Here in Indiana, our legislators are considering opening the door to Creationism in the public schools. Creationism? Not "Intelligent Design?" This reminds me of the time I first moved to Indiana and a native Hoosier told me this: "Have you read the sign at our border? It says 'Entering Indiana, turn your clock back 20 Years!'"
I thought the Creationism moniker had been abandoned long ago. There were too many unfavorable court decisions and lawsuits that had crippled it. Besides, Intelligent Design was supposed to open up a bigger tent for creationists of all stripes. Creationism is tied to a literal interpretation of the Bible: creation in six literal 24 hour days, trees and plants existing before the sun was created, and the earth being less than 10,000 years old to name a few. Intelligent Design would include creationists who believed in an old earth, and even possibly even some forms of evolution. And, by not claiming the Bible as its source, Intelligent Design proponents would make the claim that their ideas were based purely on scientific evidence. That was where they were the last time I checked.
But Indiana missed the change somehow. In our own Kokomo Tribune, right under the headline "truth in education" is the word Creationism. Maybe the creationists finally recognized what everyone else already knew -- that Intelligent Design was just a charade. It was not worthy of any further expenditure of energy. Or maybe the veto-proof Republican majority in our state feels they can do anything they want. Who's going to stop them?
Regardless of the reasons, our Indiana legislature is apparently considering a bill to move Indiana backwards. I can only say one thing at this point: Thank goodness my children have already graduated!
