I would strongly disagree with the assumption that intelligence is something that human beings create. No, intelligence is something that human beings experience, and then sometimes futily try to define having experienced it. Like any aspect of our own consciousness that takes in so much of what we are, intelligence transcends our understanding, because a finite consciousness can in no way come close to fully conceptualizing itself as an entity. Imagine trying to fully model the behavior of a computer on software running on that same computer, and you'll see why - your mind is simply not capacious enough to do as you ask, because its very capaciousness makes the task increasingly complex.

Yes, the gods are intelligent, I would say, and our intelligence is but a pale shadow of their own.

(PS. Sorry about the bad url I submitted for my homepage; this next link should work).

What we call "intelligence" is a human word, a human judgment, a human concept, and a human measurement. Although it can be applied to non human (even non-living) things, it is inherent in understanding or measuring intelligence that it be capable of identification, ascertainment, quantification.

Computers are built by humans and their output is capable of measurement. On what basis can it be asserted that an entity which cannot be seen, measured, or defined in terms we can all agree upon is intelligent? Why isn't it just as reasonable to assert that such an entity is stupid? While I would agree that God is intelligent, I can't prove it, and I'm not sure human measurements (which intelligence is) can be applied.

(Considering the ideas some humans have attributed to some of their gods, I do not think they are all necessarily intelligent.)

Men and women were created in the image of the Gods and the Goddesses, therefore, we can know the Deities by analogy, as in myth. A Deity is a personal being of intelligence and will, on a higher level of infinity, eternity, and supreme holiness. Otherwise, you are merely talking about an abstraction. I do not worship an abstraction.

Maybe the gods are clumsy, not stupid. Remember the far side cartoon of the pristine wilderness marred by humans escaping a broken jar? The thought bubble, pointing up: "uh oh". Or maybe it was "oops", but you get the idea.

Thanks Donna, and thank you Steven!

There are a lot of things that may be true about God and gods, and while I have my own opinions I'm not trying to take sides here; only to point out why I don't think it's wise for the government to get involved.

I agree that government should stay out of it. If you're talking about public schools, I don't think they're should be public schools. What we need is vouchers so that parents can choose their own private schools to send their children to and teach them whatever creation myths (including evolution) they want. That's the only way we're ever going to resolve this problem.

Short of that, leave it up to the local elected school boards and PTAs to decide and keep the federal government (including the courts) out of it. The federal government has no Constitutional jurisdiction over schools. We need to get back to the Tenth Amendment.

Error: "I don't think there should be...." I don't know why I typed "they're".

Steven, you need not worry about such trifles here. Your clarity of thought makes any of your typos irrelevant.

:)