2008 Woodie Awards
Intelligent design speaks for believers
Gavin Turman Ranger Reporter
Issue date: 2/9/06 Section: Issues
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What is intelligent design and should, or shouldn't, it be taught in schools?
The question was brought up to a few Amarillo College students as well as the director of the Amarillo Bible Chair and the Baptist Student Ministry director.
B.J. Ramon, BSM director, explained intelligent design as "the teachings using scientific proof to back up that there is some intelligent design that created the universe."
Phillip Johnson, a California law professor, sparked the intelligent design movement in the early 1990s with his book, Darwin on Trial.
"He seemed to search the Darwin theory of evolution from a lawyer's point of view," said Frank Bellizzi, director of the Amarillo Bible Chair.
"When the intelligent design movement took off, it sort of naturally fell into the category of news story, which brings once again the controversy of science vs. religion."
Some students who were asked their opinions support teaching intelligent design in the public schools, and some oppose it.
"I don't think it should be taught in a science class," said student Rachel Rogers. "I think science and religion should be kept separate."
Student David Gonnering said it should be taught. "The ultimate purpose in college is to create thinking and to prove one's intellect, and whenever you limit something to one concept, you take away all other possibilities, which won't do anything for science or any branch of study," he said.
The ID theory is controversial "because we are talking about origins of people and their destiny," Bellizzi said. "And people seem to get up in arms about that issue."
"It is new, and it goes against evolution, and since the majority follow evolution they want to reject intelligent design," Ramon said.
ID continues to make its way to the public eye through politics.
"It is more apparent in the last election that there is definitely a line being drawn on two sides between liberal and conservative thinking, and this is just another issue that is going to be debated," Ramon said. "I'm not sure that we as humans will ever be able to draw up an answer from it."
President Bush has been influenced by the ID movement enough to bring it up in one of his speeches. "So it's definitely a big issue," Bellizzi said.
"I don't see it ever resolved, but I see it causing more and more problems."
The question was brought up to a few Amarillo College students as well as the director of the Amarillo Bible Chair and the Baptist Student Ministry director.
B.J. Ramon, BSM director, explained intelligent design as "the teachings using scientific proof to back up that there is some intelligent design that created the universe."
Phillip Johnson, a California law professor, sparked the intelligent design movement in the early 1990s with his book, Darwin on Trial.
"He seemed to search the Darwin theory of evolution from a lawyer's point of view," said Frank Bellizzi, director of the Amarillo Bible Chair.
"When the intelligent design movement took off, it sort of naturally fell into the category of news story, which brings once again the controversy of science vs. religion."
Some students who were asked their opinions support teaching intelligent design in the public schools, and some oppose it.
"I don't think it should be taught in a science class," said student Rachel Rogers. "I think science and religion should be kept separate."
Student David Gonnering said it should be taught. "The ultimate purpose in college is to create thinking and to prove one's intellect, and whenever you limit something to one concept, you take away all other possibilities, which won't do anything for science or any branch of study," he said.
The ID theory is controversial "because we are talking about origins of people and their destiny," Bellizzi said. "And people seem to get up in arms about that issue."
"It is new, and it goes against evolution, and since the majority follow evolution they want to reject intelligent design," Ramon said.
ID continues to make its way to the public eye through politics.
"It is more apparent in the last election that there is definitely a line being drawn on two sides between liberal and conservative thinking, and this is just another issue that is going to be debated," Ramon said. "I'm not sure that we as humans will ever be able to draw up an answer from it."
President Bush has been influenced by the ID movement enough to bring it up in one of his speeches. "So it's definitely a big issue," Bellizzi said.
"I don't see it ever resolved, but I see it causing more and more problems."