IDnet and SEAO Publish Comments on Draft of Ohio Life Science Standards
Contact:
Intelligent Design network, inc. Science Excellence for All Ohioans (SEAO)
John Calvert, Managing Director Barry Sheets, Executive Director
913-268-0852 614-989-5250
Columbus, Ohio: The results of a survey about teaching origins science (study of the origin of life and its diversity) was released on February 4, 2002. “This report destroys the myth being circulated that ‘no real scientist’ believes in intelligent design as a reasonable scientific theory for our origin,” said John Calvert, a Managing Director of Intelligent Design network, inc. (IDnet).
The report shows overwhelming support from a highly educated group for teaching origins science objectively and without philosophic, naturalistic or religious assumptions. The Report was presented to the Standards Committee of the State Board of Education of Ohio on Monday. The Report reflects comments posted to an Internet web site open to the public that was maintained by IDnet and Science Excellence for all Ohioans (SEAO).
A total of 271 of 309 respondents (88%) favor the inclusion of diverse viewpoints, in the teaching of origins science. Objective origins science permits the conduct and teaching of intelligent design as a competitor to Darwinian evolution.
“Those favoring objective origins science include 78 of 83 respondents holding doctoral degrees (94%), 71 of 85 respondents that are or have been engaged in biological sciences (84%) and 73 of 80 engaged in teaching or education (91%),” said John Calvert, a Managing Director of Intelligent Design network, inc.
“The Modifications urge the State Board to drop the assumption used in science education that allows only naturalistic (materialistic) explanations for processes occurring in nature,” said Barry Sheets, Executive Director of SEAO. Naturalism is the belief that all phenomena in nature result only from chance and the laws of chemistry and physics. “Naturalism eliminates intelligent design as a possible answer to the all important question: ‘Where do we come from?'” said Sheets. “This leaves Darwinian evolution with a monopoly on the explanation for origins.”
The Report contains detailed comments from many of the respondents that explain the reasons for their votes and views. “All you have to do is read the comments to fathom the depth of the intellectual support for origins science conducted objectively per the scientific method rather than as a strategy to protect Darwinism from criticism,” Calvert said.
The IDnet-SEAO poll was open to anyone who wished to comment. Although about two-thirds of the respondents were Ohioans, a number of highly credentialed scientists from all over the world visited the web site to express their views, including a member of the National Academy of Science.
The Science Standards Committee of the State Board of Education is deliberating about the issues raised in the Report. Senate Bill 1 (2001) requires that Science Standards be adopted by the State Board by the end of the year.
Intelligent Design is a scientific theory that intelligent causes are involved in the origin of the universe and of life and its diversity. It holds that design is empirically detectable in nature, and particularly in living systems. Intelligent Design is an intellectual movement that includes a scientific research program for investigating intelligent causes and that challenges naturalistic explanations of origins which currently drive science education and research.
Science Excellence for All Ohioans is a project of the American Family Association of Ohio, a nonprofit organization. SEAO is a network of concerned citizens and organizations who support excellent state science standards that are fair, reasonable, and unbiased.