Evolution’s Revolution
Michael Bass
1/22/09
Blog entry 1
10:06
A Vote in March To Decide Whether or Not To Make It Mandatory To Question Darwin In School.
The Texas State Board of Education is currently hearing testimonies from both scientists and conservatives regarding the practice of teaching evolution in the state’s schools. The torrid debates circle around conservative ideologies wanting to add to the curriculum that teachers show the strengths and weaknesses of evolution. Scientists testified before the board that the "strengths and weaknesses" idea being put forward by the opposition is unacceptable because there are no scientifically verifiable weaknesses to Darwin's theory of evolution. Kevin Fisher, a past president of The Science Teacher Association of Texas, argues, “These weaknesses that they bring forward are decades old, and they have been refuted many, many times over.” A vote will be held in March to decide the outcome, and while socially conservative board members have lacked the votes to have textbooks re-written to include discussions of weaknesses in Darwin’s theory, many expect the vote to be close.
The separation of Church and State has endured a great deal of struggle over the years: the ambivalent nature of the Texas Board of Education continues the ongoing battle. Conservative naysayers seem to be defending their case by simply shutting the ideas out of their minds. As all of the arguments being brought up are mute points, there is no reason to continue letting many of the conservatives take advantage of the term “strengths and weaknesses” by sneaking creationism theories to be thought as an alternative to evolution: these are ideas to be taught at the home or in church where they belong. Letting the ideas of evolution be taught will raise instinctual, thought-provoking questions or acceptance and will begin the process of ameliorating the blurred line of laws of Separation of Church and State.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/education/22texas.html?ref=education
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-education/2009/01/22/religion-in-schools-debate-heats-up.html
http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/dont_use.asp interesting read.
1 comment:
This article really interests me considering my major is education with plans to go to law school and become a child advocate attorney. In many of my classes we have started to look at the separation of church and state in teaching. I am not sure how I feel about the issue as of now but this article does give me more insight into just how important of an issue this is in schools!
Post a Comment