Kansas Schools OK Scrutiny of Evolution

[sintax]

Kansas Schools OK Scrutiny of Evolution


Wednesday August 10, 2005 3:01 AM

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The Kansas Board of Education voted 6-4 Tuesday to include greater criticism of evolution in its school science standards, but it decided to send the standards to an outside academic for review before taking a final vote.

The Kansas school system was ridiculed around the country in 1999 when the board deleted most references to evolution. The system later reversed course, but the language favored by the board Tuesday comes from advocates of intelligent design.

The intelligent design concept holds that some features of the natural world are best explained by an unspecified intelligent cause. Evolution is a fundamental scientific theory that species evolved over millions of years through natural selection.

The standards are used in developing state tests for fourth, seventh and 10th-graders, though local schools have the final say on what is taught in their classrooms. Students will be tested on the new standards in the 2007-08 school year.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5201311,00.html

[VegasWolf]

1. Fine, then also teach Scrutiny of Religion - End To Brain Washing! nt

[tmooses]

3. I'm with you on that !

[sintax]

5. "Unspecified Inelligent Cause"

With G-DLIKE qualities I assume.

"Because it's written that's why."

"To live in this process is absolutely not to be able to notice it - please try to believe me - unless one has a much greater degree of political awareness, acuity, than most of us had ever had occasion to develop.  Each step was so small, so inconsequential, so well explained or, on occasion, "regretted," that, unless one were detached from the whole process from the beginning, unless one understood what the whole thing was in principle, what all these "little measures" that no "patriotic German" could resent must some day lead to, one no more saw it developing from day to day than a farmer in his field sees the corn growing.  One day it is over his head.

[VegasWolf]

8. Yes!! and that day is imminent! nt

[saigon68]

33. Get the Pope Involved

He knows everything when it comes to "CREATION"

[Iowa]

16. "...Each act, each occasion...

is worse than the last, but only a little worse. You wait for the next and the next. You wait for the one great shocking occasion, thinking that others, when such a shock comes, will join with you in resisting somehow..."

"But the one great shocking occasion, when tens or hundreds or thousands will join with you, never comes. That's the difficulty. If the last and worst act of the whole regime had come immediately after the first and the smallest, thousands, yes, millions would have been sufficiently shocked..."

[reprobate]

34. To cook a frog you start with cold water and gradually increase the temp.

[madeline_con]

13. It can't last long...

wait till little Ralphy runs home and tells Mom and Dad the Earth is only 600 years old!

[MuseRider]

2. I am certain

that there are/were some that will go along with this but back when they did this before I was not aware of any schools who allowed this kind of thing to happen.

[AllieB]

4. And we wonder why our country is falling behind the world in scientific

disciplines.

[still_one]

6. I heard a compromise here on DU which I think solves the problem

We will allow them to teach creationism in science class if they allow us to teach evolution in their churches

fair is fair

[madeline_con]

14. They also have to pay taxes

starting immediately. Retroactively, even.

[still_one]

20. hey that's even better

[onehandle]

7. Come to Kansas.

We're fucking morons.

[BootinUp]

23. Cobb County Georgia

would also like to compete for your lost morans.

[leftylady]

39. Blue Springs School Board

took two of the challenged books out of their schools - did you see that one?

I don't get the evolution thing - except as a ploy by the religious right. Why don't they just teach intelligent design in philosophy - where it has been argued forever - and leave science as it is?

I just heard that this argument is going on in 22 states. Our country is starting to sound like a flip flop of Iran.

[damntexdem]

9. They got the headline wrong:

the schools have not done it. The Board of Education did; and the Board does not directly control the curriculum. What the control are the science standards and the standardized tests based on them. Any and all school boards can decide to ignore the 'teach criticism' language. They would be hurt only if the standardized tests reflected the Board's actions; and that will happen only if the Board specifies that some specific 'criticisms' are to be reflected in the tests. Any such specificity could then open the Tests themselves to legal challenges.

Yes, undoubtedly, some school boards will try to add 'criticism of evolution' to their curricula; but many will not. Most just teach to the tests, anyway, and there is little about evolution on the tests.

[VegasWolf]

10. If they want to poke holes in Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection, then

why can't we offer a class that pokes holes in the Holy Bible?

