Read a discussion of this Release at the Rockridge Institute

For Immediate Release

MEDIA ALERT
October 7, 2005
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jamie Rich (816) 931-0738 -- info@fairnessproject.org


"Intelligent Design" Mandates Schools to Teach Atheism
Kansas Religion Professor Says

(Kansas City, MO) In his national monthly column, Dr. Robert N. Minor, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas, argues that mandating the teaching of Intelligent Design in the public schools will also require that schools begin to present the evidence for atheism.

"Requiring our schools to present the theory of intelligent design changes the whole structure of science classes,” says Minor. "Instead of the current approach, our schools will have to give arguments both for and against a designer. Not everyone concludes that the complications in the universe are orderly or concludes there’s intelligence behind it.”

“Teaching evolutionary theory as a scientific explanation to understand and predict biological change, would no longer be enough," writes Minor. “The new mandate that results is one that requires teachers in the end to also start presenting arguments against the existence of an Intelligent Designer, too. It actually requires schools to argue against the right-wing’s view of God.”

Minor reminds readers in his "Minor Details" column that: "The first new question about which the schools will be required to present 'both sides' is: Does evidence such as the human body, for example, actually prove in any way that an intelligence has designed it?"

“I think those who call for the teaching of a theory they have newly-dubbed ‘Intelligent Design’ don’t realize that there are scientific and theoretical questions about whether there is evidence for a design,” Minor said in an interview. “Many scientists have also noted that there are many ‘stupid’ features of the universe.”

“So, though the right-wing assumes a ‘yes’ answer to the question of whether the human body, for example, is evidence that there is a design behind it,” Minor adds, “our science classes will be drawn into showing the evidence against it as well.”

“Science teachers now will have to point out what would be “design” flaws such as the human spine, the existence of the appendix, the susceptibility of human beings to viruses such as the common cold, the fragility of certain joints in the body, the fact that human bodies at some point flip into a non-renewable mode. They’ll have to teach how people use such evidence to conclude that there is no Designer at all,” Minor writes.

“I don’t think these are the consequences that the religious right-wing wants when they call for teaching all sides. I don’t think they have thought through the fact that our schools will have to show students the evidence against a Designer. That’s a whole new argument that follows from demands for teaching the evidence for “Intelligent Design.’”

The President didn’t realize he was calling for the schools to show evidence against a Creator when he said on August 1st: " I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought. You're asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas, the answer is yes."

“Yet that’s exactly what must happen. If you teach evidence for it, you’ve got to show the evidence against it. And you can’t insert religious answers to explain these flaws. You’ve just got to give students the evidence that there is no intelligence there as well,” Minor said.

To read Minor's column go to http://www.fairnessproject.org/Stupid_Design.html
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Professor Minor makes a lively, insightful guest. For a media kit and copy of the book contact the distributor, “The Fairness Project,” at the above address email or fax number, check out www.fairnessproject.org, or contact the author directly at rminor@ku.edu.