Charles Darwin Knew: Science and Freedom

BreakPoint with Charles Colson | 1 Mar 04 | Charles Colson

[Mr. Silverback]

Almost 150 years ago, Charles Darwin knew something that the scientific establishment seems to have forgotten -- something that is being endangered today in the state of Ohio.

In Ohio, high school science students are at risk of being told that they are not allowed to discuss questions and problems that scientists themselves openly debate. While most people understand that science is supposed to consider all of the evidence, these students, and their teachers, may be prevented from even looking at the evidence -- evidence already freely available in top science publications.

In late 2002, the Ohio Board of Education adopted science education standards that said students should know "how scientists investigate and critically analyze aspects of evolutionary theory." The standards did not say that schools should teach intelligent design. They mandate something much milder. According to the standards, students should know that "scientists may disagree about explanations . . . and interpretations of data" -- including the biological evidence used to support evolutionary theory. If that sounds like basic intellectual freedom, that's because it is.

The Ohio Department of Education has responded by implementing this policy through the development of an innovative curriculum that allows students to evaluate both the strengths and the weaknesses of Darwinian evolution.

And that has the American scientific establishment up in arms. Some groups are pressuring the Ohio Board to reverse its decision. The president of the National Academy of Sciences has denounced the "Critical Analysis" lesson -- even though it does nothing more than report criticisms of evolutionary theory that are readily available in scientific literature.

Hard as it may be to believe, prominent scientists want to censor what high school students can read and discuss. It's a story that is upside-down, and it's outrageous. Organizations like the National Academy of Sciences and others that are supposed to advance science are doing their best to suppress scientific information and stop discussion.

Debates about whether natural selection can generate fundamentally new forms of life, or whether the fossil record supports Darwin's picture of the history of life, would be off-limits. It's a bizarre case of scientists against "critical analysis."

And the irony of all of this is that this was not Charles Darwin's approach. He stated his belief in the ORIGIN OF SPECIES: "A fair result can be obtained only by fully stating and balancing the facts and arguments on both sides of each question." Darwin knew that objective science demands free and open inquiry, and while I disagree with Darwin on many things, on this he was absolutely right. And I say what's good enough for scientists themselves, as they debate how we got here, is good enough for high school students.

Contact us here at BreakPoint (1-877-322-5527) to learn more about this issue and about an intelligent design conference we're co-hosting this June.

The Ohio decision is the leading edge of a wedge breaking open the Darwinist stranglehold on science education in this country. The students in Ohio -- and every other state -- deserve intellectual freedom, and they deserve it now.

[Michael_Michaelangelo]

Thanks! Although I can't take credit for the actual graphic. One of the folks at designeduniverse.com put it together.

[Last Visible Dog]

experiment, experimentation -- the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation (WorldNet , Princeton University)

(underscore added)

[Dimensio]

Three words: Rules of evidence...

And how does this qualify a law professor with no education in biology to examine and properly evaluate biological research?

[Last Visible Dog]

Experiment: A trial or test of a scientific hypothesis or generalization by manipulation of environmental factors to observe whether what results agrees, or disagrees, with what the hypothesis predicts.(Larry Hauser's Philosophical Glossary)

[Last Visible Dog]

Experiment A controlled investigation designed to evaluate the outcomes of causal manipulations on some system of interest. (PhysicalGeography.net Glossary of Terms)

[PatrickHenry]

"experimental observation"

One well-known example would be the Cosmic Microwave Background, which was (and still can be) observed (but not created in the lab) and which is considered evidence which confirms the Big Bang theory. This "mere observation" was regarded as sufficiently persuasive that it plunged the Steady State theory into oblivion.

[Michael_Michaelangelo]

It was bound to happen!

[Junior]

Your excerpt even says evolution doesn't deal with life from non-life.

[Last Visible Dog]

Experiment A test carried out under controlled conditions. A test under controlled conditions that is made to demonstrate a known truth, examine the validity of a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy of something previously untried. (Ghosttracker.com Paranormal Glossary - my effort to get a varied array of sources)

[js1138]

Imagine my surprise that you would be posting from an anti-freeper site.

