Cobb County, Georgia has figured out a way to make a controversy out of the theory of evolution once again. For the last several days, the U.S. District court has been discussing the constitutionality of disclaimer stickers against evolution that have been inserted into school textbooks.

According to a cbsnews.com story (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/08/tech/main654163.shtml) the stickers read:

"This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered."

The argument that forms the basis of the case is that this sticker discredits not only evolution, but the scientific method, and it is unfair and misleading to the students.

I, like any educated person, have a tremendous amount of respect for the theory of evolution. It was created with the same method of thinking that has brought us vast technological advancements, modern aviation, voyages to space; and evolution itself forms the foundation of genetics and modern medicine.

Except for the phrase “not a fact,” the sticker doesn’t say anything that wouldn’t be found in any good textbook anyway. However, those three little words are highly significant. Creationists have often tried to dismiss evolution with the statement that it “is only a theory.” But this argument just demonstrates their ignorance as to the significance of the word theory.

The main difference between scientific thinking and religious dogma is that science is always willing to reassess its beliefs. Scientists start with raw data and then construct a model that explains the data. This model is called a theory. When the theory is proven to be wrong, either by the discovery of new data or a new interpretation of the old, they change the theory. In this way, scientists are constantly reminded that it is the truth and not their crude model that is absolute. The implications of this belief system are that it allows the human intellect to never be afraid to question and improve the existing system. It could be argued that the concept of a theory is the greatest and most humane invention of the human race.

Based on the scientific model, there is basically nothing in the universe that could be called “a fact.” Science always has it in the back of its mind that there is more data out there that could completely invert our perception of reality. This makes scientists far more open to discussing differences in beliefs (than religious minded people for instance) because they are always looking for that new perspective that will provide the key to so many questions.

The disclaimer sticker that has formed the basis of this lawsuit really comes down to a matter of semantics, specifically a misunderstanding of the word theory.

The Cbsnews.com article goes on to explain that the religious population of Cobb County, Atlanta opposed their textbooks “because they did not discuss alternative theories, including creationism.” Now, this is the statement that I have a major problem with. Why, you ask? Because creationism is not a theory.

In case there is still some confusion, here is the definition of “theory” as provided by the Mariam-Webster dictionary:

“A plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena.”

There is nothing scientifically acceptable about creationism. In fact, creationists should recoil at the thought of using the word “theory” to justify their belief system because “theory” implies the existence of scientific reasoning, and scientific reasoning, when applied to the origin of life, has given us the theory of evolution. But this does bring about the question of what is a good word to describe creationism. Another entry from the Mariam-Webster dictionary might prove helpful here:

“Myth: 1 a : a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon b: an unfounded or false notion.”

That seems to pretty much sum up creationism.

So, what I propose to do in order to resolve the conflict in Cobb County, Georgia is the following: First, remove the words “not a fact” from the disclaimer sticker on the high school text books. Second, add disclaimer stickers to all Bibles that are sold in Cobb County that read:

"This text contains material on creationism. Creationism is a myth, not a theory, and certainly not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered."

Furthermore, there should be a wider discussion as to the definition and implications of the word “theory” since this term and its implications are so frequently misinterpreted.

The entire basis for the application of the “theory” stickers to the textbooks in the first place was concern by the parents that their children were being forced to make up their minds without receiving all the facts about evolution. I’m certain that these responsible parents will be horrified at their oversight of not providing their children with all the facts about creationism, and, now that I’ve brought it to their attention, will put my proposals to use without further argument or delay.

They are reasonable people after all, at least, theoretically.

The End