science looks at human anatomy, hominid fossils, animal brains and other assorted data and comes up with an explanation that has nothing to do with sin: pelvis size is constrained by the mechanics of upright walking, but the evolution of the cortex over the last few million years gradually increased head diameters. Head and pelvis sizes vary among individuals, and the average baby's head can be squeezed through the average pelvis, albeit painfully. When there is a size disparity (CDP), those outside the norm tended to die. You might expect us to evolve small fetal heads with brain growth after birth, but other factors give larger babies a better chance of survival so it's a trade-off. As long as sufficient women with large-enough pelvises and babies with small-enough heads survive the process to maintain the species, the design is "good enough."
Medical science brought us the anesthesia, surgical techniques, antiseptics and antibiotics that have saved the lives of millions of women and babies who would otherwise have died. Does anesthesia thwart God's Will for the punishment of women? That argument has been used.
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Back to the topic, I do not think that either ID or Ebonics should be taught in public schools. Students' time needs to be spent on subjects that prepare them for adult life, not courses that reinforce ignorance.
I thought the way this thread was posed was wonderfully done by ebrown, whom I find very eloquent in all his postings, whether I agree with him or not.