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Evolution Debate Led to Ouster, Official Says
Associated Press ^ | November 30, 2007 | The Associated Press

Posted on 12/01/2007 12:39:07 PM PST by Alter Kaker

AUSTIN, Tex., Nov. 29 (AP) — The state’s director of science curriculum said she resigned this month under pressure from officials who said she had given the appearance of criticizing the teaching of intelligent design.

The Texas Education Agency put the director, Chris Comer, on 30 days’ paid administrative leave in late October, resulting in what Ms. Comer called a forced resignation.

The move came shortly after she forwarded an e-mail message announcing a presentation by Barbara Forrest, an author of “Creationism’s Trojan Horse.” The book argues that creationist politics are behind the movement to get intelligent design theory taught in public schools. Ms. Comer sent the message to several people and a few online communities.

Ms. Comer, who held her position for nine years, said she believed evolution politics were behind her ousting. “None of the other reasons they gave are, in and of themselves, firing offenses,” she said.

Education agency officials declined to comment Wednesday on the matter. But they explained their recommendation to fire Ms. Comer in documents obtained by The Austin American-Statesman through the Texas Public Information Act.

“Ms. Comer’s e-mail implies endorsement of the speaker and implies that T.E.A. endorses the speaker’s position on a subject on which the agency must remain neutral,” the officials said.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: creationism; evolution; id; scienceeducation
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To: Southack
Fish that are intermediate to coral and humans simply don't have coral and human immune functionality. Fish that are intermediate to coral and humans simply don't have coral and human immune functionality.

And you are going to explain where you got the DNA sample for fish that are intermediate between coral and humans?

Or are you sticking to your claim that modern fish are intermediate?

181 posted on 12/03/2007 2:58:12 PM PST by js1138
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To: js1138
"And you are going to explain where you got the DNA sample for fish that are intermediate between coral and humans? Or are you sticking to your claim that modern fish are intermediate?" - js1138

It's Evolutionists who claim that Fish are intermediate to humans from coral.

It's *you* who wants to pretend that there is a difference in immune systems between ancient Fish to *all* modern Fish even though THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT *YOUR* CLAIM.

And that leaves Evolution without any supporting DNA evidence in hand, since all *known* Fish are missing the immune system functionality of Coral and Homo Sapien, a fatal problem for a claimed intermediate species regardless of how often you embarrass yourself by repeating nonsense to the contrary.

182 posted on 12/03/2007 3:56:46 PM PST by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: allmendream
"Evolution is the phenomena that species that live on this earth are not static but change. This is fact. The theory that Biology uses to explain this fact is called the Theory of Evolution through Natural Selection." - allmendream

Nope. Evolution requires more than Natural Selection. After all, Natural Selection creates no new genes.

Nor is Evolution a "fact."

It's fiction. Easily disproved with even a rudimentary understanding of Information Theory.

183 posted on 12/03/2007 3:58:59 PM PST by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: allmendream
"Natural selection sometimes acts upon these mutations if their environment confers an advantage or disadvantage to having that particular allele." - allmendream

Nope. Natural Selection has *nothing* to do with alleles. Natural Selection will occur even when an environment is unchanging, for instance.

Thus, it would help if you understood "alleles" in the first place. Alleles are identical genes that behave differently with different environmental changes.

184 posted on 12/03/2007 4:02:33 PM PST by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: Southack
It's Evolutionists who claim that Fish are intermediate to humans from coral.

I'm left trying to imagine the stir it would have caused if someone at the Dover trial had argued that modern fish are ancestors to humans, or that we have DNA samples of fish that are intermediate between coral and humans.

185 posted on 12/03/2007 4:12:23 PM PST by js1138
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To: Southack
Alleles are identical genes that behave differently with different environmental changes.

There really isn't any bottom to your barrel, is there?

186 posted on 12/03/2007 4:20:44 PM PST by js1138
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To: xzins
Almost all atheists I know are evolutionists.

True, but most evolutionists are not atheists.

187 posted on 12/03/2007 4:23:03 PM PST by Lurking Libertarian (Non sub homine, sed sub Deo et lege)
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To: Southack
An allele is a different DNA sequence of the same gene that codes for a amino acid sequence resulting in a protein being made with a slight difference. Most alleles are the result of a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism, meaning the sequence differs at only a single location. It would help if you understood the first thing about what you are talking about, but apparently you do not.
188 posted on 12/03/2007 4:24:16 PM PST by allmendream ("A Lyger is pretty much my favorite animal."NapoleonD (Hunter 08))
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To: Lurking Libertarian

You might say that about those that you know, but aside from a study on the subject, how would you know that most evolutionists are not atheists?

Is there a study?

