According to a news posting on the Dallas Morning News website entitled, "New science e-books approved by state education board," the Texas Board of Education avoided a confrontation over materials for teaching biology in the state's schools. Texas could not afford to buy new biology textbooks this year, and the board decided instead to publish a list of recommended supplementary online materials. It looked like the the list might include some items promoting intelligent design (ID) theory, which is widely seen as a "front" for conservative Christian creationism doctrines. According to the news posting, a number of "social conservatives" sit on the board, including its chairperson, and there was a real possibility that there would be a fight over the supplementary list as a result. In the end, no ID texts were included, and the potential skirmish never materialized.The Austin Statesman noted in its posting (here) on the Board of Education's decision that a Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Kelly Allen, was among those speaking against including the ID material on the supplemental list. It quotes her as saying, "I don't want my children's public school teachers to teach faith and God in a science classroom. True religion can handle truth in all its forms. Evolution is solid science."
Whatever our personal beliefs about evolution, Pastor Allen is correct in saying that evolution is solid science. ID, on the other hand, has failed to establish itself as a viable scientific alternative for the study of biology. It is theology disguised as science, and as such it has no place in courses teaching the science of biology. If allowed in science classrooms, the teaching of ID not only introduces extraneous subject matters, but it also offers teachers of a certain theological persuasion the opportunity to evangelize their students with their religious beliefs. Pastor Allen is also correct in her statement that religion can "handle truth in all its forms." Religious faith at its best is a search for and a commitment to truth. Not only can it "handle" scientific truths, it can embrace them.
