Creationism, intelligent design and critical thinking
Creationism, intelligent design and critical thinkingTeaching "both sides", ie. creationism and/or intelligent design along with evolution, is often promoted as a way to stimulate critical thinking. Douglas Wellman's letter in the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel is a classic example. What Wellman describes is not critical thinking, but motivated reasoning.
What's wrong with such thinking?
To begin with, critical thinking requires choosing appropriate sources. In the case of science, scientific literature is the appropriate source. Typically promoters of this sort of "critical thinking" have limited knowledge of scientific literature relying rather on Christian apologetics which are inappropriate in science classes.
Secondly scientific critical thinking requires distinguishing creating and testing hypotheses (science) from rationalizing (apologetics). Science is more than just common sense and rationalizing.
Consider that religious ministries favor teachng both sides and professional science organizations oppose. Religious training is generally weak in science and often promotes misunderstandings of evolution.
Finally one should consider what a professional biologist needs to know. In point of fact creationism is never important in biology while evolution is often important in biology and related natural sciences. Understanding evolution is rarely important in everyday life, but it is important in professional biology.