A Colorado Vision: Faith, Reason, and Freedom in Education

As a candidate for Governor of Colorado, I stand on the unshakable conviction that truth is not something the state defines, it is something we must all be free to pursue. I believe Intelligent Design is true. I believe the heavens and the earth, and all life therein, were created by a sovereign, omniscient, and loving Creator. This is not a blind leap of faith, but a reasoned conviction rooted in both Scripture and scientific observation. Yet I also believe in liberty of conscience and the right of every student to wrestle freely with the big questions of life. That is why I will fight for an education system in Colorado that teaches both Intelligent Design and Evolution side by side, allowing our young people the dignity of deciding for themselves what they believe.

Every worldview begins with a presupposition. Whether one believes in unguided evolution or purposeful creation, each position starts with an assumption about the origin of matter, life, and meaning. The theory of evolution begins with the idea that the universe came from nothing, developed by chance, and has no inherent purpose. Intelligent Design begins with the presupposition that all of creation proceeds from a Mind greater than our own, that design implies a Designer, and that life bears the unmistakable fingerprints of God. Both are belief systems. Both require faith. And both should be open to scrutiny, testing, and discussion in the classroom.

The terms "science," "theory," and "law" matter greatly in this debate. Science is the systematic study of the natural world through observation and experiment. A law is something repeatedly observed and universally true under the same conditions. A theory is an explanation that, while plausible, remains open to challenge and revision. Evolution is a theory, not a law. It has never been proven as a universal, repeatable, observable fact. It fails under the most basic test of the scientific method. We have never observed one species becoming an entirely new species. We have never seen something come from nothing. We have never seen new stars or galaxies emerge from chaos, only decline. On the other hand, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, a true scientific law, tells us the universe is moving from order to disorder, not the other way around.

Intelligent Design, by contrast, fits with what we see in the natural world. Complex systems, coded information in DNA, the fine-tuning of physical constants, these all point toward purpose, not accident. In every other field of science, when we see complex order, we infer design. Only in questions of origins are we told not to.

Let me be clear: I am not calling for the removal of evolutionary theory from the classroom. I am calling for its balance. If we are going to teach the Big Bang, we must also teach Genesis. If we are going to present naturalistic evolution as one possibility, we must also present Intelligent Design as another. This is not only fair—it is constitutional. The First Amendment prohibits government from establishing religion, but it also protects the free exercise thereof. Secular Humanism, the ideological foundation of modern evolutionary theory—has been recognized in legal literature as a religion. If only one belief system is taught in the classroom, and all others are banned, then we have not preserved neutrality. We have enforced conformity.

True education does not fear ideas, it tests them. It does not dictate conclusions, it invites inquiry. When students are exposed to competing theories, they become thinkers, not echo chambers. As Governor, I will defend the right of every child in Colorado to hear both sides of the origins debate. Let students see the evidence, let them weigh the arguments, and let them decide. If we believe in liberty, we must trust our young people with the truth, even when it challenges cultural consensus.

I believe Intelligent Design is not only compatible with science, but also a better explanation of what science reveals. But I will never use the force of government to compel belief. I will use the platform of leadership to compel fairness, intellectual honesty, and liberty of thought.

The United States was founded on the idea that truth and liberty go hand in hand. The Constitution guarantees our right to speak, believe, and think freely. Public education must reflect those values. It is time to return to a model of learning that seeks understanding, not indoctrination. Colorado should be a place where science, faith, and freedom flourish together, not where one is sacrificed for the sake of the others.

I am Charles Evanson. I believe in creation. I believe in liberty. And I believe our students deserve both.