Besides, it doesn’t change the point that “atheism is a doctrine that offers zero hope.”


189 posted on 12/03/2007 4:30:15 PM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain! True Supporters of Our Troops Support the Necessity of their Sacrifice!)
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To: xzins
You might say that about those that you know, but aside from a study on the subject, how would you know that most evolutionists are not atheists? Is there a study?

There have been many polls. I believe most show that about half of U.S. adults believe in evolution and less than 5% of U.S. adults are atheists. Many religions, including Judaism and Roman Catholicism, as well as many denominations of Protestants, have no doctrinal problem with theistic evolution.

Besides, it doesn’t change the point that “atheism is a doctrine that offers zero hope.”

Yes, but what is the point of making that statement on this thread unless you see it as an argument against evolution? Especially because you originally posted it to Alter Kaker, who is no atheist.

190 posted on 12/03/2007 4:38:56 PM PST by Lurking Libertarian (Non sub homine, sed sub Deo et lege)
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To: xzins
What do you define as an “evolutionist”? If by that you mean an atheist who believes the theory of natural selection best explains the diversity of life on earth well then OF COURSE they are atheists; by definition.

Most Scientists (if by Scientists you mean University Professor in a Scientific field) are believers. I know this might shake the faith some seem to have in an atheistic cabal of ‘Darwinists’ who glue together monkey skulls; but most Biologists are members of the community of faith. This is true not just according to this survey, but also according to my own experience.

http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/050811_scientists_god.html

About two-thirds of scientists believe in God, according to a new survey that uncovered stark differences based on the type of research they do. Nearly 38 percent of natural scientists — people in disciplines like physics, chemistry and biology — said they do not believe in God. Only 31 percent of the social scientists do not believe.
In the new study, Rice University sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklund surveyed 1,646 faculty members at elite research universities, asking 36 questions about belief and spiritual practices.

191 posted on 12/03/2007 4:40:15 PM PST by allmendream ("A Lyger is pretty much my favorite animal."NapoleonD (Hunter 08))
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To: Lurking Libertarian

Altar was posted to because he started the thread and is at #1 post.

Besides that, as I said, this is a thread that deals with evolution. Almost all the atheists I know are evolutionists. As a doctrine, it offers zero hope.


192 posted on 12/03/2007 4:44:33 PM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain! True Supporters of Our Troops Support the Necessity of their Sacrifice!)
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To: allmendream

That was not what I said. I said that almost all the atheists I know are evolutionists. It seems pretty common.

I imagine there are a few on this thread.

So far, no one has disputed that atheism offers zero hope.


193 posted on 12/03/2007 4:47:05 PM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain! True Supporters of Our Troops Support the Necessity of their Sacrifice!)
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To: xzins
So far, no one has disputed that atheism offers zero hope.

Not being an atheist, I am in no position to respond one way or another. I'm just trying to figure out why you think that statement is an argument against evolution.

194 posted on 12/03/2007 5:12:32 PM PST by Lurking Libertarian (Non sub homine, sed sub Deo et lege)
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To: Alter Kaker

bump for publicity


195 posted on 12/03/2007 5:15:54 PM PST by VOA
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To: xzins

http://www.catholic.net/RCC/Periodicals/Dossier/0102-97/Article3.html

LOL

*stirs pot*


196 posted on 12/03/2007 5:32:16 PM PST by Constantine XIII
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To: js1138; Southack
Or he could just be an otherwise intelligent, reasonable guy who has some knowledge, but doesn't really know what he's talking about with any depth.

After all, it's the internet, lol.

197 posted on 12/03/2007 5:35:11 PM PST by Constantine XIII
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To: Lurking Libertarian

That’s all he’s got?


198 posted on 12/03/2007 6:17:06 PM PST by Coyoteman (Religious belief does not constitute scientific evidence, nor does it convey scientific knowledge.)
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To: Southack
... . Fish that are intermediate to coral and humans simply don't have coral and human immune functionality. ...

Am I reading this correctly?

Are you seriously claiming that corals (in the phylum Cnidaria, along with sea anemones, hydras, jellyfish, etc) are ancestral to fish and people (phylum Chordata, along with birds, frogs, lizards, etc)?!

Please provide some "evolutionist" references for this startling phylogeny. If there aren't any, then your claim that some detail of the immune system falsifies common descent is bogus.

199 posted on 12/03/2007 6:43:14 PM PST by Virginia-American (Don't bring a comic book to an encyclopedia fight.)
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To: Virginia-American
Please provide some "evolutionist" references for this startling phylogeny.

In deepsouthhackland, cousins are likely as not your parents.

200 posted on 12/03/2007 7:02:51 PM PST by js1138
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