ID in public high schools: no

Public Forum | January 2006 | Affirmative | ID

Resolved: In the United States, public high school science curriculum should include the study of the Theory of Intelligent Design.

“Science is built up of facts, as a house is built of stones; but an accumulation of facts is no more science than a heap of stones is a house” (Henri Poincaré, Science and Hypothesis, 1905). If M. Poincaré was right in anything, it was simply that. A mass of information does not constitute a fluid and consistent idea. It is because Americans are not educated about intelligent design that my partner and I stand in firm affirmation of the resolution before us today. Resolved: In the United States, public high school science curriculum should include the study of the Theory of Intelligent Design. Supporters and opponents of intelligent design in classrooms put a lot of information into the hands of US citizens. However, a lot of this information is either not accessed or misconstrued. Teaching intelligent design in science classes will provide for a better-rounded population. Intelligent design is also backed by the scientific community.
First, teaching intelligent design in classrooms would give a broader perspective to high school students, a broader perspective that is needed to put forth well-rounded individuals into our future society. As much as people would like to keep intelligent design out of science classrooms, it has a just place there. Intelligent design often fills the gaps that scientists have not yet filled with experimentation or like hypotheses. Steve Renner of IDEA (Intelligent Design and Evolution Awareness) wrote: “Something has been intelligently designed when it is the end product of a thoughtful process that had that product in mind. In other words, intelligent design originates in a mind.” This shows that intelligent design is of a creator of some sort with an amount of intelligence.
Second, there is a lot of merit in teaching intelligent design in a science classroom because scientists support intelligent design. Several big names in the scientific community support the idea of intelligent design: Henry Schaefer (quantum chemist at the University of Georgia, a Nobel prize nominee and recipient of prestigious scientific awards), Michael Behe (Biochemist of Lehigh University), Scott Minnich (microbiologist of University of Idaho), William Dembski (mathematician of Baylor University), John G. West (associate director of the center for science and culture at the discovery institute). John G. West also stated this summer that “the fact is that a significant number of scientists are extremely skeptical that Darwinian evolution can explain the origins of life. We expect that as scientists engage in the wider debate over materialist evolutionary theories, this list will continue to grow, and grow at an even more rapid pace than we’ve seen this past year” (Paul M. Weyrich, American Daily,  December 6, 2005). Because there is debate over evolution and intelligent design, new theories are being created and tested. It is because intelligent design and evolution being presented side-by-side that we are able to come closer and closer to a form of truth in these debates. Therefore, teaching intelligent design in schools is beneficial to the scientific community because it challenges current beliefs and allows for people to create more theories and hypotheses for testing. This stimulates academic curiosities and provides for the growth of the scientific community.
Finally, we don’t know whose side is correct. The only thing we can do is lay all the information on the table and let people decide for themselves. By giving students the opportunity to formulate their own beliefs and opinions on intelligent design and evolution, we stimulate academic growth as well as increase the chances of some truth being found within the debates of today. Is this not the goal of educating our youth, to provide the tools needed to be a successful citizen?
Because the teaching of intelligent design in science classes will stimulate academic pursuit in science and it has the backing of the scientific community, my partner and I stand in firm affirmation of the resolution before us today. Resolved: In the United States, public high school science curriculum should include the study of the theory of intelligent design. Thank you.