Posted on 02/10/2005 6:39:50 PM PST by gobucks
PHILADELPHIA - Evangelical Christians, buoyed by the re-election of President Bush, are turning American schools into a battleground over whether evolution explains the origins of life or whether nature was designed by an all-powerful force.
In at least 18 states, campaigns have begun to make public schools teach “intelligent design” — a theory that nature is so complex it could only have been created by design — alongside Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.
“It’s pretty clear that there is a religious movement behind intelligent design,” said Steve Case, chairman of the Science Standards Committee, a group of educators that advises the Kansas Board of Education. The board will decide later this year whether to include intelligent design in biology classes.
Some scientists who espouse the theory say intelligent design does not question that evolution occurred, but how it occurred: They believe more was at play than random mutation and natural selection. The theory, they insist, does not support the religious concept of a creator.
Those who advocate giving it equal treatment in schools have a different interpretation.
*snip*
The poll found greater support for teaching creationism among Republican voters — 71 percent of Bush voters favored teaching creationism alongside evolution.
*snip*
John West, (located) at the Seattle-based Discovery Institute, which pioneered intelligent design research, said the theory was too complex to teach at high schools and was better-suited to a college setting.
“There is a concern that intelligent design has been hijacked by people who don’t really know what it says,” he said. “We don’t think it should be a political football.”
*snip*
“Intelligent design is a religious doctrine,” said Wayne Carley, executive director of the National Association of Biology Teachers. “There is no research to support it, and it is clearly religious in that it posits a higher being.”
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Matthew 5:15 - Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
The above scripture is a warning, not instruction. Intelligent Design, Scientific Creationism, beads, baubles and trinkets. Shallow faith needs the balm of reason. It provides comfort, makes the Word of God more palatable to the "educated" mind.
One can no more explain the mystery of God than the processes of the ocean using a candy recipe. It dishonors faith to camofluage it behind scientfic "proof". That was the reason for placing it high for all to see, openly.
Then none could claim they were fooled or didn't know what it was.
|
NOT - see the work of William Dembski, Michael Behe, et al
"Well then, the question is whether creationism belongs in a science class, given that it's not science."
It doesn't ... unless you have your doubts about the motives and truthfulness, and honesty, about people who claim to know what 'science' means, people who claim to conduct scientific research 'objectively', people who claim to understand what 'reasoning' is .... in short, if scientists are trustworthy, then they have rights to kick out religionists.
But, after hard, unpleasant experience, I have found that scientists are not trustworthy, certainly not more trustworthy than Christians. I have found they have agendas that they push, and that they use evolution as a moral backdrop for some aspects of that agenda.
I have found that 'scientists' hate to compete w/ Christians. Now, the leftist scientists ... they make sense to me. They have bottomless hunger for fame and attention, because most of them have no memory of being spanked.
The atheistic right wingers here? They want to save the GOP from the Christians - that is why they fight for the 'rationality of the ToE?
They are mystery men (and women?); especially given that they basically stand watch at Freeper terminals year after year, and write the same stuff, year after year. Somehow, they believe they are doing mankind a service, all the while ignoring the real enemy: communisitic atheistic sexually depraved materialists who want to corrupt our kids.
Somehow, we Christians are more of a threat. It is a mystery all right. (Unless they are especially clever, long-lived trolls ....)
And they never post links that argue in a scientific manner why what they are selling here at FR makes good political sense for the GOP as a whole. The rant, but they fail to rationalize effectively their motives...
The 71 percent of the voters in this article ... they seem to 'understand' the big picture just fine. And, surprise, W is president. How ridicously unscientific of them...
(gotta check on something ....)
Imagine what we could accomplish if we channeled all that energy and effort into something substantive. Ugh. It makes me sick.
Creationsits are doing more harm to Christianity and conservatism than a million Dawkins clones could ever do.
Total number of peer reviewed papers written by William Dembski - 0
Total number of peer reviewed journals that will publish a Dembski paper - 0
Well, when scientists can explain biogenesis, then they'll really have something to say on evolution, which, being largely, if not exclusively punctual, seems another aspect they can't explain away.
