Posted on 09/07/2004 12:47:31 PM PDT by PatrickHenry
Serbian Education Minister Ljiljana Colic has ordered schools to stop teaching children the theory of evolution for this year, and to resume teaching it in future only if it shares equal billing with creationism.
The move has shocked educators and textbook editors in the formerly communist state, where religion was kept out of education and politics and was only recently allowed to enter the classroom.
“(Darwinism) is a theory as dogmatic as the one which says God created the first man,” Colic told the daily Glas Javnosti.
Colic, an Orthdox Christian, ordered that evolution theory be dropped from this year’s biology course for 14- and 15-year-olds in the final grade of primary school. As of next year, both creationism and evolution will be taught, she said.
Creationism teaches that a supernatural being created man and the universe. Most scientists regard “creation science” as religious dogma, not empirical science.
[Snip here, because I don't know if we can reproduce all of this material.]
Belgrade University biology lecturer Nikola Tucic called the education minister’s ruling a “disaster.”
“This is outrageous ... We are slowly turning into a theocratic state and in the 21st century we are going back to the Book of Revelations,” Tucic told Glas Javnosti, referring to the final section of the Christian Bible.
[Another snip here.]
Lecturer Tucic suspected Colic’s order was a move by Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica to bolster his conservative party’s flagging political strength by winning church support.
“This was a political decision which clearly shows the church is not minding its own business, but is deep into politics,” he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
First, "devolution" is just another kind of evolution. Second, if you've seen more evidence for the former than the latter, you're not very familiar with the evidence. Third, if you were just making a joke, disregard this response. :-)
> I hardly think allowing debate and critical analysis turns them into a theocracy.
So... you'd say that Scientology and Nation of Islams wacky notions of the origins of humanity should have equal time with Creationism and evolution? How about the Greek and Egyptian creation myths?
Leave the mythology to classes about mythology. Leave mythology out of biology and science classes.
Indeed. The Christian authors of this drivel are making *buckets* of money. Not proving a single thing, of course, except that some people will shell out cash for goofy fiction.
Well, mandating Genesis leads inevitably to Revelations, and all the bloody mess in between.
> It doesn't sound like they are prohibiting anything other than dogmatism.
They're *mandating* dogmatism. Creationism is wholly lacking in evidence; all it has *IS* dogma.
Really? The only one I've seen is Harun Yahya's Darwinismrefuted site. You've seen others?
As long as you are examining the science of the matter, why should you concern yourself with what theory the evidence supports? Debate the science. I have no problem with that. But why be so rigid about criticism and other theories? Darwinists are the touchiest people in the world -- well, next to militant Muslims. The only people who usually feel the need to ridicule the opposition are people who feel they can't put up a solid defense. If you guys are so confident, I would think you would welcome the debate. Kids love debate, and they learn better that way anyway. What is the big deal?
no matter what the debate is, we'll be told the schools need more money.
I'd rather the chitlins be taught how to think not what to
think.
(it takes a school to bankrupt a village)
No. Why twist the facts? They want evolution taught, just not as the only theory. Why does that threaten you?
"bloody mess in between"
The Bible is a "bloody mess"?
How about the first four books of the New Testament? Is the Gospel a "bloody mess"?
I won't argue with you on the money issue. But dogmatic darwinism is telling the kids WHAT to thing, not how. They are not stupid. Let them debate the issue.
Evolution is a theory, not a law. Creationism is a theory, not a law. Filling the major holes that exist in either theory with opinion is dogmatic, not science. I say they both deserve scientific scrutiny. I think that is all the minister is requiring.
> Debate the science.
Should we also debate Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion, or the Laws of Thermodynamics? How about debating whetehr the Earthh is round as revealed by science or flat as described in the Bible? Shoudl we debate whether insect have six legs as described by science, or four-legged as declared by the Bible? At some point in science, you realize that something works, and is a fact, and further debate on it is ridiculous.
Evolution reached that point long ago. The real debates on evolution now are about the details, not the basic prinicples. The debate on Creationism is long since ended.
You obviously have not kept pace with science. The new field is bio-infomatics, the study of of how DNA information is transfered. This field, by itself, has already KILLED OFF EVOLUTION as a theory. But the LIBERAL media and academic elites won't let go, because they hate the resulting alternative. And they all the cards, for now. Does this sound like a recurring theme regarding liberals. (Hundreds of links available).
Bloody mess placemarker.
> Evolution is a theory
It's an observed phenomena. The mechanisms behind it are in the "theory" category.
> Creationism is a theory
Creationism is no more a theory than "The universe was sneezed out the nose of the Great Green Arkleseizure" is a theory. Creationism is mythology, not theory.
> They want evolution taught
Riiiiiiight.
> Why does that threaten you?
Probably for the same reason that teaching that the Holocasut was a hoax threatens people.
Shall we also present flat earth theory, so the kids can debate it? Shall we present the phlogiston theory, so the kids can debate it? Astrology? Where to you draw the line?
> The Bible is a "bloody mess"?
I suggest a good reading of the OT. Buckets and buckets of blood.
> But the LIBERAL media and academic elites won't let go, because they hate the resulting alternative
Indeed. Who really wants to study Sneezism (the THEORY that the universe was sneezed out the nose of the Great Green Arkelseizure)? If evolution is overturned, there really is no option; and then the Liberals will have to understand that they should fear the Coming Of The Great White Handkerchief. You can see why they wouldn't want that.
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