Posted on 03/11/2005 3:47:39 AM PST by PatrickHenry
WHAT SHOULD public schools teach about life's origins? Should science educators teach only contemporary Darwinian theory or not mention it? Should school boards mandate that students learn about alternative theories? If so, which ones? Or should schools forbid discussion of all theories except neo-Darwinism?
These questions arise frequently as school districts around the country consider how to respond to the growing controversy over biological origins.
Of course, many educators wish such controversies would simply go away. If science teachers teach only Darwinian evolution, many parents and religious activists will protest. But if teachers present religiously based creationism, they run afoul of Supreme Court rulings.
There is a way to teach evolution that would benefit students and satisfy all but the most extreme ideologues. Rather than ignoring the controversy or teaching religiously based ideas, teachers should teach about the scientific controversy that now exists over Darwinian evolution. This is simply good education.
When credible experts disagree about a controversial subject, students should learn about competing perspectives.
In such cases, teachers should not teach as true only one view. Instead, teachers should describe competing views to students and explain the arguments for and against these views as made by their chief proponents. We call this "teaching the controversy."
[Snip]
Stephen C. Meyer, a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute in Seattle, and John Angus Campbell, a professor of communications at the University of Memphis, are the editors of Darwinism, Design and Public Education.
The rest of the article is here.
(Excerpt) Read more at baltimoresun.com ...
And as for the Discovery Institute, mull this over:
One Nation, Under the Designer. The true goals of the ID movement.
Discovery Institute's "Wedge Project". Replacing science with theism.
The Wedge at Work. The Discovery Institute's war against reason.
The "Wedge Document": "So What?" The Discovery Instutute defends the Wedge document.
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....WHAT SHOULD public schools teach about life's origins? Should science educators teach only contemporary Darwinian theory or not mention it? Should school boards mandate that students learn about alternative theories? If so, which ones? Or should schools forbid discussion of all theories except neo-Darwinism?.....How about teaching them how to balance a checkbook...how about teaching them how to deal with income taxes....how about teaching them that over 20 percent of what they earn will be taken away by the government...don't look at the gross...look at the net....good luck children...you will need it....
I wasn't aware there was one.
The agenda of idiotic intolerence continues...
Teach the Truth.
There isn't a scientific controversy. The Discovery Institute (a very well funded creationist outfit) is running s slick public relations campaign to convince people that there's a scientific controversy, when really, creationist propaganda is all that's going on. The article says:
More than 375 scientists, including researchers from institutions such as MIT, Yale, Rice and the Smithsonian, have signed a statement questioning the creative power of the selection/mutation mechanism.That's rather laughable.
That pure crap and you know it...You are not being honest about this at all!!
Biology is the ONLY science that will not acknowledge ID!!
Evolutionism to you guys is like a friggin' cult, you just can't let go, can you?
I think we should stick with the materialist fantasy for as long as the lawyers and leftist professors can hold the line. The students will naturally rebel and read the banned books to find the truth.
Why do you think your religion should be given preference in the classroom?
Not all of us are so hobbled as to be unable to tell the difference between ID and legitimate science.
Biology, and Chemistry, ....
Anything taken on faith is a religion friend ...
Now .. If you can fill me in on the specifics of that first little spark ... or what ever it is that you hold so dear as the "beginning " of this evolution thing ... perhaps I can get with you ..
Religions are often centered on observations of the physical world.
So who lives in the Baltimore area and wants to write a letter to the Baltimore Sun pointing out that the author of the article seems not to know the science classes in elementary and high school do not teach the "origin of life"?
And, to further point out that when the teacher is that nice (Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim) neighbor from down the block, the alternative theory they teach might not be exactly what mom'n dad had in mind.
Origin of species does not, repeat not, mean, imply or refer to origin of life.
Government schools turn out students that have little understanding of math, geography, English, science....with many semi-literate in the education necessary to survive in this world!!!....
Why get your panties all twisted because there is outrage over creationism or evolution??? Forget that crap and get back to basics involving this world.
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