There seems to be a bit of confusion going on in Florida. Governor Jeb Bush has gotten the Scripps Research Institute to build a campus in his state. Scripps is a major biomedical institution which has done important research on evolution - and relies on evolutionary theory for making medical discoveries. At the same time, Bush appears to be promoting creationism in schools.

Carl Zimmer writes:

In August, Bush appointed Cheryl Yecke as his state chancellor of K-12 education. In her previous job, Yecke had served as Minnesota’s state education commissioner. A self-proclaimed creationist, she had said she wanted to get science classes to discuss “a higher power creating life alongside evolution.” Major science organizations, such as the American Institute of Biological Sciences were appalled. Yecke lost the post after a year, but Bush decided she was the right woman for the job in Florida.

Yecke has company in the sunshine state. The chair of the state House Education Council favors teaching intelligent design, and recently introduced a bill that he said would allow students to sue their professors if they didn’t consider it in class. ...

How does Jeb Bush handle this contradiction? How does he explain simultaneously embracing evolution-based cutting edge biology and hiring a creationist to run his schools? Florida newspapers are discovering that his solution is simply to avoid the issue altogether.

Zimmer’s article is an excellent explanation of ways in which evolutionary theory is absolutely fundamental not just to modern biology, but also to modern medical science. He makes it clear, then, that the future of biotechnology and medical science lies with evolutionary theory. Institutions like Scripps are successful because they rely on evolution, not creationism or Intelligent Design. Scripps brings in money and community improvement because evolutionary theory is true — it certainly does more than churches which teach that creationism is true.

Scripps is proof that people like Yecke are wrong. Is it possible for Bush to learn from this? I doubt it — that’s why he is keeping quiet about the contradictions in his policy. I wonder whether any supporters of creationism have protested or opposed Scripps opening a campus in Florida. After all, if they aren’t giving equal time to Intelligent Design in their research, aren’t they just promoting atheism? Isn’t Bush, therefore, also promoting atheism by inviting such an atheistic institution into his state?

 

Quick Poll: If a public school teaches evolution, should they also teach Intelligent Design as well?

1. Yes. All scientific theories about life should be taught, not just the orthodox beliefs of godless Darwinians
2. No. Intelligent Design is, at a bare minimum, not scientific - and it's arguably religious. Either way, it doesn't belong in science classes
3. I don't know / don't care

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Read More:

• Evolution vs. Creationism
• Science vs. Religion
• What is Creationism?
• What is Intelligent Design?
• What is Science?