Angelika Many complain that Christmas has become all about commerce, with no room for reflection, silence, and introspection. To give you something thought-provoking to read over the holidays, here is our Christmas newsletter featuring a controversial topic that describes an American phenomenon strongly influenced by the country's conservative Christians. Curious? Let's dive in:

Poor Mr. Darwin would turn in his grave, as a fierce debate over the topic of evolution has once again erupted in the USA, currently being fought on the backs of American students. It's no wonder, as according to a Gallup poll from November 2004, 45% of the American population believes that God created humans in their present form about 10,000 years ago. This literal interpretation of the creation story is also known as creationism. This means that almost half of Americans are more papal than the late Pope John Paul II, who passed away this year. He stated that the theory of evolution is not only compatible with the Christian faith but also represents more than just a hypothesis. As you surely remember from biology class, Darwin's theory of evolution asserts that living beings (including humans) evolved from lower to higher forms through the process of mutation and selection over millions of years.

In America, some religious zealots have always tried to push the theory of evolution into the background in biology class. However, in 1987, the justices of the Supreme Court put their foot down once and for all. They ruled that creationism is a form of religion. Religion, however, cannot be taught in public schools in the USA, as the Constitution mandates a strict separation of church and state. Therefore, creationism has no place in biology classes.

This highest judicial decision does not prevent various school boards from conveying their negative stance towards the theory of evolution to students through the back door. School boards in the USA do have influence on the curriculum at the local level, even though public schools are generally required to follow state guidelines (Rundbrief 08/2003). In Cobb County, in the state of Georgia, the school board decided to place stickers on biology textbooks as a form of warning, with the following text: "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." However, the sticker had to be removed because Judge Clarence Cooper ruled in January of this year that the text endorses the creationist viewpoint and is strongly religious in nature. Twenty states are now considering changes to how the theory of evolution is being taught. It becomes particularly contentious when state-level curriculum guidelines oppose Darwin. There is still much to be addressed by the individual courts.

Currently, all eyes are on Dover, Pennsylvania. At the end of 2004, the school board there decided that a passage should be read to students before the evolution unit. This passage states that state guidelines require teaching Darwin's theory of evolution, but that it is a theory and not a fact, and that "Intelligent Design" is an alternative to Darwin's views. The statement kindly pointed out that, therefore, the book Of Pandas and People, a standard work of the Intelligent Design movement, is available for review. Behind "Intelligent Design" (ID) lies a sort of moderate creationism. ID proponents claim that life is too complex and cannot be explained solely by evolution. Only the existence of an intelligent designer could account for the complexity. Who this mysterious designer is remains open. The term "God" is deliberately not mentioned. "Intelligent Design" does not interpret the creation story literally but agrees that the Earth is billions of years old and that life developed gradually. "Intelligent Design" presents itself as quite scientific and even has its own institute, the "Discovery Institute" in Seattle.

The scientific community is still waiting in vain for experiments to test the hypothesis, so "Intelligent Design" remains what it is, namely a bold claim. In contrast, Darwin's theory offers objective evidence. Most scientists also refuse to discuss the concept of "Intelligent Design" at all, to prevent unscientific claims from gaining acceptance. For them, the theory of evolution is scientifically undisputed. There is also concern that the USA will lose its leading position in the natural sciences if students have to grapple with dubious ideas like "Intelligent Design" in schools, and many biology teachers, fearing conservative, religious parents, avoid teaching evolution altogether. However, there are some scientists who favor "Intelligent Design." Michael Behe, a professor of biochemistry at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, whose book "Darwin's Black Box" made him well-known, is one of the few. Behe is also associated with the institute in Seattle. He often cites the complexity of the blood clotting process as evidence for an intelligent designer.

Incidentally, Behe testified in the Dover school trial, where parents sued against the introduction of "Intelligent Design" in their children's biology classes. In January 2006, the presiding judge will decide whether reading the aforementioned statement violates the separation of church and state in public schools. The biology teachers at Dover High School had already shown backbone by refusing to read the statement. The superintendent then read it. There are now no pro-"Intelligent Design" members left on the Dover School Board. The citizens of Dover decided at the ballot box and voted them all out in November 2005. Sometimes the democratic process works excellently in this country.

The ultra-conservative televangelist Pat Robertson warned the residents of Dover after this election outcome that they should not turn to God in the next disaster, as they had just banished Him from their town. Ah! Only in America!

President Bush, unsurprisingly, believes it is right to teach both evolution and "Intelligent Design" in biology classes. In general, I don't understand what the creationism or Intelligent Design debate is doing in biology class. If anywhere, it belongs in philosophy class. But no one asks me.

Well then, Merry Christmas from your two newsletter reporters, who don't mind at all being descended from apes: Angelika and Michael.