[Mb-civic] Bush Remarks On 'Intelligent Design' Theory Fuel Debate - Washington Post

[William Swiggard]

Bush Remarks On 'Intelligent Design' Theory Fuel Debate

By Peter Baker and Peter Slevin
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, August 3, 2005; Page A01

President Bush invigorated proponents of teaching alternatives to 
evolution in public schools with remarks saying that schoolchildren 
should be taught about "intelligent design," a view of creation that 
challenges established scientific thinking and promotes the idea that an 
unseen force is behind the development of humanity.

Although he said that curriculum decisions should be made by school 
districts rather than the federal government, Bush told Texas newspaper 
reporters in a group interview at the White House on Monday that he 
believes that intelligent design should be taught alongside evolution as 
competing theories.

"Both sides ought to be properly taught . . . so people can understand 
what the debate is about," he said, according to an official transcript 
of the session. Bush added: "Part of education is to expose people to 
different schools of thought. . . . You're asking me whether or not 
people ought to be exposed to different ideas, and the answer is yes."

These comments drew sharp criticism yesterday from opponents of the 
theory, who said there is no scientific evidence to support it and no 
educational basis for teaching it.

Much of the scientific establishment says that intelligent design is not 
a tested scientific theory but a cleverly marketed effort to introduce 
religious -- especially Christian -- thinking to students. Opponents say 
that church groups and other interest groups are pursuing political 
channels instead of first building support through traditional 
scientific review.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/02/AR2005080201686.html?nav=hcmodule

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