From the article:
----------------------------------------------------------------
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
Published: August 3, 2005
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 - A sharp debate between scientists and religious
conservatives escalated Tuesday over comments by President Bush that
the theory of intelligent design should be taught with evolution in
the nation's public schools.
In an interview at the White House on Monday with a group of Texas
newspaper reporters, Mr. Bush appeared to endorse the push by many of
his conservative Christian supporters to give intelligent design equal
treatment with the theory of evolution.
Recalling his days as Texas governor, Mr. Bush said in the interview,
according to a transcript, "I felt like both sides ought to be
properly taught." Asked again by a reporter whether he believed that
both sides in the debate between evolution and intelligent design
should be taught in the schools, Mr. Bush replied that he did, "so
people can understand what the debate is about."
Mr. Bush was pressed as to whether he accepted the view that
intelligent design was an alternative to evolution, but he did not
directly answer. "I think that part of education is to expose people
to different schools of thought," he said, adding that "you're asking
me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas, and
the answer is yes."
On Tuesday, the president's conservative Christian supporters and the
leading institute advancing intelligent design embraced Mr. Bush's
comments while scientists and advocates of the separation of church
and state disparaged them. At the White House, where intelligent
design has been discussed in a weekly Bible study group, Mr. Bush's
science adviser, John H. Marburger 3rd, sought to play down the
president's remarks as common sense and old news.
Mr. Marburger said in a telephone interview that "evolution is the
cornerstone of modern biology" and "intelligent design is not a
scientific concept." Mr. Marburger also said that Mr. Bush's remarks
should be interpreted to mean that the president believes that
intelligent design should be discussed as part of the "social context"
in science classes.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read it at http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/03/politics/03bush.html
(get a login & password at
http://www.bugmenot.com/view.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com)
J. Spaceman
.
|
