Intelligent design has no place in public schools

Editor,

After reading all the letters debating intelligent design versus evolution for the past couple of weeks, I want to comment on what I feel is the most pointless argument in favor of intelligent design. It is, to paraphrase, "I can't possibly imagine how all this complexity I see in the world could have come about through random events, and therefore, God did it."

This does not say anything in favor of intelligent design or to refute evolution. All this says is that the speaker has experienced a failure of imagination. At best, it refers to the unproven argument of irreducible complexity, which is defined as a system that cannot function if one part is removed, so it must have all come together at once.

Actually, all this says is the system could not have come about by assembling parts without changing them. There are still other evolutionary mechanisms that could allow for it to occur, such as removal of a part, change of function or a gradual modification of several parts together. But really, in the end, it doesn't matter whether you choose to think in terms of scientific facts or outdated fairy tales. That's up to you. The fact is that the proponents of intelligent design do have an agenda - they want intelligent design to be taught in science classes alongside, or in place of, evolution.

That is fine in the home, at church or in private schools. I may not agree, but that is an individual choice and does not affect me. However, it is not fine in public, government-funded schools. The Constitution says that the government cannot use its resources to promote one religion over another or to promote religion over non-religions.

It's pretty hard to deny that intelligent design or creationism is religious. Its proponents start with the conclusion that there was a creator - God - and make the evidence fit that conclusion. Anytime you invoke the existence of a God, you have religion. Therefore, intelligent design has no place in public schools, which are funded by the government and all of our tax dollars.

By the way, getting into the schools is just one part of the larger agenda of intelligent design. It is called "The Wedge Strategy" and was written by the Discovery Institute in 1998. It states the following as its goal: "To replace materialistic explanations with the theistic understanding that nature and human beings are created by God." To me, this says that their goal is nothing short of completely overthrowing science and replacing it with Christian dogma.

Debbie Cox

UNM student