The Evolution Debate Continues

By Amanda Rast
arast@smu.edu

Distinguished journalist and author Laurie Lebo spoke in the Hughes-Trigg Student Forum Friday to conclude the series on studying intelligent design in the classroom.

She provided an explanation on the origin of her book, “The Devil in Dover: An Insider’s Story of Dogma Versus Darwin in Small Town America.” The book explores the Kitzmiller vs. Dover Area School District intelligent design trial and Lebo’s personal journey to discovering her own beliefs on speciation.

Lebo also spoke about relevant court cases and whether public schools should be allowed to teach theories on evolution in the classroom. To help visualize her stories, Lebo used a power point to show pictures of the court case.

Lebo shared one particular experience she had when reporting for her book in a public school classroom. One teacher said to her students, “One day, your teachers are going to lie to you…don’t believe them.”

It was the birth of Lebo’s granddaughter that made her realize the perfection in natural selection. After Lebo held her granddaughter in her arms for the first time she felt “an overwhelming connection to all mothers and females across the world” rather than a connection to a superior being. This view went against her father’s devout Christian beliefs.

The lecture was also a way for SMU students to reflect on their beliefs on teaching evolution in the classroom.

“It is a theory that’s the primary basis for scientific analysis of organisms from humans in the discipline of anthropology to viruses such as H1H and HIV in Microbiology. Evolutaion should be taught so all opinions, even scientific, can be understood and interpreted,” Melinda Lang, a senior anthropology major, said.

Megan Altman, an SMU senior, said, “I do believe that science and religion can co-exist. I don’t see why people cannot choose to believe that God created speciation and the theory of evolution.”

Lebo stayed for a book signing after the lecture.