Intelligent Design

The origin of humans is the most complex issues we face. I find it hard to explain to anyone who we are, or how we came to be. There is a great saying; the dead know only thing it's better to be alive. Like most people I wonder about the mysteries of the universe. Regardless of your personal perception three things are certain in this life. You are born, you pay taxes, and you will die. People have struggled to explain "the meaning of life." Are we all a bunch of ants in an experiment? One way people deal with this mystery is in the belief of a higher being. A loving God who will reward you if you are nice on earth. If for some reason you should act on your human nature in a socially disapproving way, you will go to hell. But he is an all forgiving
God. It is this belief in a higher being that has inspired many people from all corners of the world. Faith, the belief in something that cannot be seen. Faith is a very personal and powerful part if many peoples lives, including myself. While faith is enough to satisfy the curiosity of many, there are those who seek more proof and understanding in our world. For these people, "God willed it" is not satisfactory. Scientists attempt to explain our world through the scientific method, Darwin's theory of evolution and many years of research. So this sets up for the debate of all debates, who are we and were did we come from?
On one side we have Intelligent Design, or I.D. which claims that something in nature are simply too complex to happen by chance. In their view there is a higher being (God) who us being it all. On the other side of the debate we have evolution, which consists of Darwin's theory of natural selection. To their credit scientists have a better case, but it's fair because they are so much smarter. This is a debate which really has three sides. The third being politics, but I won't get into that. There isn't much of a middle ground on this issue. You're learning on way or the
other. A 1999 Gallup poll showed that thirty-eight percent of people believed wholly in Creationism, forty-three percent believed in a more intelligent design like theory, but only eighteen percent believed in the evolution theory. The same poll showed that the higher the education one had, the more likely they were to believe in Darwin's theory of evolution, to only twenty percent of high school graduates. (Ushma,Neil). So since the debate us about which of the two should be taught in schools, I'll explore both theories starting with intelligent design. Intelligent design has a very interesting stance. They don't have much in the ways of scientific fact. They are not respected in the academic field because they lack integrity. Not only has intelligent design not gained acceptance in the academic world, it has also failed to find warm embrace at many evangelical christen colleges. (Goodstein,Laurie)
The problem they face lie in the way they present their argument.
They believe that certain things are far to complicated for us, why even bother trying to explain? While this is acceptable to them, I believe we have a brain for a reason. Why limit ourselves, or limit what our kids are being taught in school I don't believe we will get anywhere in life. If we stop being curious. If we accept that things are the way they are and stop seeking answers. Intelligent design "scientists" are very skeptical of the theories of evolution. In the sense that there are holes and gaps in it. Meanwhile they present no theories of their own. When and were intelligent design occurs is impossible to prove or disprove, but they are skeptical about when and were species evolve. "This is a double standard." (Ushma, Neil). Intelligent design doesn't exist as an academic field, but it is religion in disguise. I have no problem with faith, but when faith brought up outside of one's home, I tend to have a problem with that. I would be much more approving of intelligent design if they came right out and said that their main goal was to preserve religion. Instead they got a slogan "intelligent design" so people will not be quick to say they are blurring the line between church and
state. Evolution on the other hand merely explains what we know to be true, have tested and replicated. Science in general should not be questioned in the context of this debate. I'm not saying science should not be questioned. Science is the business of questioning. I'm saying people should not have to choose one over the other. One should be taught at home and the other at school. Maybe if intelligent design had more to offer then "God willed it" I would reconsider my decision. There are those who say both intelligent design and evolution should be taught. This way the person can make up their own mind about the issue. The only problem is we are not talking about people, we are talking about children. Since this is a diverse society we live in, some parents might object to the idea of their kids being taught religion at school. The constitution is on the side of parents in this debate. My position has very little to do with which side is the correct side. To each his own. My concern lies on how intelligent design is being pushed on us. The reasoning behind it which mostly concerns the eighty percent of Americans who believe in Christ. I have a problem with the way intelligent design challenges science, without explaining its own reasoning. Most of all I have a problem with religion being taught in public schools. It's very important that people understand the reasoning behind intelligent design. It's not about education but rather a counter attack on the theory of evolution, which is becoming more and more mainstream. The only problem with this counterattack is that it lacks substance and intellectual edge that could potentially benefit students. (Ratliff,Evan). Science is the field of exploring our world. It should not be shorthanded for the sake of making certain portions of the population feel comfortable. If we stop exploring our world because certain things are beyond our comprehension, how will we learn? Science is a threat to intelligent design because it dares to ask why. We should never stop seeking answers that would be devolving. Faith is one of the most important aspects of life. It teaches us to be humble and caring. Science enlightens us, I think we could use both of it in our lives.