Re: paleonet Now THIS is how to respond to ID!

["Michael Kishel" <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is a good approach.  Personally I think the better approach would be to
teach it as a course in natural philosophy because it fits in very nicely
with the kind of rhetoric and ideas used by natural philosophers through the
ages.  This is particularly appropriate because there are actually a wide
variety of intelligent design viewpoints ranging from what Aristotle might
call the "prime mover" all the way to downright fundamentalist young earth
genesis creationism.  This would also put them on track to develop an actual
science (if that's even possible) sometime down the line.  First natural
philosophy, then money and professionals to research it, then a body of peer
reviewed data, then specialists in university departments, and THEN request
it be taught in public schools.  That's a perfectly reasonable track if they
are at all serious.  If they are not willing to go down that road then I
would seriously question whether THEY even believe what they are saying at
all.

-Michael Kishel


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Breandán MacGabhann" <breandan@campus.ie>
To: <paleonet@nhm.ac.uk>
Sent: Thursday, November 24, 2005 6:38 AM
Subject: paleonet Now THIS is how to respond to ID!


Now this is how we should be responding to "Intelligent Design" - much
respect to Paul Mirecki. The sooner this gets extended across the U.S. the
better.

Breandán



Intelligent design taught ... as mythology

University of Kansas course explores flip side of science controversy

From: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10153657/#storyContinued

Updated: 12:19 p.m. ET Nov. 22, 2005

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Creationism and intelligent design are going to be studied
at the University of Kansas, but not in the way advocated by opponents of
the theory of evolution.

A course being offered next semester by the university religious studies
department is titled "Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design,
Creationism and other Religious Mythologies."

"The KU faculty has had enough," said Paul Mirecki, department chairman.
"Creationism is mythology. Intelligent design is mythology. It's not
science. They try to make it sound like science. It clearly is not."

Earlier this month, the state Board of Education adopted new science
teaching standards that treat evolution as a flawed theory, defying the view
of science groups.

Although local school boards still decide how science is taught in the
classrooms, the vote was seen as a major victory for proponents of
intelligent design, which says that the universe is so complex that it must
have been designed by a higher power.

Critics say intelligent design is merely creationism - a literal reading of
the Bible's story of creation as the handiwork of God - camouflaged in
scientific language as a way to get around court rulings that creationism
injects religion into public schools.

John Calvert, an attorney and managing director of the Intelligent Design
Network in Johnson County, said Mirecki will go down in history as a
laughingstock.

"To equate intelligent design to mythology is really an absurdity, and it's
just another example of labeling anybody who proposes (intelligent design)
to be simply a religious nut," Calvert said. "That's the reason for this
little charade."

Mirecki said his course, limited to 120 students, would explore intelligent
design as a modern American mythology. Several faculty members have
volunteered to be guest lecturers, he said.

University Chancellor Robert Hemenway said Monday said he didn't know all
the details about the new course.

"If it's a course that's being offered in a serious and intellectually
honest way, those are the kind of courses a university frequently offers,"
he said.

-- 
_______________________________________________
For the largest FREE email in Ireland (25MB) and 20MB of online file storage
space - Visit http://www.campus.ie