Posted on 02/27/2004 5:55:40 PM PST by Coleus
February 26, 2004
Darwinism to Face Scrutiny
by Sonja Swiatkiewicz, state issues analyst
Ohio and Minnesota have the opportunity to make a difference in how Darwinism is taught to schoolchildren.
Ohio made history in December 2002 when its state Board of Education approved changes to public school science standards requiring students to be tested on their understanding of evidence for and against Darwinism.
Just over a year later, Ohio again stands at a crossroads of sorts, while its school board seeks to establish a model curriculum to implement 2002's changes. Minnesota, likewise, has come to a place of decision — whether or not to follow in Ohio's footsteps in the teaching of Darwinism.
The Ohio school board voted 13-4 on Feb. 10 in a preliminary vote to accept "Set A" of the model science curriculum -- the curriculum that will be sent to each district to guide teachers in how the new science standards should be implemented in the classroom. "Set A" includes 42 individual lessons that deal with potentially "controversial" topics; nine of them (those slated for grade 10 life sciences) discuss evolutionary theory.
Only one of the 42, however, seeks to include the "critical analysis" of Darwinism that is now required to be taught — and that's where the rubber meets the road.
Fiercely protective pro-Darwinists are attempting to derail the new science standards before kids in the classroom ever reap the benefits of this dramatic change in policy. Critics have claimed that the "Critical Analysis of Evolution" lesson mandates the teaching of Intelligent Design.
In fact, the "Critical Analysis" lesson supports the new requirement that students be able to "describe how scientists continue to investigate and critically analyze aspects of evolutionary theory." Students will be taught that theories are tentative explanations that are subject to modification as continued experimentation demands; the differences between microevolution and macroevolution; and guided to examine the various lines of evidence for and against the theory of a common ancestry (macroevolution).
While the board had already indicated its support of "Set A" in its entirety, Darwinists are applying pressure to the board members to convince them to remove their support. A final, binding vote will be taken during the board's meeting March 8-9.
A few states away, Minnesota's Legislature is grappling with making initial changes to the state's science standards. Four members of the science standard writing committee have submitted a "minority" report, urging the Legislature to accept two standards that mirror Ohio's.
These two standards will lay the groundwork for Minnesota's schoolchildren to be taught critical analysis of evolution — which has been specifically encouraged by the No Child Left Behind Act conference report.
But first, the "minority report" must be accepted into the recommendations to be sent to the full House and Senate.
Those who support a balanced presentation of Darwinism, the evidence for and against macroevolution, must make their voices heard. The type of science education Ohio and Minnesota's kids receive is dependent on board members and legislators knowing concerned citizens care about the unbiased teaching of evolution.
TAKE ACTION
Ohio
Please contact the board members who voted in favor of the "Set A" curriculum to thank them for their support and encourage them to vote in favor of "Set A" on Mar. 8 or 9. Please contact them by March 5.
Richard E. Baker (Hollansburg), 937-548-2246
Virgil E. Brown, Jr. (Cleveland Heights), 216-851-3304, Virgil.Brown@ode.state.oh.us
Michael Cochran (Blacklick), 614-864-2338, ota@ohiotownships.org
Jim Craig (Canton), 330-492-5533, Jim.Craig@ode.state.oh.us
John W. Griffin (West Carrollton), P.O. Box 49201, West Carrollton, OH 45449-0201
Stephen M. Millett (Columbus), 614-424-5335
Deborah Owens Fink (Richfield), 330-972-8079, deb@uakron.edu
Emerson J. Ross, Jr. (Toledo), 419-248-8315
Jennifer L. Sheets (Pomeroy), 740-992-2151, Jennifer.Sheets@ode.state.oh.us
Jo Ann Thatcher (McDermott), 740-858-3300
James L. Turner (Cincinatti), 513-287-3232, jturner@cinergy.com
Sue Westendorf (Bowling Green), 419-352-2908, sue.westendo@ode.state.oh.us
Carl Wick (Centerville), 937-433-1352, carl.wick@ode.state.oh.us
Please politely urge the four board members who voted against "Set A" to reconsider and vote in support. Please contact them by Mar. 5.
Robin C. Hovis (Millersburg), 330-674-5000, Robin.Hovis@ode.state.oh.us
Cyrus B. Richardson, Jr. (Bethel), 513-734-6700, Cyrus.Richards@ode.state.oh.us
G.R. "Sam" Schloemer (Cincinnati), 513-821-4145, Sam.Schloemer@ode.state.oh.us
Jennifer Stewart (Zanesville), 740-452-4558, Jennifer.Stewart@ode.state.oh.us
Two members were absent for the Feb. 10 meeting, and should be politely contacted as well.
