Posted on 05/05/2004 11:10:33 AM PDT by Michael_Michaelangelo
SEATTLE, MAY 3 Recent California voters overwhelmingly support teaching the scientific evidence both for and against Darwins theory of evolution, according to two new surveys conducted by Arnold Steinberg & Associates. The surveys address the issue of how best to teach evolution, which increasingly is under deliberation by state and local school districts in California and around the nation.
The first survey was a random sample of 551 California voters living in a household in which at least one voter voted in the November 2002 general election and the October 2003 special election for governor. When asked: Which statement is closest to your view about what biology teachers in public schools should teach about Darwins theory of evolution, 73.5 percent replied, Teach the scientific evidence for and against it, while only 16.5 percent answered, Teach only the scientific evidence for it. (7.9 percent were either Unsure or gave another response.)
The second survey was a random sample of 605 California voters living in a household in which the first voter in the household was under 50, and in which at least one voter voted in the November 2002 general election and the October 2003 special election for governor. When asked: Which statement is closest to your view about what biology teachers in public schools should teach about Darwins theory of evolution, 79.3 percent replied, Teach the scientific evidence for and against it, while only 14.7 percent answered, Teach only the scientific evidence for it. (6 percent were either Unsure or gave another response.)
Although recent voters in California as a whole overwhelmingly favor teaching both sides of the scientific evidence about evolution, those under 50 are even more supportive of this approach, said Bruce Chapman, president of Discovery Institute. These California survey results are similar to those of states like Ohio and Texas, as well as a national survey undertaken in 2001. The preferences of the majority of Californians are also in line with the recommendations of Congress in the report of the No Child Left Behind Act regarding teaching biological evolution and a recent policy letter from the U.S. Department of Education that expressed support for Academic freedom and scientific inquiry on such matters such as these.
The margin of error for each survey was +/- 4 percent. Both surveys were conducted by Arnold Steinberg & Associates, a California-based polling firm, and released by Discovery Institute, a national public policy organization headquartered in Seattle, Wa. whose Center for Science and Culture has issued a statement from 300 scientists who are skeptical of the central claim of neo-Darwinian evolution.
The only way the Darwin-only lobby can spin these kind of survey results, added Chapman, is to claim that the public is just ignorant. But that view is untenable in light of the more than 300 scientists who have publicly expressed their dissent from Darwinism, to say nothing of the many scientific articles that have been published critiquing the theory.
My experience is that chemists (that was my original degree) are especially doubtful of the claims of evolution. Most of us have no religious problems with evolution but many of us do have problems with the claim that, say, 12 proteins magically appear in the same place at the same time and (name your bodily function) happens.According to the current theory of evolution, one would expect us to have thousands of currently useless proteins, etc. in our bodies just waiting around to become useful. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Everything seems to (gasp!) have a purpose.
Genesis is mostly about who created us, not how we were created. I have no problem with the idea that God used evolution to create every living thing. My problems with the theory as currently taught are scientific, not religious. I think that science would be much better off if the big pushers of evolution admit that the current theory has some serious problems.
They vote on science in California? How about quantum physics? Do photons exist in California?
Of course! Teach Darwin, teach 7-day Creation, teach Intelligent Design, teach any other possible theory out there and let the class discuss the differences. It isn't that hard. They did it when I was in school, and all the theories are interesting. I would want my kid to know and consider all of them!
I agree. So why didn't you post this in reply to the original article's claim that 300 'scientists' (loosely defined) reject evolution?
Scientific theories are proven with facts, not votes. On that basis the theory of evolution has no foundation.
Dream on.
There are over 300 distinct Native American creation stories. Gonna teach all of them?
Funny thing is, guys like this complain how little gets taught in public schools, and then want to load up the curriculum with J. Random Creation-Myth when they can't get through the biology curriculum as it stands.
Why? It's stupid. The evidence for evolution is overwhelming.
At least 401 now. I just recruited another Steve.
I think it is interesting to discuss what the tribes in your area believed, from a historical standpoint.. One of our tribes here in W WA believes that clams live under the sand because they were horrible gossips and the other animals got fed up with their trouble-making and buried all of them. There are a lot of good moral lessons in some of it, and it is interesting!
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