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Senate Leader Agrees With Bush, Favors Intelligent Design in Schools

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) said he was for teaching ''intelligent design'' along with evolution in public schools.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) said he was for teaching “intelligent design” along with evolution in public schools, two days after defending his recent choice to push for the expansion of federal funding for stem cell research.

The senator made the comments on Thursday while visiting a Rotary Club meeting in Nashville, Tenn., where he said that students should be exposed to varying ideas.

"I think today a pluralistic society should have access to a broad range of fact, of science, including faith," he said according to the Associated Press. "I think having kids exposed to both doesn't force any particular theory on anyone. I think in a pluralistic society that is the fairest way to go about education and training people for the future."

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Recently, Intelligent Design has been gaining more attention due to earlier comments made by President Bush endorsing the teaching of the theory and recent Kansas State Board of Education meetings where administrators agreed to let the science curriculum be more critical of evolution.

At a round-table discussion with Texas reporters in early August, Bush endorsed the teaching of Intelligent Design "so people can understand what the debate is about."

Intelligent Design is a theory that states that some aspects of nature are so complex that they could not have been created by evolution and posits an intelligent creative agent that guides the process. Although the theory does not explicitly speak about God, some have said it leaves the door open to include a Divine guiding hand.

Critics of Intelligent Design say that the theory is merely religious creationism in the guise of science.

Frist’s comments on Thursday regarding the issue were made as he traveled throughout his state this week, speaking to constituents. Earlier this week, he defended his support for increased funding for embryonic stem cell research – a move that rankled conservative Christians who believe that the destruction of embryos to harvest stem cells is an affront to life equivalent to abortion.

The senator stated on Tuesday that he only supports the additional research on embryos that were to have been discarded anyway, adding that he would not support creating embryos specifically for research.

He has also maintained that his stance does not contradict his pro-life views.

Some Christian groups, including the Christian Defense Coalition, however, have said that the Senator "cannot have it both ways" by saying he is pro-life, while allowing the destruction of embryos in order to harvest stem cells.

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