‘Intelligent’ Design in Utah

The Utah State Senate ammended a bill on Monday Jan. 23 that mandates what a teacher can say about the origins of Homo sapiens in the science classroom. Essentially, they’ve made is unlawful to fail to say that “not all scientists agree about the origins of man” with regard to evolution. They don’t mind if the teacher implies or even states that the *lesser* species on the planet evolved from a common ancestor, but humans are somehow set aside from the rest of the matter on the planet. “…a teacher could teach how an alligator was formed through evolution, which is not prohibited by law until the teacher starts to address how man was created.” From this article: http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/58082

No *reputable* scientist believes man just popped into existence. Moreover, the disclaimer the Utah Senate requires science teachers to state, “not all scientists on which theory is correct” is misleading to the point of being a lie. Sure, scientists disagree. And some even believe Adam and Eve were the first two humans. But how many of these “scientists” are in a discipline related to evolutionary sciences (geology, biology, anthropology, etc.)? Pitifully few.

However, the Utah Legislature is an example of anthropocentric thinking and perhaps magical thinking. We see ourselves as separate and removed from the world and destined for another plane of existence. Thus, our time here, in this reality, is limited. Rather than live our lives as if *this* world, this life, was all we have, we are holding out for something better. The lesser species may have evolved, but the anthropomorphic gods we believe in have more love for the human species -we get to go to a “special place” when we die. As long as we believe.

Man is but a brief instance in the history of life on this planet.

Life has existed for hundreds of millions of years -man for perhaps 250,000, probably less. One is left to wonder: did god exist before man? I doubt it.

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