Mentally Diseased?

The phrase “fundamentalism is a mental disease” suggests that Intelligent Design supporters must be lacking in intelligence. I seriously doubt that a person’s religious upbringing damages their actual mental capacity. The current wave of support for intelligent design in the classroom comes from ignorance and a lack of education, both of which are easily correctible with the proper education.

By understanding the scientific method, it is easy to see that science neither proves nor disproves religion— the two are in completely different spheres of thought. While science operates on observation and repeatability, religion is based on the premise of faith. Because intelligent design attributes aspects of evolution to an abstract “intelligent designer,” it is incapable of observation. Once the scientific method is understood, it is stringently clear that one cannot cop out of observable data when forming a theory.

Many people are raised with the idea that evolution is in direct conflict with religion. Without being taught otherwise, their beliefs are reinforced by peers and leaders in their community. Even our own president does not understand that the “methods” of intelligent design are false. These people are not mentally damaged, but are a sad product of an ignorant society. By focusing education on the scientific method as the basis for all science, more people may be able to see the incompatibility between ID and evolution.

I feel that the video spent too much time condemning instead of teaching. Instead of attacking ID proponents, perhaps the issue of education should be addressed. When the facts are laid out, it is practically impossible to accept that ID belongs in the realm of science. However, it is very difficult to overcome a lifetime of false information. This does not mean that ID proponents are incapable of thought, but that they must overcome the restraints of society and open up to new ideas.