Two Republican state senators have introduced a bill that a critic says would allow the teaching of creationism in Indiana’s public schools.
The bill sponsored by Sen. Jeff Raatz of Connersville and Senate Education Committee Chairman Dennis Kruse of Auburn calls for school administrators to create an environment for students to learn about differing “conclusions and theories concerning controversial scientific subjects.”
Raatz told the Journal & Courier he wanted to open the door for topics such as intelligent design — the theory that life on Earth is so complex it was guided by an intelligent higher power.
A provision of the bill says it pertains only to the teaching of scientific information and “may not be construed to promote any religious or nonreligious doctrine.” The bill has been assigned to the Senate Education Committee, which hasn’t yet scheduled it for a hearing. “Could it be seen as an anti-evolution bill?
Could be,” Raatz said. “That doesn’t bother me at all. Essentially, we’re saying there are competing theories and we should allow the discussion in the classroom. Not to promote anything or one over another. But that we should have the ability to discuss.”
Once again for the record there are NO scientific theories competing with Evolution.
There are discussions within the scientific community about the minutia of the process, but that is true for ALL scientific disciplines.
The ONLY ones suggesting that Evolution is fundamentally flawed are those coming from a religious background who are desperate to keep it from undermining their faith.
And my response to that is, if your faith can be undermined by learning new facts, then the problem is with your faith, not the facts.
Ooh - did any of you see the latest research results from the creation lab? Oh, that's right - there isn't a creation lab. Intelligent Design is rubbish. Throwing Genesis in a blender with a science dictionary doesn't create a science, and it's therefore an outright lie to claim that there is any scientific controversy that involves creationism. The even bigger lie in all this seems to get overlooked - at least I never hear it called out - and that is the absurd claim that if the Theory of Evolution is flawed, then, apparently by default, creationism is proven right! Nothing could be further from the truth, and that absurd assertion is foundational to their entire effort in constantly attacking evolution. The absence of evidence to support creationism is absolute, and no matter how many scientific theories might eventually be proven wrong, it will remain absolute.
ReplyDeleteUntil the creationists can answer one simple question, "If there was a creator, then who created the creator?," I don't want to hear another fucking word from those clowns.
4:39, here's some ammunition for you. Intelligent Design HAS been ruled on in Federal Court.
Delete"On December 20, 2005, in Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover, U.S. District Court Judge John E. Jones III ordered the Dover Area School Board to refrain from maintaining an Intelligent Design Policy in any school within the Dover Area School District. The ID policy included a statement in the science curriculum that "students will be made aware of gaps/problems in Darwin's Theory and other theories of evolution including, but not limited to, intelligent design." Teachers were also required to announce to their biology classes that "Intelligent Design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin's view. The reference book Of Pandas and People is available for students to see if they would like to explore this view in an effort to gain an understanding of what Intelligent Design actually involves. As is true with any theory, students are encouraged to keep an open mind". In his 139-page ruling, Judge Jones wrote it was "abundantly clear that the Board's ID Policy violates the Establishment Clause". Furthermore, Judge Jones ruled that "ID cannot uncouple itself from its creationist, and thus religious, antecedents". In reference to whether Intelligent Design is science Judge Jones wrote ID "is not science and cannot be adjudged a valid, accepted scientific theory as it has failed to publish in peer-reviewed journals, engage in research and testing, and gain acceptance in the scientific community". This was the first challenge to the constitutionality of teaching "intelligent design" in the public school science classroom. (Tammy Kitzmiller, et al. v. Dover Area School District, et al., Case No. 04cv2688)
They won't accept that, of course, but they have already lost the argument. They simply refuse to accept that and rush forward (forward for them) with more crap.
...And so these Republicans will "have no problem with it" when a Hindu or Buddhist teacher includes their version of "the controversy" in class curriculum? Yeah, that's what I thought.
ReplyDeleteFucking morons.
Whew! Thank goodness once the Constitutional Conservatives take over, none of this will be an issue-since they will strictly adhere to the US Constitution. Right?
ReplyDeleteYou betcha, 7:28!
DeleteUh huh. THEIR reading of it!
But they are illiterate (and proud of it), Leland.
DeleteI didn't to imply they weren't, 3:14. But being illiterate doesn't mean they can't blindly accept that which is told them - even if it IS wrong!
DeleteI mean, they still swear this is a christian government and when faced with the Treaty of Tripoli and asked to read Article Eleven, they say it doesn't mean a thing.
I mean, these are like the idiots who followed Jim Jones!