Posted on 02/20/2006 5:33:50 AM PST by ToryHeartland
Churches urged to back evolution By Paul Rincon BBC News science reporter, St Louis
US scientists have called on mainstream religious communities to help them fight policies that undermine the teaching of evolution.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) hit out at the "intelligent design" movement at its annual meeting in Missouri.
Teaching the idea threatens scientific literacy among schoolchildren, it said.
Its proponents argue life on Earth is too complex to have evolved on its own.
As the name suggests, intelligent design is a concept invoking the hand of a designer in nature.
It's time to recognise that science and religion should never be pitted against each other Gilbert Omenn AAAS president
There have been several attempts across the US by anti-evolutionists to get intelligent design taught in school science lessons.
At the meeting in St Louis, the AAAS issued a statement strongly condemning the moves.
"Such veiled attempts to wedge religion - actually just one kind of religion - into science classrooms is a disservice to students, parents, teachers and tax payers," said AAAS president Gilbert Omenn.
"It's time to recognise that science and religion should never be pitted against each other.
"They can and do co-exist in the context of most people's lives. Just not in science classrooms, lest we confuse our children."
'Who's kidding whom?'
Eugenie Scott, director of the National Center for Science Education, which campaigns to keep evolution in public schools, said those in mainstream religious communities needed to "step up to the plate" in order to prevent the issue being viewed as a battle between science and religion.
Some have already heeded the warning.
"The intelligent design movement belittles evolution. It makes God a designer - an engineer," said George Coyne, director of the Vatican Observatory.
"Intelligent design concentrates on a designer who they do not really identify - but who's kidding whom?"
Last year, a federal judge ruled in favour of 11 parents in Dover, Pennsylvania, who argued that Darwinian evolution must be taught as fact.
Dover school administrators had pushed for intelligent design to be inserted into science teaching. But the judge ruled this violated the constitution, which sets out a clear separation between religion and state.
Despite the ruling, more challenges are on the way.
Fourteen US states are considering bills that scientists say would restrict the teaching of evolution.
These include a legislative bill in Missouri which seeks to ensure that only science which can be proven by experiment is taught in schools.
I think if we look at where the empirical scientific evidence leads us, it leads us towards intelligent design Teacher Mark Gihring "The new strategy is to teach intelligent design without calling it intelligent design," biologist Kenneth Miller, of Brown University in Rhode Island, told the BBC News website.
Dr Miller, an expert witness in the Dover School case, added: "The advocates of intelligent design and creationism have tried to repackage their criticisms, saying they want to teach the evidence for evolution and the evidence against evolution."
However, Mark Gihring, a teacher from Missouri sympathetic to intelligent design, told the BBC: "I think if we look at where the empirical scientific evidence leads us, it leads us towards intelligent design.
"[Intelligent design] ultimately takes us back to why we're here and the value of life... if an individual doesn't have a reason for being, they might carry themselves in a way that is ultimately destructive for society."
Economic risk
The decentralised US education system ensures that intelligent design will remain an issue in the classroom regardless of the decision in the Dover case.
"I think as a legal strategy, intelligent design is dead. That does not mean intelligent design as a social movement is dead," said Ms Scott.
"This is an idea that has real legs and it's going to be around for a long time. It will, however, evolve."
Among the most high-profile champions of intelligent design is US President George W Bush, who has said schools should make students aware of the concept.
But Mr Omenn warned that teaching intelligent design will deprive students of a proper education, ultimately harming the US economy.
"At a time when fewer US students are heading into science, baby boomer scientists are retiring in growing numbers and international students are returning home to work, America can ill afford the time and tax-payer dollars debating the facts of evolution," he said. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/4731360.stm
Published: 2006/02/20 10:54:16 GMT
© BBC MMVI
Yeah, 250 years of methodological naturalism have been an absolute disaster. Human knowledge of the physical world is pretty much stood still since we went on that "scientific method" kick. Things were going much better before.
Mostly I reread Genesis and Revelation several more times. The Book(s) of Daniel (I'm Catholic, so we have that little extra there) also came in for additional scrutiny. I also tackled the four gospels again during a run of particularly boring sermons when I accompanied my wife to church.
My first job out of the Air Farce was working for P.R.Mallory in Indianapolis, in a life testing lab for their capacitor division. Hundreds of electrolytics were in ovens and freezers, hooked in parallel for extended amounts of time. Periodically they would be tested to see if they were within specs.
Occasionally, one of them would short out and the rest would then discharge thought it, with quite spectacular results!!
Perhaps you'd prefer we were arguing by passenger pigeon, and getting together by horse-drawn carriage? Maybe instead of following Devonian shorelines to find oil, we should go back to harvesting whales? Maybe you'd prefer that hadn't chased smallpox out of existence?
I can tell some cherry-bomb stories.....
Odd enough for a NEW Letterman schtick: "Prime or NOT Prime?"
Much like the Second Coming, huh?
Like this?
John Chapter 20:24-2924. Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.
25. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."
26. A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"
27. Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
28. Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
29. Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Except the below does not follow:
That is why the Creationist myth belongs in theology/mythology and Evolution belongs in science.
You guys claim that Jonah, Noah are also myths, yet Jesus referenced them to His followers.
Do you not then have to believe them as well?
Looks like he has no answers....
NIV Matthew 6:19-21
19. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Glad we just get bad eyes and hairy palms now!
Science is great for discovering new ways of communicating, transporting and the like. And I thank God for giving mankind the mind with which to discover those things, that God has made for us to discover.
But science is woefully inadequate in answering life's most important questions, such as, why are we here and for what purpose are we here. God answers all of those questions definitively and absolutely. Those answers will never be found in the minds of men.
One could spend their entire lives searching science for answers to life's most important questions and die severely wanting.
God provides the crab feast today. Science is always promising the feast tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day. As well as constantly changing the menu. If you'll excuse my metaphors. :)
Don't judge a book by it's cover... ;^)
Feel free....
Those who are not "born again" in the Spirit can not discern God's truth as given to us in the Holy Bible. To them, it's just a book.
HELLO!
Wasn't I just given an either/or scenario??
Some of us have a LOT of catching up to do!
I missed that part!
'Cause it riles you up so!
(PSST: Some folks think it's "The Word of GOD")
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