Signs of Intelligent Life in Kansas

One of the most ludicrous yet disturbing debates in the cultural wars is the argument over evolution. It’s amazing to think that we are still having this discussion in this day and age—in the 21st century mind you. Were it not for the threat to our nation posed by the Christian sectarians who wish to Talibanize the U.S. by turning us into a theocracy, it would be easy to dismiss the people who wish to insert this bunk into the classroom as a bunch of lunatics. It is this kind of dangerous fringe thinking where the extremes of the right come around to meet the extremes represented by terrorist organizations like Al Quaeda. Like the Taliban and religious extremism seen throughout the world, Christian extremists arrogantly believe their view of the world trumps empirical knowledge and accepted science (not to mention common sense), and they seek to impose their view of the world on all Americans and punish and exterminate those who disagree.

(I feel no need to apologize for the strong tone of this accusation, esp. at a time when conservatives find it very easy to engage in similar rhetoric by labeling liberals as “traitors.” It needs to be recognized that those who wish to turn the U.S. into a haven for Christian extremists on a par with the Islamic republics are the ones whose actions threaten to destroy the spirit of our Founding Fathers and the foundation of U.S. freedom and democracy.)

While my thoughts on this matter have been simmering for awhile, what triggered these comments now are recent reports on the Kansas’ Board of Education’s quiet decision last week to repeal guidelines that had been put in place in 2005 to inject creationism (under the misleading, faux-scientific name of “intelligent design”) into the public school curriculum while casting doubt on evolution. The creationism curriculum had been put in place by a previous board that had been emboldened by the election of several Christian sectarians, which deservedly drew the ridicule of the nation and anyone with half a brain.

It’s worth noting that shortly after this decision, most if not all of the board’s members who supported this change lost their seats when they ran for re-election. Creationists suffered another significant setback at the end of 2005 when in an unrelated case, a Federal judge—appointed by a Republican with otherwise solid conservative credentials—struck down a similar attempt by a Pennsylvania school district to introduce creationism in its schools.

As the judge's unambiguously wrote in his decision,

The breathtaking inanity of the board’s decision is evident when considered against the factual backdrop which has now been fully revealed through this trial. The students, parents, and teachers of the Dover Area School District deserved better than to be dragged into this legal maelstrom, with its resulting utter waste of monetary and personal resources.

It’s important to note that evolution and belief in God are not mutually exclusive. If anything, evolution in itself may be seen as proof that there is a higher “intelligent design” at work. But science inquiry by its nature must be limited to what can be researched and qualitatively measured. By contrast, religion and belief in God are based in faith.

In fact, I would argue that when Christian extremists seek to have their beliefs legitimized by science, they are engaging in heresy because, like the disciple Thomas (the "Doubting Thomas" of the scriptures), faith is not enough to validate their beliefs.

Born and raised a Catholic, I do occasionally ponder the existence of God. However, I know that I do not need to have society at large validate my beliefs; and that the rightful place for my child to learn about God is in a church or other religious institution, not the school, which is supposed to teach empirical thought and knowledge, not faith-based beliefs.

Such attacks on common sense and the very principles of our nation don’t lead me to doubt God, but they definitely reinforce my feeling that religion sectarianism and extremism of any stripe pose a real danger to society, and are the cause of much of the world’s ignorance, tribalism, and misery.