Catholic World News News Feature

Bush remarks prompt new debate on intelligent design August 03, 2005

Secularists and defenders of evolutionary theory have reacted angrily to a statement by US President George W. Bush endorsing the teaching of "intelligent design" in public schools.

In an August 1 session with reporters, Bush said that schools should introduce students both to standard evolutionary theory and to the "intelligent design" approach, which says that the appearance of human life was the result of an intelligent plan. "Both sides ought to be properly taught," the President said, adding that educators should "expose people to different schools of thought."

Critics of the "intelligent design" approach contend that the scientific theory is guided by religious faith, and should therefore be excluded from public schools. Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State said that Bush's remarks were "irresponsible." Evolution and intelligent design are not comparable hypotheses, he said, because "one is a religious viewpoint and one is a scientific viewpoint."

Proponents of intelligent design, however, replied that the theory has withstood scientific scrutiny, and asked for an open debate with evolutionary theorists. John West of the Discovery Institute-- a Seattle organization that supports research on intelligent design-- commended the President for "defending free speech on evolution and supporting the right of students to hear about different scientific views."