Wednesday, January 11, 2006

The Fight Over Intelligent Design Rages On

A California school district is being sued over the decision by trustees to offer a four week elective course in philosophy that explores the debate over Intelligent Design. According to a story in The New York Times, a group of eleven parents and lawyers from Americans United for Separation of Church and State are suing the small district in a rural area north of LA because the teacher is advocating intelligent design and "young earth theory" and is not examining it in a neutral way alongside evolutionism.

I find it amazing that an elective class can draw such attention. I suppose that opponents of ID may have a wobbly leg to stand on by fighting to keep the teachings out of the science class based on the ruling by an activist judge in Pennsylvania last month. Because of his ruling, courts may be able to claim presidence even if they cannot prove a constitutional ban on the teaching in a required science class. I suppose that if the argument is that religious beliefs should not be forced upon a student, then that argument can be made. However, to suggest that a class taken by students as an option forces a belief is absurd. After all, if a student does not wish to be involved in a class that questions evolution and ID in a philosophical and perhaps historical way, then the student simply should not sign up.

Fundamentalists have been ridiculed for far too long. I believe that these far left activists are much more radical against anything that might be viewed as Christian than fundies are against things that could be viewed as non-Christian. We are told as moral advocates that if we do not like what we see on TV, turn it off. If we do not want our childrent to hear or see, then keep them away. Well, if those opposed to ID do not desire their children to be enlightened to a different understanding of creation, then they should keep them in ignorance by not allowing them to be enrolled in such elective classes. This is a parenting issue, not a legal issue. Christians and logical human beings must stand up against these ridiculous lawsuits and make our voices heard.