Scientists to the heads of organized religions: help us fight the "intelligent design" movement

A Vatican representative attending the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) conference expressed his agreement

Image from the movie The Monkey Trial. The trial from 1925 symbolizes the beginning of the organized struggle against the theory of evolution

American scientists have called on mainstream religious communities in America to help them fight policies that seek to undermine the teaching of evolution.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science took advantage of its conference taking place these days in St. Louis, Missouri to attack back the "intelligent design" movement. In a statement issued by the association, it was stated that "studying the theory of intelligent design harms the scientific literacy of school students."
Recently, there have been several attempts across the US by anti-evolutionists to require the study of intelligent design ideas in science classes. At a conference in St. Louis, the Association for the Advancement of Science (which, by the way, is the publisher of the most prestigious journal in the field - Science), condemned these measures. "
"Such clumsy attempts to shoehorn religion—in fact, only one kind of religion—into science classes means causing harm to students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers," says AAAS President Gilbert Omenn. "The time has come to recognize that science and religion no longer need to compete with each other. They can and must live side by side in everything related to most people's lives, just not in science classes. Let's not confuse the children."

"Who is fooling whom?"Eugene Scott, director of the National Center for Science Education, which is behind a campaign to keep the study of evolution in public schools, says that mainstream religious communities should intervene in the case to prevent the issue from being seen as a war between science and religion. Some of them have already heeded this warning.
"The intelligent design movement underestimates the value of evolution. It turns God into a planner or an engineer," says George Coyne, director of the Vatican Observatory. "Intelligent planning centers on a planner they don't recognize by name. Who are they fooling?" added
Last year, a federal court judge ruled in favor of 11 parents in Dover, Pennsylvania, who argued that Darwinian evolution must be taught as fact. The district's school board pushed for the study of the theory of intelligent design in science classes, but the judge ruled that this was a violation of the constitution, which outlines a clear separation between the state and religion. Despite the ruling, there are further legal challenges on the way. 14 US states are considering laws that scientists say will limit the study of evolution. Among the proposals - a law in Missouri that seeks to ensure that only experimentally proven science is taught in schools.
"The new strategy is to teach the theory of intelligent design without calling it intelligent design," says biologist Kenneth Miller of Brown University in Rhode Island, he told the BBC. Dr. Miller, who served as an expert witness in the Dover trial, added: "The supporters of intelligent design and creation tried to repackage their criticisms, and claim that they are trying to teach the evidence for evolution and the evidence against it."
The decentralized education system in the USA will ensure that the issue of intelligent planning will remain on the agenda despite the decision in the Dover trial.
Oman warns that studying the theory of intelligent design will deprive students of the right education, and will ultimately harm the US economy. "At a time when fewer and fewer students are turning to science, baby boomer scientists are retiring in large numbers, and students from around the world are returning home to work, America can spend taxpayer dollars to tattoo evolution." added