Creationism in sheep’s clothing
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The Christians will never give up, at least not until their sky talker and all the myths attendant to Jesus and his gang are sitting at the front of each schoolroom in America. Using the legislature, and the freedoms of the Constitution, interpreted to suit their cause, they are slowly but surely introducing the myth of creationism into biology classes.
Creationism of course is the ridiculous, laughable set of stories that make the claim that an invisible, all powerful, all loving (unless you piss him off) supreme being, in fact created the universe about 6, 000 years ago, and did it all in 7 days. This is the nonsense the crazy Christians want taught in the nation’s schools, and Dana Liebelson of The Week examines this frightening phenomenon:
Imagine an American public school where science textbooks were obligated to debunk Charles Darwin; where students could deny global warming and still get an A, and where college professors could tell Biology 101 students that the world was born on the back of a giant turtle. Sounds a little backwards for 2013, right?
Frighteningly, these are all real scenarios that could occur under new education bills proposed this year. But the language in most of these bills is so obtuse that you might not even know if you live in one of the six states considering them (Montana, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arizona, Missouri, and Indiana.)
America, meet the new creationism-in-sheep’s-clothing: The “academic freedom” bill.
Unlike bills that explicitly require intelligent design and religious curriculums to be taught in schools, academic freedom bills simply permit teachers, schools, and students to explore alternative theories without repercussions. Sounds harmless, right? But Eric Meikle, education project director at the National Center for Science Education, explains that what these bills really do is “open the door for creationist literature.” And in the last few years, the number of these bills has skyrocketed, with 51 proposed since 2004, and twice as many proposed this year than in all of 2012. (Remember, it’s only February.)
Needless to say, science teachers aren’t thrilled. “Intelligent design and anti-global warming curriculums harm the general public’s perceptions of science, which can decrease students’ interest in pursuing science careers,” says Kathy Trundle, president of the Association for Science Teacher Education. “In turn, U.S. advancements in science [are] negatively impacted.” Rick Grosberg, an evolution and ecology professor at the University of California at Davis, points out that “the mere act of teaching intelligent design as if it were an alternative scientific explanation confuses students and the public about what science is.”
The secret weapon in these bills is the idea that pupils should understand the “strengths and weaknesses” of different scientific theories. Which theories? Well, as a bill proposed by four Republican state senators in Arizona makes clear, that would be “biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming and human cloning.” Coincidentally, these are the exact same theories that House Bill 1674 in Oklahoma, proposed by GOP state Rep. Gus Blackwell, considers controversial. His legislation even prevents teachers from flunking students who write papers debunking their textbook material. Seriously.
Teachers and scientists say they’re all for scientific questioning — when it’s actually about science. “Teaching about the existence of genuine scientific controversy is educationally valuable, but it must be genuine controversy, with serious scientists lining up on both sides,” says Richard Dawkins of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. “Intelligent design is not a scientific theory.” Cornwell also points out that there is no legislation like this in the U.K., and he says it’s a “very sad outcome” for the United States.
For now, it’s not clear how far these efforts will actually go — Montana’s bill was recently tabled in the House Education Committee and the Colorado bill was fully rejected. However, it’s not unheard of for these kinds of bills to pass: Last year Tennessee approved an academic freedom bill, and Louisiana has also passed one.
Rick Brattin, a Republican state representative in Missouri, went so far as to propose a bill late last month that actually requires Missouri public school teachers to devote equal time and space to the teaching of intelligent design, “destiny,” and any other creation theory a teacher might want to rustle up. “I’ve had numerous college professors within biology, school science teachers…who say they are not allowed to teach any type of theory [like intelligent design]…. They are banned from the science community,” he tells The Riverfront Times.
The scientists I spoke to aren’t buying it. “I think it makes more sense,” Trundle says, “for scientists to drive the content of science curricula rather than politicians.”
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Lyndon Probus
February 19, 2013 at 9:05 am
Since man rode the first dinosaur, about 6K years ago of course, the religious have been trying to insinuate themselves into each and every phase of life, and they will never give up because in their twisted minds God is on their side and they are doing “His” will. There you have it. Now try to fight that syllogistic reasoning.
James Smith
February 19, 2013 at 9:08 am
What they are doing is ensuring students educated in this manner will forever take a back seat in everything except teaching this BS in similar schools.
No well-paying science jobs, no teaching in real schools and universities, nothing that earns them respect and the opportunity to advance themselves and America.
Michael John Scott
February 19, 2013 at 9:14 am
The crazies are of the mind that their agenda is the only agenda blessed by Jesus H., therefore they think theirs is more important and should be the law of the land.
James Smith
February 19, 2013 at 9:18 am
They insist that the laws, common sense, and simple human decency do not apply to them. Sadly, they are right. None of those things mean anything to the religious reich.
Michael John Scott
February 19, 2013 at 9:26 am
….and its been that way since the very beginning of time…. six thousand years ago of course
Marsha Woerner
February 19, 2013 at 10:00 am
It would be fine and consistent if they were simply to say “science is the work of the devil, and we deny it” and then totally discount all science! No medicine; no computers or any electronic devices; no GPS; no lights; no refrigerator; no air-conditioning; you get the idea! When God created the world, he didn’t create these! Scientists are really pretty good at determining what’s “scientific”. Creationism dDOES NOT QUALIFY! If you are willing to use science, then you need to be willing to accept SCIENTISTS’ definition of what qualifies! When you decide, you must, at the same level, teach YOUR decisions, only within your realm. Individuals need to be able to decide for themselves which part of SCIENCE they, individually, spurn, including allowing science class in school to teach science thereby allowing individuals to decide what they don’t want – e.g., evolution! Once you’re teaching science, teach SCIENCE!
Michael John Scott
February 19, 2013 at 11:06 am
Marsha everything you say makes sense and is more than reasonable. Crazy Christians will never entertain such thoughts
Anonymous
February 21, 2013 at 4:14 pm
I know; unfortunately, those with already shown themselves to be totally unreasonable cannot be expected to be reasonable!
Anonymous
February 19, 2013 at 12:18 pm
Why should the word of Our Lord God, who is infallible, be dismissed out of hand in favor of science? Science is flawed, just look at global warming, and God is infallible. Children should have the right to choose.
James Smith
February 19, 2013 at 12:57 pm
Children should have the right to choose? I agree. When will you stop brainwashing them?
Which God do you mean, anyway? The one that “loves you” but allows over 27,000 children around the world to be dying of malnutrition and starvation at any given moment?
Or is it the god of mercy that orders the genocide of entire populations, and has killed at least 99% of all life on earth at one time because a small group of humans displeased him? Considering that he was supposed to know everything in advance, he must have known what they were going to do but did nothing to stop it. Nor has that god stopped any natural disaster, plague or even a house fore. Is this the god that is infallible? Infallibly evil, I would say.
Bill Formby
February 19, 2013 at 3:40 pm
How can you say that God is infallible if, within his “word”, aka the Bible, he continually contradicts his own definition of right and wrong.
Michael John Scott
February 19, 2013 at 4:53 pm
If there were a God he wouldn’t be infallible but since there isn’t a God the question is moot
Jess
February 19, 2013 at 7:26 pm
Damn but these people make me sit in the corner rocking back and forth daily, sucking the life force out of me with this shit. They are the persecuted ones and the ones the rest of us are making live by our rules though.
James Smith
February 22, 2013 at 12:14 pm
Welcome aboard. Pull up a chair, open a beer, and have some fun.