You just had to suspect President George Bush supported creationism being taught in schools, it’s just that it didn’t seem as if he’d embrace the idea publically — until now:
President Bush said Monday he believes schools should discuss “intelligent design” alongside evolution when teaching students about the creation of life.
During a round-table interview with reporters from five Texas newspapers, Bush declined to go into detail on his personal views of the origin of life. But he said students should learn about both theories, Knight Ridder Newspapers reported.
“I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought,” Bush said. “You’re asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas, the answer is yes.”
The theory of intelligent design says life on earth is too complex to have developed through evolution, implying that a higher power must have had a hand in creation.
Christian conservatives — a substantial part of Bush’s voting base — have been pushing for the teaching of intelligent design in public schools. Scientists have rejected the theory as an attempt to force religion into science education.
Three things on this:
(1)Isn’t it fascinating how modern politics (on the left and right) resorts to a kind of Orwellian attempt to obscure a concept? “Intelligent design” is to “creationism” what “pre-owned cars” is to “used cars.”
(2)If the two were taught side by side — particularly if it was ever somehow mandated by the federal government — it would indeed represent a SHIFT.
(3)Whatever happened to the days when conservatives made it a point of saying a matter such as what’s taught in schools was something that strictly belonged to the states and is not a matter for the feds? Barry Goldwater had it right.
On the other hand, in terms of public opinion, Bush is with the MAJORITY on this issue. A CBS News poll in November found that most Americans don’t think humans evolved, don’t want evolution totally replaced in schools — but two-thirds believe it should be taught alongside evolution in the schools.
So, if this poll is correct, it is NOT accurate to say Bush is merely pushing the agenda of social conservatives on this issue.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.