'Intelligent design': Religion or science?

It's not evolution, but it isn't creationism either.

A relatively new concept to explain how Earth was created and life was formed is gaining in popularity throughout the United States. It's called "intelligent design."

It's a controversial idea, primarily because some want to incorporate it in the science curriculum at public high schools. And one of those people happens to be the president of the United States.

"Intelligent design" isn't terribly specific, except that supporters maintain the world began by some "intelligent cause," not by some accidental reason, according to the Discovery Institute, a nonprofit educational foundation that is leading the effort to spread the concept.

Creationists maintain that the "designer" is God, but intelligent design advocates are careful to leave God or any religious reference out of the debate. In fact, they maintain they don't know who or what designed planet Earth.

Ken Owen

"My feeling is that intelligent design is something (to teach) because evolution is so bad for our students to learn," said Lodi resident Ken Owen, founder of Christian Community Concerns, an organization that advocates a Christian influence in government and religious instruction in public schools.

"Evolution is the only thing being taught (in public schools)," Owen said. "It's no more science than Christianity is. It's not based on pure fact or science."

The concept of evolution is that people and other animals change, or evolve, over many years, mainly as a result of natural selection, or their ability to reproduce and perpetuate the existence of their species.

Creationism, on the other hand, is based on Genesis, the first book in the Bible. It states that God created Earth in six days. Creationism is banned in public schools on the grounds that it teaches religious concepts.

Now there is "intelligent design."

Not coming to Lodi area

While it has been added to the curriculum in at least one Pennsylvania county, it appears unlikely that intelligent design will be added to the curriculum in Lodi, Galt or anywhere else in California.

"This is not on our radar at all," said Barbara Johnston, Lodi Unified School District's curriculum director. "We currently follow, of course, our state content standards. The (state Education) Code is very specific on what those standards are. There is no indication that it will be altered or revised."

Dennis Richardson

Dennis Richardson, board president of the Galt Joint Union High School District and a devout Christian, suggested that a comparative religions course that includes intelligent design be considered. Students would only take the course with parental permission, he said.

Richardson emphasized that he is not speaking on behalf of the Galt High district or the school board.

"I believe everybody has the right to believe what they want to believe," said Richardson, a member of the Galt First Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Jeff Jennings, superintendent of the Galt Joint Union Elementary School District, agrees that it would take state action to add intelligent design to the curriculum.

Jeff Jennings

"We've got so many issues on our plate, we try to focus on basics," Jennings said.

Charles C. Haynes, senior scholar for a Virginia-based organization called First Amendment Center, says that while intelligent design is gaining momentum on a national level, it's not likely in California, even though many residents might support such a concept.

"It's not a state where the argument will be easily advanced," said Haynes, who has a doctorate in theological studies. "It's not a state where a lot of conservative religious people have a lot of power (in state education circles)."

Owen agrees with Haynes' assessment, saying that it would take changes by the California Legislature to get intelligent design into the school curriculum.

"It would have to be a political movement as well as an educational movement," Owen said.

Pennsylvania opens door

In Dover County, Pa., the local school board had the ability to make changes. In fact, the board recently ordered its superintendent to issue a three-paragraph statement to classes when evolution is taught, according to Time Magazine.

"(Evolution) is not a fact. Gaps in the theory exist for which there is no evidence," the Dover County school board determined. "Intelligent design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from (evolution). As is true with any theory, students are encouraged to keep an open mind."

How long intelligent design can be used in Dover County classrooms is up in the air. The American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State have filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of 11 parents.

The lawsuit claims that intelligent design promotes a particular religious belief under the guise of science education.

"Intelligent design is a Trojan horse for bringing religious creationism back into public school science classes," Witold Walczak, legal director of the ACLU's Pennsylvania chapter, said on the ACLU Web site.

Haynes, with the First Amendment Center, said, "Intelligent design leaders say they are not advancing a religious view, but many of their supporters in various states are people looking for a creationist view in the curriculum."

Some Christians believe in evolutionary theories advanced by scientists, Haynes said, but Christians have a ready answer -- "Whatever science comes up with, God did it."

Locals weigh in

Private schools, which don't face the restrictions that public schools do, are free to say that God created the universe.

Loren Mauch, principal of Century Christian School in Lodi, says he agrees with the intelligent design principle that someone or something created the universe. But he says he knows who created the universe -- God.

Owen admits that intelligent design could turn out to be a vehicle toward incorporating creationism into the public school curriculum. The main reason, he said, is that those who believe in evolution have no supreme being to guide them morally.

3 theories on how Earth was created

There are three major theories on how Earth may have been created. They are:
EVOLUTION: That human beings were descended from apes. Animals survived on the basis of natural selection, and changes "evolved" in animals over the years.
CREATIONISM: That God created the universe and the creatures who live in it.
INTELLIGENT DESIGN: That the universe didn't appear by accident. There was some "designer" who created the universe, but it isn't necessarily God. In fact, it is unknown who or what the "designer" of the universe was.
-- By News-Sentinel staff.

"The biblical morality is one of the reasons for teaching intelligent design concept because the Bible teaches morality for students, whereas evolution doesn't," Owen said. "Whoever the intelligent designer is has a moral code."

Steve Newman, pastor of Lodi's First Baptist Church, said he isn't sure what the answer is.

"A true science is open to looking at all possibilities, including there being an intelligent designer," Newman said. "Some people are threatened by even considering it."

But even if intelligent design doesn't make it into the curriculum, its supporters will be just as happy if a greater emphasis is placed on evolution, Haynes said. Teaching evolution would be an avenue to question its concepts, he added.

Newman said, "I think that we have an imperfect understanding of science and an imperfect understanding of Scripture."

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.

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