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
Mea Culpa.
Quit posting facts and exposing Creationist' lies
I wasn't responding to you or anything you said - I was responding to FreeDum's post to you about exposing Creationist lies.
"Honestly, I can't believe this nonsense is still being bantered about."
You need to take a science course.
I don't mock God. I mock folks who think they speak for Him. God's a big boy and can take care of Himself. It's quite evident from your post that you are confusing yourself with Him, which, if I remember correctly, is blasphemy -- which is the one unforgiveable sin.
It is ALL about information!
It is all about information.
There's another creationist who insists it's all about organized matter. You need to get together.
He evidently couldn't forgive mankind without killing His own son
God didn't kill His Son. Our sins did. Truly, the greatest gift of all. And what did that accomplish for you? Are you grateful? Or are you acting self-righteous and putting parameters around our Heavenly Father - so YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THINGS?
No doubt in my mind. I get a real chuckle but, don't feed them!
What do you think is the organizing principle - organization implies a blueprint for organization: information
You're not a bigot. And that's not too surprising since you are unfamiliar with the meaning of the word. But thanks for trying to play smart guy. Better luck next time.
"...I do not understand why such an enlightened nation is embroiled in a senseless science vs. religion turmoil..."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
That is why you are there baffled and bamboozled and we are here.
Get over it. Darwin sucks. He had bad teeth too. Evolution is nothing more than delusion and illusion...a social science theory nothing more.
That says it all.
What information are you talking about? How do you identify it? How do you measure it? How does it affect the phenotype? Does having more information make for a longer genome? More genes? More pseudo genes? More chromosomes? More complex reactions between homeobox genes?
More genes, chromosomes, pseudo-genes and even repeated features ((such as body segments) from over triggered and confused HOX genes) all result from replication errors. Is this the information increase you are looking for? Or is the information you are looking for more esoteric, something nobody has been able to describe or adequately measure yet?
If you want to see how information can start out real small and increase in size rapidly play the simple computer game of 'life'.
Many evolutionary proponents have dealt with the 'information' canard. Go to talkorigins.org or talkreason.org.
Hint: Understand what you are talking about and have respect for God. God is not a big boy and neither are you, junior. God is The Almighty, The Creator of The Universe.
Wisdom comes with fear (respect) of The Lord. It is obvious you have neither.
I'm not confused - you are. I'm merely quoting HIS WORDS.
and that is not blasphemy. Check out your own words and you might see some blasphemy.
"Get over it. Darwin sucks. He had bad teeth too. Evolution is nothing more than delusion and illusion...a social science theory nothing more.
That says it all."
Indeed. It says more than you know. :)
You mean aside from the real research he does?
What do you think is the organizing principle - organization implies a blueprint for organization: information.
Glad to see the two of you are in sync with your hypothesis'. Any idea yet when and where your paper will be published?
Those with the guns do make the rules. That's why the Founders put the Second Amendment in the Constitution.
The evidence of a superior intelligence contributing to the lives of His creatures is trumping the Naturalistic Only dogma!
OTOH, the Dover school board members who pushed for ID in science class were all swept from office by candidates opposed to ID in science class. Dover is in York County PA, which voted almost 2 to 1 for Bush over Kerry:
Dover is in York County, which supported George W. Bush in the last two presidential elections. According to unofficial vote totals for 2004, Bush received 114,621 votes and John Kerry received 63,628 votes. [my note: that's about 64% for Bush]
You are back...amazing when considering the evolutionary trends.
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
1 a (1) : a solemn usually formal calling upon God or a god to witness to the truth of what one says or to witness that one sincerely intends to do what one says
"You are back...amazing when considering the evolutionary trends."
I'll take that in the spirit it was given. :) It says a lot about you and the depth of your convictions.
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