Posted on 10/14/2005 10:28:52 AM PDT by akdonn
It's odd there should be so much "science abuse" in popular discourse today, attacks based on the proposition that science might be wrong and should be "debated" with faith.
Science is the basis of our public education system; everything we teach in school is based on science, not on faith. The U.S. Constitution prohibits teaching based on faith, for the very good reason that in a democracy there's no way to choose which faith the education might be based on.
Rejecting what de Tocqueville called the "tyranny of the majority," i.e., majority rule, against which the Bill of Rights is our chief protection, science is the only possible basis for education, for it is neutral.
Science abuse abounds. Evolution and global warming are the two most prevalent examples, but there are many more, including stem cell research, relativity and even plate tectonics. The call for "debate" on these basic explanations of reality manifests a confusion regarding the nature of science and faith.
Faith is a phenomenon understood as truth based on the word of another. In the case of religion, the "other" is sacred scripture. Science, on the other hand, is phenomena understood as truth based on measured observation and rational analysis of the results. Science is empirical; faith is spiritual.
(Excerpt) Read more at adn.com ...
Because it all happened a few decades ago, it was sufficient to perform mere formalized wife-swapping in accordance with the, ahem, "rule of law."
Wait, wait! Have Kekich and Peterson married each other while the ex-wives (according to law) whom they have shared are now married to each other? Probably no longer newsworthy! What about the household pets????? Modern life is soooo needlesly complicated!
I knew the wombat was relevant when I googled it ... just wasn't sure how.
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.