Kitzmiller, et al. v. Dover Area School District, et al. facts for kids
The case Kitzmiller, et al. v. Dover Area School District, et al. was an important American trial that happened in 2005. People often call it the Dover trial because it took place in Dover, Pennsylvania. This trial decided that intelligent design is not science. Because of this, it cannot be taught as science in schools.
Contents
What is Intelligent Design?
Intelligent design is an idea that says the universe and life are too complex to have formed naturally. Instead, people who believe in intelligent design think that a smarter force or designer must have created everything. They believe this force made the universe, or at least its most important parts.
Why the Dover Trial Happened
Evolution is the main scientific theory that explains how all life forms developed over time. Intelligent design offers a different explanation. It suggests that a smarter being created life.
A school district in Dover, Pennsylvania wanted to teach students about intelligent design. They wanted teachers to present intelligent design alongside evolution. The school planned to use a book called "Of Pandas and People." This book claimed to show scientific proof for intelligent design. It also said intelligent design made more sense than evolution.
However, Tammy Kitzmiller and ten other parents disagreed. They did not want their children to be taught intelligent design in science class. They complained to the government, and this led to the trial.
Before the Dover Trial
There was an earlier trial called Edwards v. Aguillard. That case was about teaching creationism in schools. Creationism is the belief that God created the universe, often based on stories from the Bible or other religious texts.
The U.S. Constitution sets the rules for the government in the United States. It says the government cannot favor one religion over another. This means government-run schools (public schools) cannot teach one religion as being true.
In Edwards v. Aguillard, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that creationism was not science. They said it was religious because it used Bible stories to explain things. The Supreme Court ruled that creationism could not be taught in public schools. But some people then argued that intelligent design was different from creationism.
What Happened During the Trial
During the Dover trial, experts showed that intelligent design was actually an old religious argument, not science. They looked at the notes from the authors of the book "Of Pandas and People." These notes showed how the book was changed before it was printed.
The authors had changed words from "created" to "designed" and "creationists" to "intelligent design proponents." In one version, the word "creationists" was even accidentally changed to "cdesign proponentsists." The judge found these changes very interesting. These changes were made right after the Edwards v. Aguillard case said creationism could not be taught. The judge said this proved that intelligent design was just another name for creationism.
During the trial, a person named Michael Behe also spoke. He was one of the people who helped develop the idea of intelligent design. He claimed that no one could explain how evolution created the immune system. The immune system is what protects your body from diseases. He said a smarter force must have made it.
However, Behe was shown many scientific articles and books. These writings explained how the immune system could have developed through evolution. He said none of them were "good enough." The judge did not agree with his view.
The Trial's Outcome
After the trial, the judge decided that intelligent design was indeed creationism. It was not science. Since creationism had already been ruled religious, and the government cannot support one religion, schools cannot teach intelligent design. Teaching it would mean saying one type of religion was true, which is against the U.S. Constitution.
- Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District et al. - This is the judge's official decision.
