A controversial scientific theory challenging Darwin's commonly accepted Theory of Evolution, is attempting to make its way into high school textbooks.

Creation theory, also known as intelligent design, employs scientific evidence in attempt to prove that the earth and all of its inhabitants were created by some higher power. Recently, creationists have sparked debate in the field of education by pushing to have creation science taught in public schools alongside more conventional sciences such as evolution.

In a recent interview, Dwayne Gish, senior vice president of the Institute for Creation Research, said that teaching creation science as well as evolution would allow students to decide for themselves what to believe.

"What I would like to see done in our schools is to have all of the scientific evidence that evolutionists believe can be used to support evolution, and have that presented to our students," he said. "At the same time, have all the evidence that creation scientists believe would support creation, have the students exposed to that evidence as well. We should have the students look at all the evidence from both sides, challenge them, use critical thinking and consider alternatives."

Opponents of creation theory, argue that creation science is nothing more than religion, jazzed up with scientific terminology, and has no place in science classes.

The Christian Science Evangelism Ministry of Pensacola, Fla. is a group that challenges Darwin's theory by offering $250,000 to anyone who can offer concrete evidence supporting evolution. Dan Woods, a spokesman for the Ministry, said that he believes creation theory is in fact a reputable science.

"If someone is teaching evolution, they are essentially teaching religion," he said. "To believe in the Big-Bang Theory for example, is to say that we all came from nothingness. Essentially, this is religion."

"We see something like a dog walking around, and believe that the dog came from God," he continued. "An evolutionist would say that the dog came from a rock."

"You can use the Bible for many things other than religion, such as history or English," Woods said. "Creationists use the Bible for science."

Still, not all who study creation believe that it has a place in our public schools. Bodie Hodge is the manager of the answers department of Answers in Genesis in West Harrison, Ind. He said that he has more of a problem with the way in which Darwinism is taught in many schools.

"We don't advocate that [creation theory be taught in science classes] at all," Hodge said. "We do believe though, that if you are going to teach evolution in schools, then you should also teach some of the difficulties with evolution as well. Evolution is a theory, but the problem is that many schools are teaching it as if it were fact. There are even many evolutionists who would agree with me as well."

Hodge also agrees that creation is a reputable science.

"Science is simply methodology, and methodology requires some sort of initial belief," he said. "My belief in the Bible is interpreted through creation science. Evolutionists do the exact same thing."

Vincent Russo, a science teacher at River Dell Regional Middle School in River Edge, N.J., said that he is not completely opposed to the teaching of creation theory in public schools.

"The role of science is to question things and look at all of the evidence," he said. "I feel that if creation is going to be taught in schools, it should be presented in such a way that students will be able to formulate their own opinions."