Evolution Debate in Kansas
It is the summer of 1925, and there is a heated battle taking place in a Tennessee courtroom over the teaching of evolution in classrooms. Or is it? It is 2005, and Kansas became the fifth state to bring some sort of so-called “intelligent design” language to school biology curriculum’s. (The other four are Ohio, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania)
Kansas went even further, to essentially change the definition of science to one that includes the supernatural. The states standards don’t actually dictate what the teachers can teach, it leaves that open to school boards. What is does allow is for those school boards to place intelligent design theories on the same footing as evolution, as a so-called alternative theory.
One view expressed was that “students should hear the information and form their own opinions.” About SCIENCE!
There is a good idea. We should all have our own opinions about science. If some of us still want to think the world is flat, that’s OK. just an alternative theory. Kansas is pretty flat, they can move there and feel all warm inside about themselves.
Or maybe we can just change math to make it easier. 2 plus 2 can mean whatever the student wants it to. To teach science that is anything but science is a huge step backward in human development.
There has been some talk that it is good to allow other views, and acceptance of beliefs. It seems the average person does not understand that such an approach cannot be applied to science. It is either testable or not, verifiable or not. Disprovable or not. And of course our understanding of science changes as we learn more. And science may ultimately lead us to a creator. What worries the creationists is that if a creator is ever found, it may not be the one the imagined.
This is more than just a war of ideas, it is a struggle against ignorance and dogma. And the struggle has been made all the more difficult because our wonderful President has decided to publicly support intelligent design. This is an important fight. If we give in to the teaching of pseudo-science, than we will risk losing our educational system to superstition and fancy.
In an encouraging development, all eight school board members up for re-election in Dover, Pennsylvania were booted out in the November 8th election. They had supported a change to allow the teaching of intelligent design. The good people of Dover said by their votes that they wanted a school system that educated, not pandered to the far right. But they are in trouble! Pat Robertson has told them not to expect any help from God of there is a disaster in Dover. In his broadcast on The 700 Club
he warned the people of Dover not to call on God. “If there is a disaster in your area, don’t turn to God, you just rejected him from your city.”
It is so heartwarming to hear such kind words from such a devout man. NOT! What people need to be aware of is that the agenda of intelligent design has nothing to do with science and everything to do with religion. This is a watershed issue, and must be stopped.
What can the average person do? When the debate comes to your town, tell your school boards that you do not want anything but sound science taught in your schools. It is not 1925, or 1025, and we cannot allow our educational system to be taken backward.
