Originally Posted by
Russel Baldridge
To lay some things on the line that are being thrown back and forth:
1) The origin of life
Evolution does not claim to answer the question of whether life was created, just how life adapts through natural mechanisms after it is in existence. There is a possibility of a natural mechanism creating life that we just haven't discovered and there is also the possibility that a creator stepped in.( I have spoken to this end many times previously, both providing a possible scenario for the natural mechanism and tipping my hat in the direction of a creator that intended for his creations to evolve. My personal belief is of no relevance, both are unrefuted.)
2) Science
Is the study of the natural world through natural means, in an attempt to find a natural cause for a phenomenon that was observed. This excludes anything dealing with the supernatural from the start. If you want to analyze the world as it is influenced by a supernatural force you are free to do so, but you can't claim to be a science, you need your own field to play on.
That's harsh, but it's what this boils down to.
Craig,
You're right, this immediate thread is about creation in a classrom. But the only place the proponents have been trying to put it is in a science class. If the proponents of Creationism or Intelligent Design want to have a class for their material, they should be asking for a religion class or a supernatural alternatives class or something like that.