[drhilarius]

22. We do have classes like that...

They're called science classes, which is why the fundies hate them so much.

[madeline_con]

11. They can scrutinize this...

)*(

[opihimoimoi]

12. Most likely the school board guys have no science Degree in their

resumes...and yet, they get to choose what is taught and what is not....

[madeline_con]

15. I saw them on the tube the other day...

How they ever got on a school board to begin with is beyond me...

[opihimoimoi]

24. Following Pat Robinsons directions, fundies have been active

in these matters. about 25 years ago, Pat started to advocate INVOLVEMENT in the political process from school boards to the Presidency......

To this end...they are reaping the rewards of their misguided efforts....

It seems they desire a therocacy.....kind of Gov't

[maxrandb]

25. It's What Happens When Freepers Win Seats on Local School Boards

Saw a post here recently about a guy from upstate New York (I think) that was bragging on Freaker Republic about winning a seat on the school board.

When Americans stop electing people to institutions that those people want to destroy, maybe we'll make some progress.

Voting a Freaker onto a school board, is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders

[krkaufman]

17. Pretty damaged, given this story from today's USA Today....

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2005-08-09-students-standards_x.htm

Students ask to be pushed as more real-world prep needed, survey says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The campaign to make high school more demanding seems to be picking up support from the people who have the biggest stake in the matter: the students themselves.

...

Kansas can kiss any possible future competitiveness goodbye.

[davidinalameda]

18. can we give Kansas to the fundies as well

they'll need someplace to grow their food when they all move to South Carolina

would anyone really miss Kansas if it left the union?

:shrug:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. Now class, scientists have every reason to believe in evolution

but y'all don't want to go to hell now, do you?

[hayu_lol]

21. This ought to encourage all the textbook publishers in...

Texas.

[ucandoit]

26. morons

the ignorance seeps ever deeper into the fabric of our society

[sabra]

27. Kansas State School Board Approves Science Standards Critical of Evolution

http://www.elitestv.com/pub/2005/Aug/EEN42fa28c69dce4.html

Kansas State School Board Approves Science Standards Critical of Evolution

The State Board of Education in Kansas has approved new science standards that include increasing criticism of the theory of evolution. The final vote was 6-4 in favor of the new curriculum which was advocated by supporters of the theory of 'intelligent design.'

....

The official draft does not advocate the teaching of 'intelligent design' which contends that a higher power must have created the world. Critics say that intelligent design is an unscientific theory that is merely a way of masking the teaching of the biblical story of creation. However, the draft was written by advocates of the intelligent design theory.

'When mainstream science accepts this, we can put them in science classes,' said Janet Waugh, who voted against the new draft.

Kathy Martin, an advocate of the new standards, told the Associated Press that opponents were overreacting.

[Rex_Goodheart]

28. What a poorly written article.

What exactly are the new standards?

[achtung_circus]

29. One voice on sanity

'When mainstream science accepts this, we can put them in science classes,' said Janet Waugh, who voted against the new draft.

From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Date: Jun 25, 2005 6:34 AM
Subject: Response from a member of the Kansas Board of Education

Thanks for your comments about the Flying Spaghetti Monster and all the supporters who have sent their support to members of the Kansas Board of Education. I am supporting the recommendations of the science committee and am currently in the minority. I think your theory is wonderful and possibly some of the majority members will be willing to support it.
Thanks again,

Janet Waugh
District 1

[Pystoff]

30. Well goody then

The First Unified Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster will have to be represented now!

http://www.venganza.org/

[Felix Mala]

31. If they mention ID as competing theory, can't they list it's flaws, too?

[mgr]

40. Note the plea to be more "...open minded."

If you have any experience with the creationist/intelligent design folks, is that the scientists are just as much a religion as the creationists, and that they need to open their minds to this possibility. The designation of evolutionary biologists as Darwinist is a category that exists only in the C/ID mindset as Darwinism is the religion of the biologists.

Check out

http://telicthoughts.com/?p=188

http://pharyngula.org/index/weblog/comments/nightline_on_intelligent_design_creationism/

http://pharyngula.org/index/weblog/comments/time_magazine_on_evolution/#comments

http://www.ironcircus.com/blog/000267.html (especially this one!)

