God, Darwin Clash Again in Kansas

For the fourth time, the Kansas Board of Education is going to debate what is and is not science. I've commented several times on this blog about the battle over intelligent design in the classroom. My opinion hasn't really changed. Regardless of personal opinion on the discussion, can't everyone in the Kansas debate recognize that constantly re-debating the question, and redefining science every couple years, after each election, is not only silly but ultimately more confusing to the students? I know it will never happen, because posing for their power bases is more important than actually addressing issues, as in all politics, but both sides really should try to find an accomodation.

I've argued before that what Dover, PA came up with is pretty good. The Dover solution was to ackowledge that not everyone believes evolution and that some believe in intelligent design, but to use language that differentiates intelligent design from science, and to also acknowledge the simple, and seemingly indisputable, point that evolution is a theory like every thing else in science. So it's a solution that acknowleges the existence of intelligent design, but keeps the science classes teaching science. Sounds like a reasonable compromise to me. As I said, it'll never happen. But if politicians actually cared about solving problems and doing something, it might.