Victory in Kansas for the bible thumpers, Kansas school board critical of evolution
In a move that was a surprise to exactly no one, the infallable Kansas Board of Education voted to implement a new set of science standards that would basically criticize evolution as a flawed theory and possibly offer creationism, also known as intelligent design, as a possible substitute. This whole process has basically made Kansas a laughing stock of the scientific community and in the long term could cost the state of Kansas dearly. Such a move will certainly make it harder for the state to attract good science teachers on every level from elementary through college.
To me the worst part of this, even more so than the religious zealots getting their way, is the fact that Kansas State Board of Education held hearing on the subject as if they were the foremost experts. To me that would be akin to a bunch of Bears fans sitting around a poker table in a smoke filled room debating on whether or not they had the best team ever (think back to the Ditka skits years ago on SNL and you will know what I mean). Of course, hardly anyone on the evolution side even bothered to show up to defend their position since they knew the fix was already in and that the board was only going to allow one outcome.
I myself don't have a problem with mentioning intellingent design briefly, as was done in my high school biology class, but to criticize evolution (with a real scientific basis) and instead to promote intellingent design (with a religious but not a scientific basis) in its place is reckless and dangerous. I learned about evolution in biology and science classes and learned about intellingent design in church and religious ed. classes, a mix that I thing was good for me overall. But lets keep the religious stuff out of the classroom.
If you want to read about it, here a couple of good links from the Lawrence Journal World:
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/nov/08/evolution_timeline_events_related_kansas_controver/
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/nov/11/kansas_decision_upsets_teachers/?evolution
To me the worst part of this, even more so than the religious zealots getting their way, is the fact that Kansas State Board of Education held hearing on the subject as if they were the foremost experts. To me that would be akin to a bunch of Bears fans sitting around a poker table in a smoke filled room debating on whether or not they had the best team ever (think back to the Ditka skits years ago on SNL and you will know what I mean). Of course, hardly anyone on the evolution side even bothered to show up to defend their position since they knew the fix was already in and that the board was only going to allow one outcome.
I myself don't have a problem with mentioning intellingent design briefly, as was done in my high school biology class, but to criticize evolution (with a real scientific basis) and instead to promote intellingent design (with a religious but not a scientific basis) in its place is reckless and dangerous. I learned about evolution in biology and science classes and learned about intellingent design in church and religious ed. classes, a mix that I thing was good for me overall. But lets keep the religious stuff out of the classroom.
If you want to read about it, here a couple of good links from the Lawrence Journal World:
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/nov/08/evolution_timeline_events_related_kansas_controver/
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/nov/11/kansas_decision_upsets_teachers/?evolution
posted by bigalsbeans at 2:44 AM
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