By Laura Bauer,The Kansas City Star

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Months before a University of Kansas religion course is even taught, its title has riled some who say the school is acting the spoilsport in the evolution debate.

The course, “Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design, Creationism and other Religious Mythologies,” will be offered next semester. The goal, say officials at the university in Lawrence, Kan., is to open students up to the many cross-cultural stories of how the world was created.

Those in the intelligent design camp believe it is just the university’s way of degrading the concept. Intelligent design is the belief that some aspects of nature show evidence of being designed by a creator.

“All of a sudden, just from the title, intelligent design is being put in there with mythology,” said Bruce Simat, an associate biology professor at Minnesota’s Northwestern College, who testified on behalf of intelligent design at Kansas hearings in May.

“I think it’s reactionary. I think it’s defensive. I think they are unwilling to study intelligent design head-on.”

For months, Kansas has been embroiled in controversy over what the state should teach its children in the science classroom. Earlier this month, the state board of education adopted new standards that allow for nonnatural explanations and cast doubt on Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.

The course title is not meant to offend any religion or belief, University of Kansas Provost David Shulenburger said this week. He explained in a written statement that “myth” and “mythology” are common in the academic study of religion.

“One shouldn’t take from the word “mythology” that (Religious Studies chairman Paul Mirecki) intends to do anything other than get various stories and perspectives in front of students,” Shulenburger said. “It’s not about indoctrinating or teaching beliefs.”

The course will accommodate as many as 120 students. They will be introduced to many different creation stories and be able to make up their own minds on what they believe, university officials say.

What worries John Calvert, an attorney and managing director of the Johnson County, Kan., Intelligent Design Network, is whether the course instructor will be educated in the science behind intelligent design.

“… People will be misled and buy the lie,” Calvert said. “But the public is going to see what’s going on. We’re not all fools. Misinformation has a finite life.”

But some, in addition to faculty members at the University of Kansas, think the class is a good thing.

Boo Tyson of the Mainstream Coalition said she likes that the topic is being taught in a religion curriculum.

“It may be the right way to go about this. Let’s have this discussion in religion classes,” Tyson said. “I don’t think creationism or intelligent design belongs in a science classroom. I think it’s a sign of weak faith to try to prove your faith.”

Tyson said that after the course, students should be able to decide for themselves where they fall in the debate.

The nonpartisan Mainstream Coalition works to maintain the separation of church and state.

Shulenburger said the course allows the university to fulfill its obligation to the community and students.

“My concern is that our faculty feels free to go to their disciplines and teach from them on any subject,” Shulenburger said. “Regardless of the controversy associated with it.”

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(c) 2005, The Kansas City Star.

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AP-NY-11-24-05 0608EST

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