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
I'm working hard to be the last. Let the thread die here.
"Carly Simon. No offense intended, it wasn't directed at you. We're on the same side."
I know, that's why I kept playing along. I assure you, my posts were a lot funnier and my intentions a lot more apparent before I typed them. :)
Cheers!
"I'm working hard to be the last. Let the thread die here."
Just shoot the damn thing, maybe that'll do it. :)
That should have been posted to you. Oops.
Thou hast called upon the FSM, peace be unto him!
Did you use a 1611 dictionary?
18" cubits, 27" cubits yards, meters or inches - none would matter for PI is a RATIO!!!
I read it and thought it was. Never looked at the To: part.
Since we're all posting to ourselves anyway, how could I have misunderstood?
Can't help: I'm biased!
But let me try....
C=PI*D right? (Even Evo's can accept this - but I would place money on it ;^)
OD = 10 cubits
ID = OD - 2HB
therefore: IC = PI*ID
A question: how many HB's in a CUBIT???
Just like - how many months have 28 days?
Well, of course we are all posting to ourselves...according to some, there cannot possibly be so many on FR, who support evolution...there are only 2 or 3 actually supporters of evolution, they have dozens of screennames, and they just pop up, posting to themselves...and this thought, is a case of seriously disturbed wishful thinking...
Way cool!
(Now where is MY old watch with a CALCULATOR in it!)
I see it still has momentum up to 34 more replies....
Merriam-Webster online says... See Thankless Job
and this thought, is a case of seriously disturbed wishful thinking...
... of a lonely old irascible retired schoolmarm who thinks someone has to keep an eye on all of those mischievous misbehaving boys. Of course, that's JMO.
Parmesan be upon him.
He... now you can take the gloves off.
Yes, you are right when you say certain verses have been used to 'justify' so-and-so.
I can hardly think of any that haven't!
Just for the record: the hate for the jews is justified now...
How do you figure this?
Indeed...thankless job it is...
Wait'll Sunday!
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