DOUG ROSS: Polar explorers overlook the land of in between

The Indiana Senate is considering a bill that would allow Indiana schools to teach creationism as science. This has had the effect of cleaving Hoosiers into two groups: fundamentalist Christian or heathen.

Just what we need, another way to try to divide society into polar opposites instead of recognizing the people who fall somewhere in the middle.

Fundamentalist Christian or heathen. Liberal or conservative. Republican or Democrat. Pro-union or anti-union. For us or against us. Maybe you see things as either black or white, but I see a lot of colors in between.

I'm one of those people in the middle. The land of in between, the real Middle America, is not as sparsely populated as the polar explorers would have you believe.

Senate Bill 89, which would allow creationism to be taught as science in Indiana's public schools, fuels the either/or view of society.

What it boils down to is an attempt to allow religious theory to be taught as scientific fact in public schools. In a nation that firmly believes in freedom of religion and the separation of church and state, this is dangerous territory.

If there were strong scientific evidence in support of creationism, I would support its inclusion in public school science texts. But step back from your position, whatever it might be, on this issue and look at what has happened over the centuries.

Creationism was treated as scientific fact for centuries and taught as such. But then the scientific community reached a consensus that evolution is the machinery that has created the life forms we have today.

Notice that this has nothing to do with who or what might have created that machinery. The intelligent design theory says God created evolution. But that notion, which I believe, shouldn't be taught in science class, either.

Evolution is the scientific process at work and should be studied as such. It has withstood the test of time, having been proven through the fossil record. Creation science hasn't.

So why change the law to tell scientists what is science and what isn't? 

This legislation, like so many other political maneuvers lately, further divides our society. We don't need that.

A recent discussion I overheard on Indiana license plates drove home this point. One speaker forcefully made the point that the "In God We Trust" license plates identify the vehicle owners as supporters of creationism and opponents of teaching evolution as fact in the schools.

That ain't necessarily so, Joe. Not all Muslims are extremists, and the same is true of Christians.

A voice from the wilderness -- from here in the middle, between the polar opposites -- is crying out. Are you listening? 

Editorial Page Editor Doug Ross can be reached at (219) 548-4360 or (219) 933-3357 or Doug.Ross@nwi.com. The opinion expressed in this column is the writer's and not necessarily that of The Times.