Observations and inanities by a second-shift assistant supervisor in the Puppy-Grinding division of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy® (our motto: "Sure it's cruel, but think of the jobs!"), your host, Brent Rasmussen.
The God Of The School Board
Florida State Board Of Education member Donna Callaway gets it so wrong that it's painful to read.
[link] Donna Callaway, a former middle school principal from Tallahassee, told the Florida Baptist Witness that evolution "should not be taught to the exclusion of other theories of origins of life."
She also said she hoped Christians would pray over the issue. "As a SBOE member, I want those prayers," Callaway said. "I want God to be part of this."
Evolution is not a "theory of origins of life", number one, and number two, the Christian God cannot, by law, "be a part of" the Florida State Board Of Education - unless you rescind the United States Constitution, or secede from the union.
But you've all heard this before, time and time again. It's been said, over and over, a thousand times or more. The facts are always the same; ignorant Christian creationist who does not understand what evolution is, or what science is gets elected to the school board. Then they convince other ignorant Christian creationists on the school board to "teach the (nonexistent) controversy" by reading the religious tracts put out by the Discovery Institute, WoTM, or Dr. Dino. Overworked civil-rights defenders like the ACLU and FFRF take the school board to court and win. Many indignant news stories and op-ed columns are written about the evil atheist plot to persecute innocent Christians by teaching science instead of Christian mythology in - ahem - science classes. Overwrought email chain letters get forwarded to everyone and their grandmother shouting about the nasty atheists and their evil plan to barbecue all the Christian children in the public school system for the crime of being Christian.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Things like this make me tired. It feels like we're bailing out a leaky boat with plastic beer cups. I mean, were doing something, going through the motions, making a lot of noise and fuss, but the reality of the situation is that the boat is filling up too fast. I fear that we are sinking, and that there is not a lot we can do to prevent it.
Still, we'll keep on bailing because what else can we do?
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Pardon my ignorance...
... of American laws (and this has little to do with Brent's post above), but dont teachers (the good ones at least) teach a theory's strengths and weaknesses anyway? Like for instance if theyre talking about the Big Bang or Evolutionary theory or Democracy, wouldnt they make their students aware of criticism of the theory as well? The impression I get here in the Philippines reading news reports and blogs is that if a teacher does that, he or she can be held liable for some sort of violation? Or am I misunderstanding?
Apples To Watermelons
Hi Jeg,
Of course they do. Science teachers provide a pretty complete and age-appropriate view of various scientific theories, including evolution (at least they do here in my home state of Arizona, in my children's school district.) These lessons touch on, as you said, the scientific strengths and the weaknesses of the theories. That is not the problem. The problem, specifically, is that creationists wish to pretend that their religious mythology is a "scientific theory", and then present it in our public school science curricula as an "alternate theory" to evolution - when it is nothing of the sort.
Presenting strengths and weaknesses is fine. Preaching your wacky religious mythology as if it was a "science" to a captive audience of public-school kids is NOT fine - and is indeed a "violation". It is against the law and unconstitutional. A public school teacher, working for a public school, becomes in the eyes of the law a direct representative of the government, and is therefore constrained by the United States Constitution in what they can and cannot do with regard to religion. Creationism and ID are religious creation myths. If they teach these religious creation myths as an "alternate scientific theory" to evolution, then they are violating the first amendment of the Constitution, and should be held accountable.
The problem isn't with evolution, or it's strengths and weaknesses. The problem is creationists and their campaign to inject their religion into our public schools.
Where's the Beef?
I keep looking but I can't seem to find the ID lesson plan that outlines the course on teaching "The Controversy." I just want to review their list of resources and see what goals are set for successful completion of the course.
Maybe if I asked the Texas SBoE nicely, with, you know, prayers and supplications . . .
Well, it appears to be a
Well, it appears to be a race between Texas' and Florida's DOE to see which one is first in provoking the inevitable lawsuit and ridicule.
I live in Florida. Go Longhorns!
We will prevail
The situation isn't as bad as you fear. The GOP tide is receding, and the voters have again and again kicked creationists out of office in places like Kansas and Dover, and we consistently win in court. Heck, the GOP frontrunner for president, Guliani, has even dared to say that he doesn't believe Jonah was swallowed by a whale! My hope is that when Texas has to pay a 7 figure settlement to the ACLU for teaching creationism, the backlash may put a democrat back in the governor's mansion.
Mockery and ridicule
Apart from the legal system, it seems that the best way to counter this nonsense is to make states that keeping electing twits to school boards to be the butt of jokes. It seemed to work in Kansas and Pennsylvania, maybe it will work in Texas and Florida. The residents of these states need to be made aware that everyone thinks they have a collective IQ of toast until they can prove to the rest of us that they take their children's education seriously.
malaprop
"Secede."
Thanks Milo
Thanks Milo.
happy to help
Thank me by keeping up the good blogging!