Ga. school board OKs teaching creationism

CNN.com ^ | Friday, September 27, 2002 | CNN

[Heartlander]

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) --A suburban Atlanta school board Thursday night voted unanimously to allow teachers to introduce students to different views about the origins of life, among them creationism.

The Cobb County Board of Education, the state's second-largest school board, approved the policy change after limited discussion, calling it a "necessary element of providing a balanced education."

[Heartlander]

“…both creationist and evolutionary theories make historical claims about past causal events, both theories offer causal explanations that do not explain by natural law. The theory of common descent, a central thesis of Darwin's Origin of Species, does not explain by natural law. Common descent explains by postulating hypothetical historical events (and a pattern of events) which, if actual, would explain a variety of presently observed data. The theory of common descent makes claims about what happened in the past-namely, that unobserved transitional organisms existed forming a genealogical bridge between presently existing life forms. Thus, on the theory of common descent, a postulated pattern of events, not a law, does the main explanatory work.” –Dewolf

[4CJ]

There is no competition. Evolution is the only scientific theory that explains the evidence. All the "competing" tales are religious in nature.

Either one believes in creationism (a higher being) or evolution. For me, I find it much easier to believe in the existance of a loving God, than it is to believe that trillions of "coincidences" just happened. Evolution and creation are both belief systems - neither can be proven.

[AndrewC]

You better believe it. My thoughts are much clearer since I discovered MindGuard!

I'll take your word for it.

[truenospinzone]

My point is that if these parents were asking for a separate class to be taught, centering on various creation myths, or even on Christianity specifically, then they might warrant a serious discussion. What they are asking instead is that creationism be taught alongside evolution in science classes. Since creationism is not a science, and cannot be measured scientifically, it has no place there.

If Creationists were simply asking that science teachers throw in a simple, "This may not be the way it happened, and if you'd like to know what many religions, including but not limited to Christianity, think about how and why we're here, well, go to church this weekend.", they'd be well within their rights, I think. But to demand that a non-science be presented in a science class is absolutely ridiculous.

[AndrewC]

Evolution is change in alelle frequency over time. It's a definition of an observed phenomenon, kind of like rain.

That is a pretty weak definition. A creationist could counter that creation is the act of creatures producing creatures in kind, another observed phenomenon.

[dmz]

A paraphrased quote is by definition inaccurate

____

no, a paraphrased quote is a contradiction in terms

[f.Christian]

Evolution is a mind lapse/trick that can say/believe ANYTHING...

no matter how dumb/stupid---illogical/NUTS!

[f.Christian]

Most statements are quoted...some are paraphrased!

[Nataku X]

• Stipulate which conditions would cause heavier deposits of sediments over lighter ones in a flood (as the Flood must have caused)
• Explicitly tell for which species missing links will be *never* found
• Explain why prehistoric animals always appear before modern animals in the strata. Or, better... find *one* single example of say, dinosaur fossils with modern man, or trilobite bones with dinosaurs bones, or the two in inappropriate strata.
• Disprove radiometric dating for once and for all and replicate labatory conditions where it will give completely wrong results.
• Define "kinds".
• -One- well researched article on ID and/or creationism meant to be published in a peer reviewed journal. Then prove, by submitting those articles and having proof of submission, there is an evidence of a worldwide godless scientist cartel aimed at stomping out ID and Creationist views. If there's a conspiracy, let's prove it.
  
  The above is for YEC creationism, or the creationism that believes in a literal worldwide flood. There is so much that creationists do in labatory settings.
  
  The funny thing is, I can't think of a single criteria that would prove or disprove ID. Besides, ID is incompatiable with Genesis anyway, and fundamentalist Christians should be condemning IDers instead of embracing ID as a "stepping-stone" from evolution to Genesis literalism--it is no more heretic from a Christian point of view than evolution. It's so confusing.

[Junior]

placemarker.

[Belial]

This insanity...crushing pain in my cortex---ARGH!(can't take it/much longer)...

Then came the SPLIT NEW POWERS/F. CHRISTIAN/UNSTOPPABLE!

magma man...howling ape fury!--sub continent America--on the deserts---why?

[f.Christian]

par·a·phrase (pr-frz)
n.
A restatement of a text or passage in another form or other words, often to clarify meaning.
The restatement of texts in other words as a studying or teaching device.

v. par·a·phrased, par·a·phras·ing, par·a·phras·es
v. tr.
To restate in a paraphrase.

v. intr.
To compose a paraphrase.

---

[French, from Latin paraphrasis, from Greek, from paraphrazein, to paraphrase : para-, alongside; see para-1 + phrazein, to show, explain; see gwhren- in Indo-European Roots.]

---

para·phrasa·ble adj.
para·phraser n.

[f.Christian]

Oh...the battle of the migraine headache---no brains/ache in evolution!

[Nataku X]

True or false: If 2+2=3, then the world is a cube.

Serious question.

[AndrewC]

True or false: If 2+2=3, then the world is a cube.
Serious question.

Yes. Serious answer.

[f.Christian]

Actually we are in an accordian---the universe is dynamic---vibrating!

We are only in spirals(no circles/planes)...

ice cream/sonic cones---bananna splits/whipped cream!

Evolution is the big ape/BULL in the candy shop!

[Virginia-American]

For me, I find it much easier to believe...

So what? your ease of belief is of no interest to science. To put this in perspective, look at AfroCentrism

Evidently some people find it 'easier to believe' that oh, Socrates was Black, and stole his philosophy from the Ancient Egyptians. Should this community be allowed to teach foolishness in history class just because it makes them feel good?!

[whattajoke]

While I appreciate the quote from Mr. Dewolf, a simple Google search of this great scientific minds yields...guess what? His litany of Christian writings, including "Converting One at a time" http://147.222.27.5/people/dewolf/convert-d.htm which includes this:
Converts usually have an easy time with some aspects of the faith, and a difficult time with others. That raises the second important quality, which is a strong pastoral insight into the condition of the soul presented to the priest. The convert often has mastered some steps along the path of faith (in many cases well beyond those of a cradle Catholic). But other steps are surprisingly difficult. The pastor has to discern which steps the convert is ready for, and which to postpone for a later day. On the one hand, a convert should be expected to embrace the faith wholeheartedly, not with reservations. At the same time, there may be things that will become clear in time, as long as the fundamental disposition is correct.

Call me crazy, but as a dispassionate observer, he comes up woefully short. Mr. Dewolf is indeed an intelligent man, but the fact remains the same: No religious teaching in public schools, period. Try again.

[f.Christian]

Oh come on...evolution is the religion/altar of scale/bone/fossil heads!

To: piltdownpig

What's shakes(sunk) at the bottom of the ocean?

You have to give up or give me the answer!

20 posted on 9/27/02 11:27 AM Pacific by f.Christian

Nervous/science wreck...ss evolution!