One professor calls it the conversation that never ends: the debate in legislatures and school boards over teaching alternative concepts to evolution in public schools.

The eighth-annual Townsend Lecture, set for 7 p.m. May 15 in the law school auditorium, will take a closer look at this ongoing national conversation with an address by Florida State University philosophy professor Michael Ruse, a well-known authority on the history and philosophy of Darwinism. Following his talk, a biology professor from Erskine College in Due West, S.C., will offer a brief response.

Ruse sees the debate of evolution and such concepts as intelligent design as "part of an American tradition, an obsession with religion. After the Civil War, the North went the way of modernism and science, and the South went off in its own direction involving biblical literalism. I think to a certain extent, we're living with this today."

Ruse has written extensively on evolution with such titles as Darwin and Design: Does Evolution Have a Purpose?, his latest book published by Harvard University Press.

"Why is Darwinism so offensive to religion?" Ruse said. "Is it because it presents a whole world view that is counter to the opening chapters of Genesis? I don't see this as just a technical theological divide but also a cultural divide."

Mary Lang Edwards, a biology professor at Erskine College who will respond to Ruse's lecture, calls the debate over intelligent design and evolution a conversation that never ends "and one that also never really begins because we're not on the same page to begin with.

I'm much more in agreement with him [Ruse] than in disagreement. I'm a Christian, but I'm very much a scientist. Science doesn't take away anything from religion, and for me there is no problem."

Instead of presenting a technical treatise on the case for evolution versus intelligent design, the Townsend Lecture will take a broader view of why Americans continue the debate while most other countries do not, said Frank Berger, a USC biology professor and organizer of the Townsend Lecture.

"I think Michael Ruse wants to understand the history of the debate [over evolution and alternative ideas]," Berger said. "He sees it predominantly as an American phenomenon."

USC biology professor Jerry Hilbish is one of the founders of South Carolinians for Science Education, a grass-roots organization working to retain strong science standards in South Carolina schools. He addressed S.C. science teacher coordinators on teaching evolution and creationism and has testified before the S.C. Senate Sub-Commitee on K-12 Education.

"I don't know what the answer is as to why we waste so much time and effort in debating all of this," Hilbish said. "Evolution is a proven scientific fact, and I guess there are people in our society who don't like that. It's sad that some of the key leaders in this anti-evolution effort have done a great disservice to Americans everywhere and Christians in particular by misleading and lying and misinforming the American public and the Christian community.

"I agree with Dr. Edwards that science can't tell you whether there is a God, and religious faith isn't particularly valuable in trying to tell you about things in science."

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