Georgia may shun 'evolution' in schools

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 1/29/2004 | MARY MacDONALD

[whattajoke]

*The fossil record: There is no clear intermediate links in the fossil record. The very few that macroevolutionists can produce are so similar to one of the two species they supposedly link, it is more scientifically sound to consider them a part of that species

... Creationists never lack creativity, that's for sure. Now we have a guy who admits "transitionals" exist, but not really b/c they are such good "transitionals" that they must be the same species!? unbelievable... will this crap ever end in my lifetime?

[anniegetyourgun]

No.

[Dimensio]

I'm not sure I understand why all theories aren't taught.

Um, what other theories are there to teach?

[Dimensio]

You're right - all arguments have been presented, and still minds aren't changed.

It's not our fault that people don't want to understand the facts.

. I have faced the evidence for macro-evolutionary theory,

The disctinction between "micro" and "macro" evolution are creationist inventions.

big bang,

Irrelevant to evolution.

pontaneous generation,

Also irrelevant to evolution.

and am not buying it.

I'm not surprised, given that you don't seem to have a proper understanding.

But I completely understand where you are coming from on these matters.

Evidently, your understanding is deeply flawed.

[anniegetyourgun]

Right. What can I say...I'm just another one of those that the WashPost calls "poor, uneducated, and easily led." However, despite that, trust me, I do understand your mindset - and you're worldview.

[Doctor Stochastic]

How about those imaginary numbers?

[4CJ]

"Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus."
P. Cornelius Tacticus, The Annals, Book XV (AD. 62-65), published ca. 109AD

Teach history.

[CobaltBlue]

"When you say the word evolution, people automatically, whatever age they are, think of the man-monkey thing," Kielborn said.

Well, it's not just automatic, is it? The issue is deliberately framed in those terms by the Hovind-style Creationists. Who then come crying that they don't get no respect, and even worse, when they go to college, their kids don't get no respect.

No duh? Funny about that.

[Doctor Stochastic]

I'm not sure I understand why all theories aren't taught.

Like Scientology, pholgiston, vitalism, and that thunder is caused by Thor's hammer, or that thunder is the echoes of the God's kegling (not to mention the canoodling of Mother Earth and Father Sky.)

Theories with no explanatory power should be reserved for history classes. There's barely enough time to teach people basic science as it is.

[Michael_Michaelangelo]

Did you read something I didn't? Where does he say transitionals exist? He is saying that the supposed transitionals that evolutionists refer-to are not intermediates, but of their own species. Furthermore, the talkorigins examples that evolutionists always refer to are suspect to say the least:

Fiction

p.s. I am apologizing in advance for taking a few minutes of your time this morning. I know how you evos have been working so hard lately trying to defend Charlie's dogma against us Creationist folk. It shows in your responses: "we've defended this a million times"; " Creationists are ignoring the evidence!"; Creationists are being dishonest!"; "How dare they question us!"

[anniegetyourgun]

Something about porcine and pearls comes to mind here.

[spunkets]

"Who believes in "imaginary numbers" anyway?"

i

[PatrickHenry]

Might as well get this stuff into the thread:

Arguments we think creationists should NOT use from Answers in Genesis.
Index to Creationist Claims. Exhaustive list.
15 Answers to Creationist Nonsense. From Scientific American.
300 Creationist Lies.
Botanical Society of America's Statement on Evolution.

[Michael_Michaelangelo]

The discovery Institute agrees with you!

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"Instead of pretending there is no debate over Darwin’s theory we should use it to further educate students about the scientific controversy surrounding evolutionary theory.”

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Minnesota’s Opportunity to Improve Teaching of Evolution and Avoid Extremes Should Not be Missed

[John O]

A bacteria only becomes resistant to an antibiotic agent when it…looses…a gene which codes for sensitivity to said agent.

It is actually misleading to say that a bacteria has gained resistance to an antibiotic agent when it actually has lost sensitivity to it.

Let me address this a little. (clarifying for myself mostly)

First we are talking about bacteria as a species (not as a single bacterium). Secondly the species does not 'change' due to exposure to any anti-biotic, the anti-biotics only effect is to kill those members of the species that are already susceptible to that agent. The surviving members of the species were already resistant to that agent.

Bacterial resistance to drugs has no relation to evolution. The species is not evolving it is just losing genetic diversity.

Evolution is an ongoing species change in response to environment. This species could be said to be de-evolving, but could not be said to be evolving

This can be equated to the plagues that struck Europe in the middle ages. Humans didn't evolve to be resistant to the plague, the ones who were susceptible just died off. We are the same now as we were then.

[Michael_Michaelangelo]

I'm not sure I understand why all theories aren't taught.

Be patient. There are changes in the works. If you're interested in making a difference, here's a good read:

Darwinism, Design, and Public Education

[Doctor Stochastic]

A bacteria only becomes resistant to an antibiotic agent when it…looses…a gene which codes for sensitivity to said agent.

This is the type of misunderstanding that needs to be countered. There are other mechanisms for acquiring resistance. Failure to understand these can be deadly. When Creationists continue to push incorrect mechanisms (such as the one quoted), they contribute to the spread of dieases rather than being helpful. This is one practical reason to work against their anti-science agenda (and the associated anti-science agendas of the postmoderns, new-agers, etc.)

An introduction to some of the resistance mechanisms can be found here.

[familyofman]

Just one more reason to not even consider moving to "progressive" GA.

[John O]

a->big bang,

d->Irrelevant to evolution.

a->pontaneous generation,

d->Also irrelevant to evolution.

I disagree D. Eventually evolution demands a first 'thing' that everything evolved from. Where did that first thing come from? (Spontaneous generation?) And where did the materials come from that allowed that first thing to 'spontaneously generate? (Big Bang?)

If the evolutionist scientists deny either of these then they have to come up with another explanation of how life started.