Mango is fired up about Intelligent Design.  I’m not sure of it was the headlines from Dover or just right wing propaganda that has him fired up, but he is.  He asserts that Intelligent Design is not a theory and furthermore that making the case that Intelligent Design should be presented as an alternative theory to Evolution is akin to saying that Green Day should be offered up with Beethoven and Mozart in Music History class.

I’m not a scientist, hell I don’t even possess a college degree, but I won’t let that stop me from adding my take on this.  Let’s jump back a moment.  What is Intelligent Design or ID?  If you want a detailed answer, Mango and a-[e] can provide it.  I’ll state it simply.  ID is Creationism dressed in scientific trappings.  

Let me make a few statements before I continue.  I am an Atheist.  I’m sorry about that.  Some would tell you that my lack of belief makes me want to push that on others much the way the Faithful want to spread their faith.  I can only offer you my assurance that your faith or lack thereof is of no concern to me.  Having said that, I don’t think that Christianity and Evolution have to be at odds with one another.   The bible says God created man and the animals.  Evolution says that mutations occurred over time.  I know Christians who believe that those mutations may be the hand of God in the process. By pushing this small change or that one perhaps God did create us, they say.

It seems to me that evolution is not really a facet of biology, but a matter of math.  Applied probability.  Nothing is driving evolution.  It might be more appropriate to say that Evolution is demonstrated by Biology.  I point this out because I think Evolution is demonstrated in other places too, but I’ll get back to that later.

SC&A says, “There is ample scientific evidence that evolution is a fact of life. There is also ample evidence that there is much more. That evidence can be seen in the behavior of man. That behavior defies evolutionary ideals and principles” and Mango echoes the notion.  I contend that these statements are erroneous because there is no such thing as evolutionary ideals or behavior.  Man is successful as a species.  Largely due to his behavior.  I would say that man and his “counter-evolutionary behavior” are only more examples of evolution itself.

Evolution is not about behavior.  It is about patterns.  I may be the only person who sees it this way, but what the hell.  Like I said at the beginning I have no real expertise on the subject matter.

The question I find more interesting is this; why are people of faith so threatened by evolution?

They teach Earth Science in most schools systems.  And in those classes they teach that the Earth is much older than a literal view of the bible would allow for.  Yet, I’ve not heard much outrage about that.  What is about the Theory of Evolution that makes this Fundamentalist Christians want to take to the streets?

I’m too tired to dwell on the subject any long tonight so we’ll have to address that part later.