Thursday, September 29, 2005

Intelligent Design and Harry Potter

I saw on the news where Pennsylvanians are having this huge debate on whether or not Intelligent Design should be taught in schools as a theory of how we all got here. The theory as I understand it, is that there is some intelligent being (perhaps a God?) guiding how we evolve. I'm not sure though, because it wasn't taught in school when I went. Nice to see the people in my home state weighing in. I'm sure it will end up in the courts, where once again, the judiciary will make law instead of leaving that to the legislature as it was originally intended.

Personally, I have no problem with it. I suppose it helps that I believe it (again, as I understand it), but even if I didn't, I want my son exposed to alternative theories that aren't necessarily the convention. I want him to think for himself, and decide for himself what to take and run with. I don't believe in communism. In fact I think the former Soviet Union is a perfect example of it not working, but I still want my son exposed to it. Maybe someday he'll come up with a new economic theory that combines communism with something else that actually works and he'll be the father of some thriving economy. It could happen.

I think the folks who think that it shouldn't (or from what I've seen, can't, at any cost) be taught can be lumped right in with the religious nutbags who think Harry Potter books should be banned. God forbid we expose our children to a boy wizard who uses magic for good and is admired for fighting evil. They'll all be doing spells in their bedrooms after we go to sleep, and becoming pagan witch kids by the time they're 15. I'm pretty sure that's what the religious fanatics are afraid of, because they've said so. I don't know what the un-intelligent design folks are afraid of. Do they expect to come home one day to their son or daughter and friends in their living room in a parade around the couch singing "Onward Christian Soldiers" or something? Is a little more knowledge that much of a dangerous thing?

Everybody, give the kids an ounce of credit please. These are thinking people who don't take everything they hear or see as Gospel (now there's a piece of religion that snuck it's way into everyday language, or at least mine). They know fantasy from reality, and they know theory from fact. Expose them to this and a whole lot more. Selectively sheltering them from things just because they don't fit your world view isn't a good thing, no matter which side of which issue you happen to be on. Besides, anyone who thinks we have that much influence over our kids grossly overestimates our power of persuasion. Believe me. No matter how much I tell the youngster that rap is nothing but a bad attempt at rhyme and can't be considered music, he's not buying it for a second. Actually, that's not true. He is buying it, and with money I gave him.

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