THE ENDLESS battle over the teaching of evolution in Kansas schools is enough to make even a confirmed Darwinist question whether there really is such a thing as adaptive evolution.
Consider this: If people really evolve — change to survive in changing conditions — wouldn’t the tendency to view science as the natural enemy of faith been bred out of the species by now? After all, humankind has had 150 years to come to terms with Darwin’s ideas.
But evolution is a slow process, one that can be full of pain.
Since Tuesday, evolution has once again been officially sanctioned in Kansas. The state school board has decided that Darwin’s theory deserves a place in the science standards for Kansas public schools.
For now.
Oh, the board was sincere — at least 60 percent sincere — in its decision. The 6-4 vote to reverse the harm done by the old board (which lined up 6-4 the other way), has the same effect as a 10-0 vote, at least until the next election.
But for now, Kansans have a brief respite. The limestone bedrock of the state is once again an ancient fossil-filled seabed and not some sort of divine joke played on humanity 6,011 years ago (we’re still waiting for the punch line). Once again, microbiology is a functioning science that can offer all of its benefits to humanity.
Once again, the great diversity of related species in the world makes some sense.
Although the science standards have been changed, no minds seem to have changed. The battle over the teaching of evolution is likely to continue in Kansas through the current epoch, and the debate will never be pleasant.
On this issue, science and popular theology, like nature, can be red in tooth and claw.