There are some really bad feelings and a good amount of nastiness going around on this topic.

When I was in high school, my biology teacher very clearly stated that the topic of evolution may be contrary to what our religions had taught us, and that we weren't there to argue the WHYs of natural history, and that some of the how's weren't completely solid yet, but that we were there to discuss what the natural record and science had to say about how the world has gotten to be what it is. There were some very religious people in the class but no one was offended by the study of evolution, and it is very clear that it is a necessary study to understand how the world has gotten to where it is. It is rare for anyone with a thorough science education to claim that the world was literally made in 6 days or that man appeared on the earth from the beginning. And I DO think that this education should be provided in all public schools.

But I fail to see the harm in teachers mentioning that some people think that this process was guided by "god". I'm still young, and I have no idea where I stand on the idea of Christ or many other particulars of religion, but I have developed the BELIEF that everything happens for a reason. Yes, there are things that I clearly don't understand the reason behind and I don't know if there is a particular God making these things happen, but this is my simple FAITH. So when I look at the world that we live in, I know that many things have come together by "chance" to make everything I wonder at in nature, and I thoroughly understand the science behind how it happened (and I don't think anyone should graduate high school without that background), but I still see miracles in all of it. I am not saying that this should be taught to anyone else in any way, shape or form. But I fail to see how it harms anyone for science teachers to acknowledge that some people believe there is meaning or reason behind evolution. Which I think is what many people who believe in god but don't want to be labelled "IDers" think.

I'm also fairly certain that most of us don't care to be sent to Kansas to begin inbreeding, and I find the hate that has been spewed in this forum really disturbing. Yes, many people are paranoid about science; but with so many people in this country believing in a form of divinity, I don't think its reasonable to completely "expell" the discussion from being even mentioned in a reasonable discussion, which I think is the direction that many people on this forum would like to see this go.

Do people really find it so threatening that someone may think that there can be reason behind things that we may not be able to understand? I agree that its not SCIENCE, but is the acknowledgement that some people feel that way really so harmful? This is a serious question, by the way, for people who've gotten this far. I'd really love to hear people's opinions....but please, leave the hatefulness aside, I'm a well-educated, well informed person, and I won't insult you if you do me the same favor.