[William Terrell]

If I said I didn't believe in germs and atoms, the entire scientific world to a man and woman would deluge me with evidence that I, as a layman, could see and understand. Evidence for evolution, for instance evidence of trans-species movement and transitional forms, is not understandable because it is always presented in opaque scientificese.

Many times I have disputed with the lack of transitional forms and evidence from such a translation from one species to another and have had absolute greek dumped on me. When I ask for a simple detail trace in common words, I get no response.

Anything which is true is presentable in a form that anyone can understand. Anyone out here who is pro-evolution should be able to translate that word fog into understandable terms without the need to cut and paste that fog from some website.

Show me the tracing from a one celled animal to a frog, a lizard, bat and a mouse and I might give it some credibility. Don't tell me I don't have the years of some interdisciplinary study and knowledge of biological terms to get it.

Anything that is true can be explained to anyone who is reasonably educated. The fact is, when an effort is made to clearly and simply present the evidence it will become apparent that the evidence is specious and/or has other explanations than the one assigned to it.

If you want me to accept trans-species evolution, you have the responsibility to explain it to me in terms that communicate to me. The notion that all life and ecological systems, including plant life and insects, started and the process guided by dice throws is what I consider an extraordinary claim. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof, not a presumption of validity from multi-interpretative possibles.

[Last Visible Dog]

experiment - A carefully controlled test, made to see if a hypothesis is correct. (Science with Dr. T's Glossary for 5th Grade Science - focusing more on the target audence)

[Dimensio]

I guess that it is easier to come up with inane graphics depicting strawman arguments than to actually come up with real evidence for your assertions.

Evolution is about a change in alelle frequency over time extrapolated to theorize that the diverse species on earth originated from a common ancestor. That's it. It's not about the formation of the cosmos, it's not about the formation of the solar system, it's not about the formation of Earth and it's not about the origin of the first life forms. When we say that it's not about any of those things, it's not because we're trying to evade the issue, it's because we understand what evolution is and what it is not. Claiming that we're being evasive because we refuse to let the definition of evolution be dragged into whatever strawman meaning that you wish to apply to it is fundamentally dishonest.

[Last Visible Dog]

experiment an investigation of cause-effect relationships done by controlling or carefully manipulating particular variables to note their effects on other variables (Thomson Learning, Pathways to Psychology, Second Edition Glossary)

[whattajoke]

Mr. S,

for some background, since you seem like a nice enough guy (and I enjoy your Caption-o-rama's), you should be aware that the designeduniverse.com is owned by a banned FReeper, and frequented by a small, very vocal, group of fellow banned FReepers.

While one would hope their anti-FR vitriol has subsided in the last months, one never knows, so beware of anything from there.

[Last Visible Dog]

Experiment An artificially created situation that allows the researcher to manipulate variables. (Sociology: A Brief Introduction, Glossary)

[Dimensio]

I was not trying to support intelligent design

You're right, I was mistaken. You were trying to offer evidence for "irreducable complexity". Your links weren't evidence for that, either.

[PatrickHenry]

"experimental observation"

Another example would be the "mere observation" of the shifting of the apparent positions of the stars near the sun during a total eclipse, which was (and is) regarded as confirmation of Einstein's theory. So far, it hasn't been re-created in the lab, so I guess the "creation science" crowd doesn't accept it.

[Last Visible Dog]

Experiment: An action that has various outcomes that occur unpredictably and can be repeated indefinitely under the same conditions. (University of Virginia, Mathematics Education program, Glossary of Proablitity Terms)

[Last Visible Dog]

One well-known example would be the Cosmic Microwave Background, which was (and still can be) observed (but not created in the lab) and which is considered evidence which confirms the Big Bang theory. This "mere observation" was regarded as sufficiently persuasive that it plunged the Steady State theory into oblivion.

Observations are very valid forums of supporting evidence - all I am saying is observation does not equal experimentation.