Mike

[htuttle]

32. There are only two other cultures I can think of...

...that have purposely attempted to turn back the clock on science (as opposed to merely trying to supress certain discoveries).

1) The Soviet Union while Trofim Denisovich Lysenko was at their Academy of Sciences.

2) Germany under the Nazis, which rejected Einstein's discoveries as 'Jewish Science'.

Both anti-science 'movements' were catastrophic to their respective countries' economies (apart from the greater catastrophes happening in each of the two countries). Lysenkoism was responsible for famine, among other things, and the original rejection of Einstein's theories as 'Jewish' probably hindered the Nazis enough to prevent them from developing the A-bomb in time (which was good for everyone else in the long run, but bad for Germany's leadership at the time).

This time around, the rejection of Darwinian evolution (and other advanced bio-sciences like stem cell research, cloning, etc...), will lead to the US losing a lot of ground in the medical sciences and the nascent bio-tech industry.

[omshanti]

35. Tell them to teach Flying Spaghetti Monsterism - sign the petition.

OPEN LETTER TO KANSAS SCHOOL BOARD

I am writing you with much concern after having read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design should be taught along with the theory of Evolution. I think we can all agree that it is important for students to hear multiple viewpoints so they can choose for themselves the theory that makes the most sense to them. I am concerned, however, that students will only hear one theory of Intelligent Design.

Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him.

It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories. In fact, I will go so far as to say, if you do not agree to do this, we will be forced to proceed with legal action. I’m sure you see where we are coming from. If the Intelligent Design theory is not based on faith, but instead another scientific theory, as is claimed, then you must also allow our theory to be taught, as it is also based on science, not on faith.

More at...
http://www.venganza.org

[omshanti]

37. kick for the Flying Spaghetti Monster - contact the KS school board!

http://www.venganza.org

[yorkiemommie1]

38. i wrote them all

but the spaghetti folks have it all wrong.

it was the sock people who created the earth, no it was the Muu-muu people whose spies still populate the earth in the guise of little hula dolls like those found in Wackykee; no no no, it was the Flying Purple People Eater who done it!

as a believer in all these theories i demand that my various views be taught! and if you think I'm confused think about me.... i have to keep a calendar of when to go to various of these churches/ temples and which religious garb to wear. Once the sock puppets almost stuffed me because I wore a muumuu to their frooty de loom church. yeesh.

:crazy:

[woo me with science]

36. It's the wording here that kills.

Implying that defenders of the teaching of evolution are somehow against SCRUTINY of it. If this were fair scientific scrutiny of the theory of evolution, we would be all for it. Kids *should* be taught to scrutinize scientific theories, to weigh the evidence surrounding them. But intelligent design is NOT SCIENCE!!!!

The problem with this issue is that it keeps getting reframed by the fundamentalists AS THOUGH intelligent design had any place in a science classroom IN THE FIRST PLACE, and articles like this throw out a red herring argument that somehow opponents of putting ID in classrooms are somehow afraid of SCRUTINY.

The lines between science and religion keep getting blurred, people. We need to CLARIFY them OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER again and refuse to get drawn into these red herring, inflammatory arguments. This is scary stuff, when science gets hijacked.

[blueintenn]

41. Darn

And here I was thinking there was a clear path from amoeba -> tadpole -> frog -> Bush. Maybe I was wrong.

Blue in Tenn

[VegasWolf]

44. No, I think the correct order is; amoeba -> tadpole -> Bush->frog ...

[spuddonna]

42. Obviously, if ID is to be taught, I demand that FSM ID be taught, too...

FSM ID= Flying Spaghetti Monster ID. Look at www.venganza.org for more info on His Majestic Noodlyness...

May you all be touched by his Noodly Appendage!
RAmen

[ramapo]

43. De-evolution anybody?

Science? Who needs it?

It's pretty ironic that these morons in Kansas are busy debating science vs. "intelligent" design and immaculate conception while scientists announce that the Siberian permafrost is melting and will free ups gobs of methane which will really heat things up.

Soon we might get to study de-evolution. Nothing like watching progress in reverse.