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July 31, 2003

Michigan Set to Outpace Kansas

...when it comes to looking foolish.

HOLLAND, Mich. (AP) — A state House bill would require that middle and high school students who study evolution also be taught creationism, the belief that God designed life on earth.

Republican State Reps. Bill Van Regenmorter of Georgetown Township and Barb Vander Veen of Allendale are co-sponsors of the bill.

The legislation introduced this month says science teachers should tell their students that evolution and natural selection are "unproven theories."

Van Regenmorter and Vander Veen, aside from having last names that are both a mouthful AND fun to say together, are also pushing for legislation declaring that rain is actually Baby Jesus crying and thunder is the angels bowling way, way up in Heaven above.

Hey, you never know - perhaps our ideas of what causes them are completely wrong. Sure, to date our observations indicate otherwise, but maybe tomorrow we'll catch sight of a runaway gutter ball from Seraphim Lanes.

Van Regenmorter said that while he believes intelligent design to be fact, that is not why he is a co-sponsor on the bill.

"This provides balance. The way this bill is set up is if teachers are teaching evolution as a viable theory, than they also should teach intelligent design as a viable theory," the Ottawa County lawmaker told The Holland Sentinel for a story Thursday.

Uh, Mr. Van Regenmorter, perhaps that's because evolution is a viable theory - that doesn't mean that every competing idea is suddenly a viable theory by default. There's nothing viable or theoretical (in the scientific sense) about intelligent design or creationism; it's completely unfalsifiable, yada, yada, yada, search the rest of this site if you need to know more.

"There are scientific facts on both sides, and I think both sides need to be presented," Vander Veen said. "Our students are very intelligent, and they can make up their own minds."

The only scientific fact about intelligent design is that the Earth appears to exist. That's it. Period. One fact does not a complete explanation make.

Ah well, at least the "we're not doing it because we happen to think it's true and we love the Lord - praise be! - hallelujah! - and amen on top!" intellectual dishonesty is amusing.