Posted on 01/10/2006 6:29:50 PM PST by gobucks
FRESNO, Calif. - A rural high school teaching a religion-based alternative to evolution was sued Tuesday by a group of parents who said the class should be stopped because it violates the U.S. Constitution. Frazier Mountain High School in Lebec violated the separation of church and state while attempting to legitimize the theory of "intelligent design" in a philosophy course taught by a minister's wife, according to the U.S. District Court suit filed by parents of 13 students. "The course was designed to advance religious theories on the origins of life, including creationism and its offshoot, 'intelligent design,'" the suit said. "Because the teacher has no scientific training, students are not provided with any critical analysis of this presentation." The suit was filed by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which successfully blocked Dover, Pa., schools last month from using science courses to advance the theory that living things are so complex
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
Good. Now we are getting to the nitty gritty. For scientific naturalism is indeed philosophy, masquerading as 'science', and that is what the problem is regarding the presentation of Darwinism in 'science' class.
I predict, however, too much will be risked by the ACLU and their friends, and that this suit will be dropped.
After all, it is just a Philosophy class, and I.D. is not being taught as 'science'.
It looks to me that they are saying it is a philosophy class, and then getting in there and addressing scientific issues. In other words, they're misrepresenting the class.
Hmmm..
I have a hard time justifying keeping ID or Creationism out of Philosophy classes. Is it unacceptable in Theology classes, too?
The groups opposed go way too far on this one.
ping
Philosophy teachers now have to be qualified scientifically.
But scientists are forbidden to discuss philosophy.
Catch 22.
I'm one of those who don't think ID is science, but I certainly don't have a problem with it being taught in an elective philosophy class. We teach all kinds of philosophies that are counter to science and nobody makes a fuss about that.
Brave new worlder, eh? Shan't speak but carefully, "double think", you know.
Archival ping.
I get your point, too.
My Philosophy classes addressed issues from Theology to Science to how Calculus was discovered.
This would seem to be the one type of class, Philosophy that is, where all theories could be openly discussed, depending on the topic(s) of the day.
Evolution isn't science at least by Lord Kelvin's call. You need numbers and mathematical models that use those numbers. Evolution doesn't have them. It would be ruined by real models, for without designed selection, the probabilities are enormously against it. Evolution is a "soft" science at best. Like anthroplogy, psychology, archeology.
Welcome to Free Republic.
Yep, neato trick that I noticed as well....
The parents could have their kids NOT take the course. Or the parents (either group) could go to another school. There could be an end to the government school monopoly. But that can't ever happen in America. Government monopoly schools are there to teach the state religion of secular humanism/socialism. We just couldn't bear it in America if parents actually had to pay out of pocket for their own children's education. It just wouldn't be good for the politicians and bureaucrats who get their hands on that property etc. tax money. Don't want to foster the idea that parents should be responsible for their own damn kids. Not in America. No way.
Notice also a curious inconsistency in the brief. These people claim that ID should not be taught in a biology class because it "isn't science". Now they object to it being taught in a philosophy class because the teacher has no "scientific qualifications"!
So tell me, why does one need scientific qualifications to teach what isn't science? This looks like blatant special pleading, and I'm pretty sure it won't stand up to scrutiny.
That most definitely is NOT the purpose of public schools, though. Public schools are there to condition kids into mind-numbed robots that will shut up and pay their taxes and not question authority. Independent thought is not encouraged.
I disagree, but I'm not going to argue with you here and turn this into a Crevo thread.
The question was whether ID could be taught in schools, and I am your temporary ally in this. Don't push it.
"Evolution is a "soft" science at best"
People can describe Evolution as they like, but all I know is the guys in college who were taking chemistry, physics and engineering spent a whole lot more time studying compared to those who were also awarded science degrees in subjects like the basket weaving .
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