At the present time, a trial is being conducted in Dover, Pennsylvania about the teaching of something called Intelligent Design. The school board requires the mention of this concept before teaching the students about Evolution. Some parents are suing the shcool board because they claim that the concept is a euphemism for Creationism.The proponents claim that Intelligent Design is not the same as Creationism. My question is, "If it is not Creationsim, then what is it?"

The constitution of the United States forbids the government of any of its entities, including school boards, from establishing a religion. Therefore it is a violation of the constitution to teach Creationism in the public schools. So, someone came up with the bright idea that they will call it Intelligent Design, thereby eliminating the word God. If this intelligence is not God, then what or who is it? Theologically the word used to describe an intelligent creator is the word God.

If Right-wing Christians don't think that the Intelligent Designer is God, then why are they pushing the concept? What other reason would there be for trying to get this concept into the school curriculum? Neither Creationism nor Intelligent Design is based on scientific method. They are based on theology. There is nothing wrong with theology. I hold a deep and personal faith in a God. However, I do not believe in the inerrancy of scripture. For me, the creation stories in the bible teach theological concepts. They are neither historical nor scientific. Hence, I can believe in God and in the process of evolution without either spiritual or intellectual conflict. Since they are theological, they have no place in a scientific curriculum.

As a Pacifist, I believe that all war is sin. Yet, I would not expect the history curriculum to include a statement about that before the study about wars. How does my belief in pacifism differ from their belief in a creator? I learned my theological concepts at home within my family, at church within the faith community, and by self-study. I never expected to learn them in the public schools. My children learned their beliefs in the same way. Any person has a right to believe what they want to, but they do not have the right to have the government force those beliefs on me or on my children.