Yesterday a US District Court Judge ruled that teaching intelligent design in a school science class is a violation of the constitution. The move, which is certain to anger Christian groups, is the correct one. It is not the place of the state to espouse or teach religion or spirituality. The state is a poor teacher as it is, as witnessed by our public education system. It is foolhardy at best to expect our public schools, therefore, to teach religious dogma in the classroom. In 2004, the school board of Dover, PA decreed, that intelligent design (i.e., creation) should be talk in Dover science classes. The premise being that students should be made aware of the premise that man (and the universe) was created by an unseen intelligent (and presumably omnipotent) power.

Our spiritual beliefs should be apparent to any longtime reader of the Phalanx, nonetheless, it is incumbent upon the state to avoid interference in matters of faith. Yes evolution is a theory and yes there are alternative theories, including many scientific theories. These theories, however, are theories of a scientific nature and thusly, appropriate fields of study for a school science class. Intelligent design, regardless of one’s spiritual beliefs is not a matter of science, but a matter of faith and it would be grossly inappropriate, not to mention, unconstitutional to mandate the government teach matters of faith to our children.

Those interested in religious education should take the steps to provide their children with a faith based education in a private or church based school, rather than shirk their parental responsibility in lieu of the state. If a parent can’t afford to do this they must rely on home and church to instill these values, otherwise parents should not have children they can’t afford to care for. Much like the welfare brethren who constantly scream for higher minimum wage and increased government handouts. We at the Phalanx never ceased to be amazed by the fact that people who supposedly call for a strict and literal interpretation of the constitution (i.e., conservatives) never tire in their efforts to use the government to impose their will on others. Christ did not call for the state to impose his faith on others; he sought to lead by example, perhaps its time that his supposed followers did the same.
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/LAW/12/20/intelligent.design/