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Evolution, Creationism, and Intelligent Design Discussion Assignment 3

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Evolution, Creationism, and Intelligent Design Discussion Assignment 3 Evolution, Creationism, and Intelligent Design Discussion Assignment 3 Is evolution a science? Is intelligent design based on a scientific theory? What about Creationism? Why are these concepts so controversial? This case study will help you understand the basic differences among these theories. 1. What is Evolution? Evolution can be a difficult concept for people to come to terms with, especially if they do not have much experience with life sciences. Is evolution a fact or a theory? Or is it both? Does evolution explain the origin of life or not? These are important questions which people need to be able to understand and answer. Unfortunately, there are too many examples of people who don't understand any of these theories and no criticism will be valid when it proceeds from gross misrepresentations of the facts. It is important to remember that evolution is not a minor matter - it is, in fact, the cornerstone of all modern biology. Please review your textbook and the information in this case study for more information about evolution. 2. What is Creationism? Like evolution, creationism can have more than one meaning. At its most basic, creationism is the belief that the universe was created by a deity of some sort; after that, there is quite a lot of variety among creationists as to just what they believe and why. People may lump all creationists together in one group, but it is important to understand where they differ in their ideas and theology because they can make very different critiques of evolution. You yourself won't be able to adequately respond to creationist arguments or offer counter- arguments unless you understand what sort of creationism you're dealing with. Please note, creationism and intelligent design are not the same thing. You will learn more about this as you continue this case study. 3. What is Intelligent Design? The theory of intelligent design holds that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection. Scientific acceptance of Intelligent Design would require redefining science to allow supernatural explanations of observed phenomena, an approach its proponents describe as theistic realism or theistic science. It puts forth a number of arguments in support of the existence of a designer, the most prominent of which are irreducible complexity and specified complexity. The scientific community rejects the extension of science to include supernatural explanations in favor of continued acceptance of methodological naturalism and has rejected both irreducible complexity and specified complexity for a wide range of conceptual and factual flaws. Intelligent design is viewed as a pseudoscience by the scientific community, because it lacks empirical support, offers no tenable hypotheses, and aims to describe natural history in terms of scientifically untestable supernatural causes. 4. Evolution & Religion Evolution and religion often seem to be locked in a desperate struggle of life and death - and, for some religious beliefs, perhaps that impression is reasonably accurate. However, the fact that some religions and some religious dogmas are not entirely compatible with evolutionary biology does not mean that the same must be true for all religions or religion generally. What is certainly false is the assertion that evolution itself is a religion — that's a claim which rests upon falsehood about both religion and science. 5. Evolution & Law Evolution is perhaps the only area of science which has been transformed into a legal issue on which courts around the country have had to render decisions. No one initiates lawsuits over the teaching of gravity, physics, chemistry, or any other part of the science curriculum — even though the evidential and scientific foundations of evolution are just as strong as the rest. It's also highly unlikely to find heated legislative debates over the status of such topics in public schools, which makes evolution even more unusual. That only evolution is the subject of so much non-scientific, political debate is a testimony to the power of anti-scientific religion in American society. Please watch BOTH of the following podcast lectures THEN answer the corresponding DQ 3 questions. Video Lecture Links: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/educators/teachstuds/svideos.html Remember, if the link doesn’t work, you can cut and paste the above URL directly into your browser. Watch Video 4: How does evolution really work - Travel to Ecuador to see how the process of natural selection operates in populations of rainforest hummingbirds. Watch Video 7: Why is evolution controversial anyway - Consider different points of view, as scientists, religious leaders, and college students share their opinions about evolution, science, and religious faith. After listening to the podcast lecture and reading the information above, consider your own beliefs about the theories of evolution, creationism, and intelligent design. Which theory do you believe is responsible for the development of human beings (you don’t have to share, however, you are welcome to do so if you feel strongly either way)? After you have thought about your own personal beliefs, please answer the following Discussion Question 3 Questions. Post your response on the corresponding DQ 3 Forum: Do you think all three theories should be taught in public schools? Explain why or why not. Are these theories completely incompatible? Do you think a person can believe in evolution and still be religious or does believing in the theory of evolution prevent a person from being religious? I.e. Can you believe in evolution and still be a Christian or a Muslim, explain why or why Answer all Discussion Questions in a word document or works document. Then copy your answers and paste them directly on the Discussion Board 3 forum –be sure to proof-read and edit your response before you post it. Remember, your posted response should be supported with information you have learned from the case study and/or additional information from research you have looked up. Enjoy! Information in this case study was taken directly from the following websites: http://atheism.about.com/od/aboutevolution/tp/EvolutionCreationAbiogenesis.htm http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/educators/teachstuds/svideos.html. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_Design .
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