While there are some holes in the theory, evolution is widely accepted by scientists worldwide, has arguably the most evidence present at hand of any â??theoryâ? out there, and is visible in daily life.

Last week, the Kansas state board of education voted 6-4 against the teaching of intelligent design within public schools. The vote means that, in one of the more conservative states in the nation, intelligent design can no longer be taught as a theory alongside evolution within science classrooms.

Creationism in schools was outlawed nationally by a 1987 Supreme Court ruling that made it illegal to teach religious views in the classroom. However, creationists maintain that intelligent design is different when compared to creationism in that it doesn“t specifically say who or what the creator is. By just saying that “something” intelligent created the different species of animals in the world, the “science” avoids affiliation with any religion.

Intelligent design states that an intelligent creator is responsible for the variations in life, and rejects Darwinian assertions that genetic mutations and natural selection are the cause of different species on earth.

In striking down this pseudoscience, the state of Kansas has shown that scientific reasoning, not moral or religious beliefs, will be the only thing accepted within a science classroom.

Creationists would like you to believe that evolution is not a perfect theory, and therefore should be rejected. While there are some holes in the theory, evolution is widely accepted by scientists worldwide, has arguably the most evidence present at hand of any “theory” out there, and is visible in daily life.

Go to any dog show, and you will see how the evolution of wolves through genetic mutation has produced poodles, terriers and all sorts of different canines.

Take a spring break to the Galapagos Islands and see how the same species of bird on different islands has different physical features, an adaptation that is the result of different geographical conditions within those separate islands that caused mutated offspring to survive longer and therefore pass on their mutations to the next generation.

Intelligent design, however, is rooted in the idea of a creator who cannot be proven to be real or not. The fact that this “science” has a claim that cannot be falsified “ that is, cannot be proven through scientific research to be true or false “ should be troubling to anyone sending their children to schools that may teach it.

But let us assume that you“re reading this right now, and you believe that children should be taught that an intelligent creator helped shape the species we see today. So what do you do if you“re a parent whose children are being taught a science that contradicts your beliefs?

Well, for starters, you can try directly talking to your children and telling them that this is not what your family believes. Complaining to the school board that your children are being taught a science that defies your Lord and asking them to teach religion in science class contradicts you case, because it forces others to accept your reasoning as fact. Evolution, on the other hand, is rooted in scientific reasoning, which makes it the perfect thing to teach in a science class.

When I was in high school, I was never taught that evolution was fact. I was taught that scientific reasoning showed that it was the closest to a theory on the origins of species that we were able to create scientifically. We were also taught that alternative explanations existed, and we discussed them thoroughly “ in a philosophy class through the social studies department.

If a scientist came into a church and started saying everything the pastor was saying was false, that scientist would be booted out of the building. So what makes it right to have a theologian come to the school board and demand that science teachers teach theology? When it comes to science class, students deserve to learn something that is based on scientific research, not theology.

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