Should intelligent design be taught in schools?

__________________
InterfaithForums.com-Where your ideas and beliefs count.

Certainly. And it should begin the moment that any reputable theorist/practioner publishes the theory in a scientific, peer-reviewed journal, and defends his/her results in an open and free exchange of disciplined, scholarly dialogue.

Otherwise, I think it would be perfectly fair to teach in religious studies, but not in the sciences. Science classes are for science, which so far ID is not, having (thus far, at least) failed that little test above.

__________________
evangelicalhumanist: Greek "eu"=good and "angelos"=messenger. Spreading the good news of Humanism.

I see intellegent design the equal to teaching the Bible or any other religious idea in our schools. It should not be done, too much can go wrong. For example, it could lead to preaching to our children. While I have no problem for my children to learn about other's religions and both of my boys have the right to choose their own religion. I would not want a school, with its own agenda, teaching my children about these topics.

i totally agree...

the problem with ID is that their main argument is the issue of [or actually it isnt an issue... just to proponents of ID] irreducible complexity. ID "scientists" will take a look at a structure and say 'it's too complex to arise from nature'. that's a cop out. a real scientist will try to study, examine, and test to see the origins and workings of the structure. that's a big reason why ID shouldnt be taught with science.

__________________
[belief is NOT the same as TRUTH]

In its current state, ID is not suitable for inclusion in a science class for the simple reason that it hasn't yet demonstrated any valid scientific data.

About the only place I see for it is in a class on critical thinking, as an example of argumentum ad ignorantiam. If something cannot yet be understood, claiming it as the work of an unknown "designer" just short-circuits the quest for knowledge.