Posted on 03/05/2006 10:14:04 AM PST by OrthodoxPresbyterian
Evolution bill stirs debate on origin of life, religion
TIM TALLEY
Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY - While other states are backing away from teaching alternatives to evolution, the Oklahoma House passed a bill Thursday encouraging schools to expose students to alternative views about the origin of life.
The measure, passed on a 77-10 vote, gives teachers the right to teach "the full range of scientific views on the biological or chemical origins of life." The measure stops short of requiring the teaching of "intelligent design" alongside the theory of evolution in science classes.
Its author, Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, said evolution is taught in some classrooms as if it were scientific fact although the theory, developed in the 19th century by Charles Darwin, is neither observable, repeatable or testable and is not solid science.
"They are getting a one-sided view of evolution," said Kern, a former teacher. "Let's teach good, honest science."
Critics said the lessons would be more appropriate in religion or philosophy classes than in science class. They said the measure would take control from local school boards on developing lesson plans and violates the constitutional prohibition on government endorsement of specific religious views.
"I think we're about to open a slippery slope here," said Rep. Danny Morgan, D-Prague. In December, a federal judge blocked attempts to teach intelligent design in high school biology classes in Dover, Pa.
"We're going to be right back in the courthouse," Morgan said.
Kern said her bill does not promote a particular religious point of view but promotes critical thinking by students by exposing them to all sides of a scientific debate.
"This bill is not about a belief in God. It is not about religion. It is about science," Kern said. "I'm not asking for Sunday school to be in a science class."
Evolution teaches that all organisms are connected by genealogy and have changed through time through several processes, including natural selection.
Intelligent design teaches that life is so well-ordered that it must have been created by a higher power. Critics argue that the theory is merely repackaged creationism, which teaches that the Earth and all life were created by God.
Supporters said exposing students to different viewpoints will create lively classroom debate.
"Do you think you come from a monkeyman?" said Rep. Tad Jones, R-Claremore. "Did we come from slimy algae 4.5 billion years ago or are we a unique creation of God? I think it's going to be exciting for students to discuss these issues."
Opponents said alternative theories on the origin of life are a matter of faith, not science. "God truly is the creator of heaven and Earth, but I can't prove that," said Rep. Al Lindley, D-Oklahoma City.
The bill now goes to the state Senate, where similar legislation has been defeated in the past.
On Tuesday, lawmakers in Utah defeated a bill requiring public school students be told that evolution is not empirically proven. In Ohio, school curriculum is undergoing change following the Pennsylvania ruling that intelligent design should not be taught alongside evolution in public schools.
Kansas has adopted language to encourage students to explore arguments against evolution, but the standards have not been tied to any lesson plans or statewide testing.
Something like this.
Employer; Jr., this is your area of expertise, we just had a plane that crashed (fact). There is some evidence (cable was found broke) that the cable to the tail flap failed. Would you test (empirical evidence) the cable for strength and if and why it failed. Then could you furnish a written document explaining (explanation of facts) why or why not the broken cable was the cause of the crash for next weeks board meeting. Jr; Sir, I already have the explanation. I studied alternative opinion science and the scientific method has been shorten since your education. I have the documentation explaining the fact. God did it!!! I wrote it while we were speaking. Pretty smart huh??? Now about that raise.......
AMEN!!!!
-- and then let the Pro-Life, Big-Family, Home- and Church-Schoolers compete in an unencumbered Free Market against the pro-abortion, pro-homosexual Evolutionist crowd.
Whoa! Hold up! Why are evolutionists pro-homosexual and pro-abortion? I don't see the connection.
Oh, wait, you'll never stand for that. That's right -- you Evolutionists SUPPORT Big Government -- as long as it advances your agenda, using Other People's Money.
What does the ToE have to do with Big Government?
Another state looking to make a big payout to aggrieved parents and ACLU lawyers. Well, "A fool and his money..." and so on.
Too bad abiogenesis isn't a dirty word like evolution is.
Then your target would be aimed right.
The West has done very well by making education compulsory. I'll agree to education reform and school choice for a minority of high-achievers, but I'm not about to entirely scrap an education system that has produced great results for the past 100 years.
Well, duh!
I get confused.
Was that flood before or after the rise of Conan to the throne of Hyperborea?
The first thing to note is the the Quote linking Huxley, Darwin and Sexual morality is a fabrication. Another thing to note is that the use of philosophy to justify sexual license is discussed by Huxley in the past tense.
http://www.edwardtbabinski.us/evolution/aldous_huxley.html
You've already made your judgement saying that evolution isn't supportable, testable, or observable. You offer in it's place a theory even less supportable and untestable or observable. So where's the improvement?
They had lightning gods. We have Ben Franklin.
Improvement?
Coyoteman it is (Coyote was taken when I signed up).
Way back in time all men emerged from a single hole in the earth. There was a mockingbird there at the entrance to the hole. He gave each a name and a language. To one he would say, "You shall be a Hopi and speak that tongue." To another, "You shall be an Apache and speak that language." And so it went for all who came from the hole, including the White People. The earth was still covered in darkness in those days so the peoples came together and decided to change things. They made the sun and the moon and placed them in the sky. With light and warmth things got easier for the people so the chiefs of all the races and tribes got together and decided to break up and go to different places. They decided to go eastward to where the sun rises and that whoever got there first was to cause a shower of stars to fall from the sky, and then everyone would see this and stop where they were. The Whites, always impatient, soon grew tired. Their women rubbed flakes of skin from their bodies and molded them into horses. Thus, mounted on these speedy animals, the Whites were first to arrive in the east. Thereupon a shower of stars fell to the ground and all remained where they were at the time.
Oh come on JS, you know goal posts are made for moving.
As a YEC, I can only hope that's a misquote.
That's because the former are myths, while the latter is a science.
See how easily that's settled?
I realize that. Obviously the discovery of America was not the best subject to use to illustrate the point I tried to make.
I was simply trying to use that badly flawed illustration to clarify a rhetorical question. That question being, if alternate theories about subjects other than evolution can be extensively explored in the classroom without creating a firestorm of protest, and they can be, why can't it even merely be made known to the students that ID is also a widely supported theory about the origin and diversity of life without the necessity of enacting a state law to that effect? I think the answer to that rhetorical question is obvious to everyone concerned, Darwinists are afraid to allow young minds full of mush to even learn that there is another popular theory.
If you didn't see my point in what I admit was a flawed illustration I hope I have made it a bit clearer for you.
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