Most scientists wouldn't know Dembski from Adam. It's not that he's never published a peer reviewed paper on ID; he has never written a scientific paper of any sort.
Does not attain, sorry. If the science is bad, the correction must come from better science, not the pulpit. Better science has always broken through whatever resistance existed before, and I see no reason to think that if creationists can come up with better science, they won't do the same.
I have found that 'scientists' hate to compete w/ Christians.
Doubtful. I have found a good many scientists - actual, working scientists - who are Christians. The "competition" you suggest simply does not exist in the arena of science. Perhaps some competition exists in the political arena, or in popular culture, or some such, but that's the result of a pluralistic society composed of many competing interests, and hence will not be "solved" by destroying science.
They have bottomless hunger for fame and attention, because most of them have no memory of being spanked.
Leave Hollywood out of it - they ain't involved.
The atheistic right wingers here? They want to save the GOP from the Christians - that is why they fight for the 'rationality of the ToE?
All three of them? I seriously, seriously doubt you can name more self-avowed atheists on these threads than that. You never know, though, so feel free to try, I guess.
You're battling imaginary monsters, my friend - there is no vast, atheistic conspiracy here, of all places. The vast majority of the debate on evolution here is conducted by and among people with various religious beliefs. They may not line up 100% with your beliefs, but they exist nonetheless, and are far, far more numerous than the atheists who post here.
They are mystery men (and women?); especially given that they basically stand watch at Freeper terminals year after year, and write the same stuff, year after year.
LOL. It's easy to see what you want to see, sometimes.
Somehow, they believe they are doing mankind a service, all the while ignoring the real enemy: communisitic atheistic sexually depraved materialists who want to corrupt our kids.
Not really. I don't remember you being around these threads last fall, when by mutual agreement everyone lay down their arms and spent time concentrating on the upcoming elections - there were several months when these threads simply didn't exist on FR. Since you weren't present, you can, I suppose, be forgiven for what you don't know. But now you know.
Somehow, we Christians are more of a threat.
LOL again. In case you haven't noticed, we don't get a lot of real live leftists to play with around here. Humans in general are not conditioned to spend all day sitting around and stroking each other's egos, so is it really a surprise when the five percent we disagree on gets more play than the 95% we agree on? Spend some time on the Neo-Confederate threads, the Drug War threads, the Apple versus Linux versus Microsoft threads. Do you really think that Mac freepers think of Windows freepers as a "threat"? As the enemy?
Of course not. I don't find you particularly threatening. I think some of your ideas are unsound and not wise to implement, but you're not my enemy - when the chips are down, we all need each other far more than we let on here. Perhaps you'll see that for yourself.
And they never post links that argue in a scientific manner why what they are selling here at FR makes good political sense for the GOP as a whole.
No? It's really quite obvious why. Evangelicals are not enough, by themselves, to carry the day in politics. Even if we - very generously - assume that 71% of Bush voters are Bible-carrying, creationism-believing evangelicals, you cut out the 30% that aren't, and Bush loses by 15 million votes. Radicalizing the GOP along those lines means you get to wander in the desert for a good long time, my friend. Simple self-preservation suggests that you think long and hard about that prospect.
You don't have to like me - I don't really care. But you'd better figure out how to live with me, because unlike the Left, I'll listen to you and get you most of what you want, in exchange for a few things I want. That's a much better deal than you'll get from John Kerry - John Kerry won't give you a goddamn thing. And that's a fact.
Be careful where you go with that ID stuff. CA Whackos will have us teaching kids aliens from other worlds planted us as an experiment and are returning occasionally to observe us.
I'm one of them.
Bill Gates is the enemy. Window freepers are his gullible thralls.
:-)
Always gotta be one wise guy in the crowd ;)
The heavens (and earth) declare the glory of God. This is just a bit of elaboration as to how they do so. What is not to like if it glorifies God?
Thanks for the ping!
All 'noid showcases deserve attention.
Especially form the mental health authorities!
Okay, consider it confirmed that I am not infallible!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.