Virginia E. Jacobs (Lima), 419-999-4219, Virginia.Jacobs@ode.state.oh.us
Martha W. Wise (Avon) 440-934-4935, Martha.Wise@doe.state.oh.us
In addition, please contact Gov. Bob Taft and tell him you support the teaching of critical analysis of evolution. For contact information for Gov. Taft, visit our CitizenLink Action Center.
Minnesota
Please contact the chairpersons of the House and Senate Education Policy Committees, Rep. Barbara Sykora and Sen. Steve Kelley, and urge them to accept the "minority report."
In addition, please contact your own representative and senator and politely urge them to support the critical analysis of evolution when it comes to a vote.
Also, please contact Gov. Tim Pawlenty and urge his support for teaching the evidence for and against evolution. Contact information for Gov. Pawlenty is available through our CitizenLink Action Center.
I'm leaving for the afternoon, but will provide it for you as soon as I can.
Look at post 80 and ask yourself if you aren't making arguments that have already been crushed.
Raising questions is one thing, but when you've raised 786 questions, gone 0-for-786 as far as making any objection stick, and are still demanding time be devoted in the classroom to your religious-horror "anything but THAT!" non-theories, then fanaticism looks like a reasonable explanation for what's going on.
We can't be absolutely certain. Science doesn't purvey absolute truth. Science is a mechanism, a way of trying to improve your knowledge of nature. It's a system of testing your thoughts against the universe and seeing whether they match. This works not just for ordinary aspects of science, but for all of life.So, please, feel free to question evolution all you want, just back it up your objections with a few facts, evidence, and logic.My objection to fundamentalism is not that they are fundamentalists but that essentially they want me to be a fundamentalist too. Now they may say that I believe evolution is true and I want everyone to believe that evolution is true. But I don't want everyone to believe that evolution is true, I want them to study what we say about evolution and decide for themselves. Fundamentalists say they want to treat creationism on an equal basis. But they can't. It's not a science.
Really than how come that "Massive Universal" flood didn't also pile dinosaur (or any other) bones in the Adirondack Mountains in New York?
That's one of many cruxs of the Noah's Flood Myth, Fossils are so rare. If Noah's flood really did happen and caused fossils than you wouldn't be able to walk two feet anywhere on earth without tripping over one.
No. People who try to smear the perfectly valid field of scientific inquiry called evolution by referring to it as "Darwinism" are the fanatics. They would rather use prejortive terms than actually confront scientific evidence.
Yeah, yeah, evolution has some holes. Not surprising, since the serious study of it is only about 100 years old. But it is a solid explanation for the variety of life on earth, explaining evidence from such disparate areas as comparative anatomy, molecular biology (DNA and protein sequences), bacterial drug resistance, and many others. Those who stick their head in the sand and shout "Darwinism!" as if that refuted the evidence are the fanatics. Those who pretend that "intelligent design" is science (when all it really says is "I don't see how it could have happened without a creator, therefore it didn't") are the fanatics. Those who would place an allegorical creation myth ahead of evidence they can touch and feel are the fanatics.
Those who understand and attempt to explain evolution are the realists - prepared to look the world in the eye as it is. In some cases, prepared to be humble enough to know that we cannot possibly completely understand how God might have decided to build a world, but we'll do our best with the evidence He set before us.
The fanatics are the ones that arrogantly decide that they understand the mind and will of God so well that they are prepared to dump inconvenient facts to fit their preconceived notions. And then, of course, try to pin the "fanatic" label on those who point out their foolishness.
Okay, on top of getting your information straight from Creationist websites, it's pretty obvious you have neither cable nor satellite. The jumble of dinosaur bones of which you speak was explained quite nicely a couple of years ago on the Discovery Channel (hence, my contention you don't subscribe). Indeed, they showed a similar situation in Africa when a herd of wildebeasts attempted to cross a flood-swollen river (note, this is probably what happened to the Ceratopsians in question -- not that they were swept away by a deluge, but that they tried to cross a swollen river and drowned). I'm sure you failed to note that the dinosaur bones in question showed definite evidence of post-mortem scavenging (or did the Creationist sites not mention that? It wouldn't be the first time they've left out information in order bolster their rather saggy case). If the critters had been buried by THE FLOOD, there is not a lot of likelihood that scavengers would have found and chawed on their carcasses, is there?
I just got home from seeing The Passion of the Christ, keats, and the criticisms and mockery of the fanatics here seem remarkably small and meaningless by comparison.
The one true God, Creator of the universe, willingly suffered brutality and death for MY sin.
Nothing else matters, but that I continue to yield my life to HIM, and share His love to a world in need.
All I can say is, read the Word of God with an open heart. The answers are there.
You'll have to come to the truth on your own.
Noah's flood happened.
You, and your cohorts here, have chosen not to believe what God says. That's a choice you are free to make, but you will regret that choice in time.
May God be with you all as you search for truth.
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