The Militant Moderate

It is time for the Militant Moderate to plunge bravely into the shark infested waters of controversy about the attempted introduction of “Intelligent Design” and the debunking of evolution in public school science classes.  This is, as the federal court in Pennsylvania has just ruled, a revival of the attempt to teach “creationism” in science classes.  The U.S. Supreme Court had already decided that teaching creationism as science in public schools was tantamount to teaching religion, and therefore is constitutionally forbidden.  

This federal judge by the name of John Jones, a conservative appointed by President Bush and a church regular, said that intelligent design was merely creationism by a new name.  He used the language “breathtaking inanity” to describe the words and actions of the prior school board in Dover, PA, in putting such a requirement into the science curriculum.  The patrons at Dover have, of course, already voted that entire board out of office.  Now, if the courts and people of Kansas follow that example, as expected, the leaders of the movement are still unlikely to give up their efforts – merely regroup to form a new strategy.  The courts will again be blamed for tossing God out of the schools.  

To the Militant Moderate this continuing controversy seems almost bizarre, certainly an unnecessary and inappropriate battlefield, when both education and society have so many more pressing practical concerns.  

Perhaps strange for a critic, the MM himself believes in a form of intelligent design theory.  That is a tenet of his religious faith.  However, he believes that this should be taught in church and not in the public schools.  Most certainly, it should NOT be taught in science classes.  Further, as long as evolution is considered by scientists as a mainstream theory explaining a myriad of scientific observations and facts, then it should be taught in all science classes in either secular or religious educational institutions.  There should be no stickers or disclaimers put in textbooks or read in classes.  

The Militant Moderate was fortunate enough to have a very wise biological science professor at Oklahoma State University in 1947.  When we began our unit on Evolution, he gave a short, serious, personal talk to the class.  Dr. Roy Jones told of his own shock of being ostracized by family and friends when he went home from the university as a student proclaiming his knowledge of evolution.  He gave us some sound personal advice, “For me there is no conflict between science and the Bible.  The Bible says, ‘God created.’  It does not say how.  The role of science is to explain how God created, and to discover and explain the laws He set in motion governing the universe.”  

The Militant Moderate believes that Dr. Jones, a devout Methodist layman, was correct.  MM believes in a form of intelligent design, and he believes that evolution is at least a partial explanation of how creation took place.  He sees no inherent conflict between science and religion.  But religion should be taught in churches and in extended families, not in science classrooms.  

……    Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard