Evolution Battle Rages In Kansas

(CBS/AP)  The Kansas Board of Education voted 6-4 to include greater criticism of evolution in its school science standards, but it decided to send the standards to an outside academic for review before taking a final vote.

The Kansas school system was ridiculed around the country in 1999 when the board deleted most references to evolution. The system later reversed course, but the language favored by the board Tuesday comes from advocates of intelligent design or creationism.

The belief, which many say is deeply tied to religious belief, holds that some features of the natural world are best explained by an unspecified intelligent cause. Evolution is a fundamental scientific theory that species evolved over millions of years through natural selection.

However, the latest version of the science standards says the board isn't advocating intelligent design — which says some features of the natural world are best explained by an intelligent cause because they're well-ordered and complex — as an alternative to the theory of evolution. But the language favored by the board comes from intelligent design advocates who challenge the theory of evolution.

Tuesday's debate exemplified the divisiveness of the issue, with moderates saying religion has no place in the science classroom.

"When mainstream science accepts this, we can put them in science classes," said board member Janet Waugh, of Kansas City, who voted against the standards.

And, as CBS News Wichita affiliate KWCH reports, some of the state board members said they don't think the debate has a place in the school board, either.

"This whole debate is out of place. The debate of what should go in these standards shouldn't be taking place, here in a policy setting," said school board member Bill Wagnon.

Fellow member John Bacon disagreed.

"These are public schools funded by public dollars, and public children attend them, and so I think this debate does belong here," Bacon said.

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