Theocracy Now!
Kansas is holding hearings to determine whether evolution should be taught in public schools. Opponents are expected to argue in favor of teaching "intelligent design" pseudoscience as well.
In addition to the scientific inappropriateness of having a biology teacher quote passages from Genesis in a laboratory, we could have the constitutional and policy inappropriateness of pushing an evangelical Christian theology of life on a public classroom where a good number of students might not be Christian. What is a Hindu biology student to think when her exam asks on what day God parted the sky and water?
President Bush says the "jury is still out on evolution." Well, the jury is still out on how gravity works, but that doesn't mean we should teach divine intervention as an alternative to gravity in physics classes. Not to mention that there is undeniable proof of organisms changing phenotypes dramatically--think of bacteria developing resistance to antibiotics. We may find out evolution's chaotic explanation of life's origins isn't completely right, but right now, it's the best we have.
And America wonders why it is falling behind in science education. The western world hasn't had this kind of widespread religious hostility to science since the 17th century. Galileo must be rolling in his grave.
In addition to the scientific inappropriateness of having a biology teacher quote passages from Genesis in a laboratory, we could have the constitutional and policy inappropriateness of pushing an evangelical Christian theology of life on a public classroom where a good number of students might not be Christian. What is a Hindu biology student to think when her exam asks on what day God parted the sky and water?
President Bush says the "jury is still out on evolution." Well, the jury is still out on how gravity works, but that doesn't mean we should teach divine intervention as an alternative to gravity in physics classes. Not to mention that there is undeniable proof of organisms changing phenotypes dramatically--think of bacteria developing resistance to antibiotics. We may find out evolution's chaotic explanation of life's origins isn't completely right, but right now, it's the best we have.
And America wonders why it is falling behind in science education. The western world hasn't had this kind of widespread religious hostility to science since the 17th century. Galileo must be rolling in his grave.
2 Comments:
Sure, education is Kansas is hindered by religious extremists just as education in Massachusetts is limited by leftist extremists. The real problem is that education is run exclusively by the government. The government has driven out private schools in a manner that would never be allowed by any other seething monopoly. In doing so, it has buried children in the bureaucratic mediocrity that is government. Good luck US!
By Ben Polidore, At 11:27 PM EDT
Valid point.
By Tim McGuire, At 12:04 PM EDT
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