Debating Darwinism

Starting today, the Kansas Board of Education will begin a six-day debate on the state's science standards, specifically the teaching of Darwinian evolution. On one side there will be about two dozen skeptics of Darwinism and proponents of an alternative theory of evolution known as intelligent design. And on the other side there will be a trial lawyer, Pedro Irigonegaray, who has volunteered to defend Darwin.

If this seems one-sided, that's because the Darwinian scientists have chosen to boycott the debate, which is surprising since Darwinian theory is still the accepted standard within the scientific community. Their reason for doing so, at least according to Mr. Irigonegaray, is that "[t]o debate evolution is similar to debating whether the earth is round. It is an absurd proposition." But that's not entirely fair. Nearly 400 scientists have signed a statement of dissent from Darwin's theory. Moreover, Darwinian skeptics and ID theorists don't question evolution, at least as it's understood as species changing over time.